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WATCH: The transformation of Prospera Place is underway

Why is all this dirt being spread around?

  • 750 tons of dirt transforms the arena floor
  • Arena prepares for very different event

Appearances could not be any further from the norm at the home of the Kelowna Rockets.

There’s no ice at Prospera Place, it’s 25 C outside, and inside the machines are pushing dirt - and lot’s of it.

The final countdown is on to the return of PBR (Professional Bull Riders) with the elite Cup Series, presented by Wrangler, happening on Wednesday.

It will be the first time in four years and only the second time the circuit has made its way to the venue.

“It’s exciting to have this event,” Ian Murray, the manager of operations at Prospera Place told Kelowna10, as the dump trucks hauled the huge amount of dirt into the arena. “Obviously it’s different than hockey … we are Rockets fans … [but] we are a multi-event facility and it’s good to get people back in the building. It’s something different.”

The PBR will give the arena a whole new look. The complete transformation will include the setup of steel, totaling the length of six football fields, and the trucking in of 750 tonnes of dirt.

On Monday, the first steps in the choreographed spreading of that thick base of dirt was underway. Most of the soil went onto the arena floor for the competition but another outdoor section was being prepared for where the bulls will be stationed during the high-octane event.

“There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes here and dirt will cover everything, “ Murray explained, noting that all the materials associated with the ice hockey surface are properly covered first to ensure they’re not damaged.

He says the site is ideal for this sort of show.

“It gets people out of the hot sun … and into a venue that’s comfortable,” he said.

Kelowna10 will have more on the buildup to Wednesday’s event, so stay tuned.

Published 2022-07-18 by Glenn Hicks

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