I just compared photos I had of my Baywatch from 2009 to recent photos (2013) and noticed no significant wear at the shark hole. There is some wear that occurred, however, behind the upper left flipper. When the upper right "shark flipper" automatically shoots for the shark hole, the ball often careens toward the upper left flipper (which I think also actuates automatically) and strikes the beveled wood behind the flipper. I don't think Cliffy could make a protector for that area.