Photo Courtesy of Jordan Holm
Typically used to capture wave barrels, cliff jumps, underwater excursions and other shenanigans, the GoPro is a versatile camera that has become a go-to device for many. This summer, the Athletics Department stuck one on a wall in Firestone Fieldhouse.
From June 25 to July 27, a crew of about 37 people worked to resurface the wooden court. It is refinished yearly and resurfaced every 10 to 20 years depending on the wear and tear. The last floor change was in 2003. Athletics has now put down a lighter, cleaner, two-toned finish.
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Jordan Holm and Allen Haren from the Integrated Marketing Communication Department captured the 33-day process in detail with a GoPro.
“We had seen a few other schools do similar videos and knew we would like to do one for Firestone,” Holm said.
The two came up with the idea to attach the camera to a wall above the bleachers and set it to snap a photo every 60 seconds. After filling 35 GB, Holm attained enough pictures for Haren to put together a 93-second video.
Shared across a variety of social media, the time-lapse video has gained more than 2,100 views on YouTube thus far.
Perhaps a fresh look can draw in fans. According to the Pepperdine Sports website, the largest crowd to squeeze into the gym for an athletics event topped off at 4,500, but that was 37 years ago. Funding for the floor resurfacing came from Pepperdine’s annual renovation funds.
The first game on the shiny new floors is scheduled for Friday, when No. 4 women’s volleyball challenges Delaware in the Pepperdine Asics Classic.
As published in the Aug. 26, 2013 issue of the Pepperdine Graphic.
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