As the tournament was in full swing at the Mériadeck Ice Rink, a major challenge awaited the 100% teams. Padel before the 8th. It was a matter of dismantling one of the playing fields in record time to allow the installation of a 600-seat stand. Jérémy Scatena, president of the company 100% Padel, explains to us the behind the scenes of this precise and silent operation.

The intervention takes place on court number 3, in the middle of the competition. "Tonight, we'll have to dismantle the track in less than 7 hours, including 4 hours without making any noise. It's very demanding, but everything is organized to go quickly, efficiently, and above all without disrupting the tournament."

Normally, it takes a full day to dismantle a track. Here, the 100% team Padel, composed of five people, has prepared an action plan to divide up tasks without stepping on each other's toes. The goal: to succeed in this operation between matches, and sometimes even during end changes.

"It's very complicated because the games are still going on. There are plenty of things we can do quietly: remove the silicone, cut the turf, remove the net, the advertisements, the sand... but we can't unscrew anything until the game is stopped. We'll have to wait for the end changes to start taking down the windows, then the structures."

Another constraint: some structures are specific, particularly the 10-meter backcourts, which require the intervention of a windshield. All this without disturbing the players or the public.

Is this a typical situation? "No, it's a specific request related to the venue. We need more spectators for the weekend, so we have to adapt the infrastructure. It's a challenge, but it's what we like to do."

Jérémy Scatena is no stranger to this, having previously worked on major events like Brussels. But he acknowledges that this type of mission remains a motivating challenge. "Like in sports, challenges are what drive us. I hope we'll be up to the task so that everything is ready by dawn tomorrow morning."

Another topic discussed: the sale of the tournament's tracks. "There is still one available field that clubs can purchase. It's a central field, with all its equipment and original turf, the same one on which the best players played."

These tracks are also special, with anthracite grey grass, a new feature validated by Premier Padel. "It's a suggestion we made. Anthracite gray brings more brightness than black, and we matched it with sand for a very clean visual effect."

“This desire to innovate is constant at 100% PadelThis weekend, we're planning a light show on center court. The idea is to transform the court into a nightclub, to offer a real spectacle.

And Jérémy is looking further ahead: "We have a project in mind for next year, something completely new. We want to continue to play with colors, effects, visibility, and of course the experience for both the audience and the cameras."

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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