It was dome deflation day this week at the National Sports Center – as one of the most visible sights in the city is temporarily gone.
“The dome down is about a three-day process,” said the NSC’s Sara Soli.
A team of approximately 120 volunteers and workers literally let the air out of the popular multi-use bubble, aka the M Health Fairview Dome.
“First we start inside, take down the lights, remove all the batting cages, that sort of thing,” Soli said. “Then the actual dome deflation to everything off is about two days.”
110 foot bubble
The Teflon tent is a signature site in Blaine from November to May.
Said Soli: “This is the largest sports dome in North America – at least the tallest at 110 feet.”
Deflation day isn’t necessarily a depressing day for those at the NSC. They know that no dome means winter is in the rear view mirror.
“The dome’s a great asset for the community,” Soli said. “It allows a lot of people to come in and get some play time during those winter months. But we love when it comes down because it really is the signal for spring and summer.”
Of course, bursting Blaine’s bubble is only temporary – in a few months it will be inflation day again.
“We want this thing to last a long time,” Soli said. “It wasn’t cheap so we definitely work on doing it right when we put it up and put it down.”
It didn’t take long for the NSC to transition to outdoor events. The soccer kickoff challenge is this Friday through Sunday.
