For those in the floor industry, awards are as big as Oscars

Boo hoo. The Oscars might not be on TV this year if the Hollywood writers strike isn't resolved by next month.

I don't mind.

In years past, I've watched with no idea who has the best costumes or best screenplay adaptation or best fake nose worn by someone who already has a fake nose.

I'm saving my energy for a different award ceremony: The National Wood Flooring Association convention.

It's in March in Fort Lauderdale. There's dinner. For entertainment, there's a comedian who supposedly does a pretty decent George Bush. The dress code is usually guys showing up in khakis and polo shirts sporting their company logos. A local guy from Chesapeake might even take home an award.

Unfortunately, it's not televised.

I'm interested because in the last year, my house has undergone a kitchen remodel. Part of the work included removing a couple layers of linoleum that came up by hand. And when I say came up by hand, I mean they came up in 1-inch squares, crippling our fingers into arthritic claws as we peeled them off. The payoff was untouched hardwood floors.

I've learned more about that floor than I ever will about Jason Schwartzman or Jack Nicholson or Denzel Washington.

The communications director for the National Wood Flooring Association, Anita Howard, assured me the floor award is "a big deal. It's kinda like our Oscars."

The event started in 1990. Nominations come from manufacturers, installers and refinishers.

One local contender is Daniel Horan. In the early 1990s, Horan sold carpet cleaners in New York, and customers regularly asked him if he worked on wood floors as well.

After about the 50th time, he decided there must be a need for the business and decided to give it a try. He took classes, studied manuals and practiced on his mother's bedroom.

In 2003, he moved to Hampton Roads and set up shop in Chesapeake.

"It's been crazy here ever since," he said.

So now he has entered the Floor of the Year contest for the first time. Last year there were 215 entries, in 10 categories. This year the contest has been expanded to 20 categories including "Best Entry/Foyer" and "Best Limited Species."

Horan is trying for a win in the Best Restoration category. He helped restore the Connecticut House at the Norfolk Naval Station. The home was built in 1907 for the Jamestown Expedition, and the floors had to be sanded seven times for the perfect sheen. His nomination says the floor is made of "exquisite Perfection Quarter Sawn Antique Heart Pine."

The second local entry from Horan might be a little more visible and will compete in the Best Commercial/Showroom category. It's a basketball court at Camp Allen, a small community service military base off Terminal Boulevard in Norfolk.

The old gym was wood directly on top of a concrete slab. It was the kind of floor where after a hard game of full-court five-on-five, the play resonated in every joint and every bone in your body. Horan replaced it with a sub-floor system and hired an artist to paint the Marine emblem at center court.

"It looks phenomenal," said Michael Corrie, the Semper Fit director at Camp Allen (the "ultimate" health and fitness club). He's hoping Horan wins, because with a title like Floor of the Year, that might bring more people to the gym.

Last year the big winner was Czar Flooring out of Newtown, Pa. It won three categories.

Howard told me there are no clear-cut favorites this year, that people's success comes and goes.

The title does not come with a cash prize.

All you get is pride in a job well done. Recognition from peers. A round of applause. A plaque.

For Horan, who's cautiously optimistic, that would be more than enough.

Mike Gruss, (757) 446-2277, mike.gruss@pilotonline.com