THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING
CONTENTS
VOL 21.3
6 ISSUE AT HAND Rise, Phoenix, Rise
8 SHORTS • Cybernetic Solutions celebrates 20 years in bowling • Intercard touts 2012 as record year
We’re Going Uptown!
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Gregory Keer
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38 OFF THE CLOCK The Crawler Extreme thrills: It’s just the way Mark Marchido rolls. By Ben Breuner
Bowling For Bucks
41 TRIBUTE
When the Rachael Ray Show producers were searching for a fundraising segment, bowling saved the day.
Remembering Kegel’s John Davis
By Anna Littles 26
A look at the remarkable life of the visionary who changed the way we do business. By Fred Groh
16 CENTER STAGE The New Age Viking
54 REMEMBER WHEN
A look at Iceland’s newest Bowling Palace.
1998
By Robert Sax
Discerning Tastes Agree By Patty Heath
22 PROFILE Full Circle
By Mark Miller
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keer@bowlingindustry.com
OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath heath@bowlingindustry.com
CONTRIBUTORS Ben Breuner Fred Groh Patty Heath Anna Littles Mark Miller Robert Sax
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher fisher@bowlingindustry.com
ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424
FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)
14 SPECIAL FEATURE
Don Hildebrand has gone full circle in his career, from long-time proprietor to Wisconsin’s newest USBC bowling association manager.
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Chris Holmes holmes@bowlingindustry.com
By Fred Groh
Compiled by Patty Heath
frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager
26 COVER STORY With the opening of Uptown Alley #1 and #2, Steve Uphoff has started something grand.
By Scott Frager
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager
36 Showcase 36 Datebook 47 Classifieds 41
12655 Ventura Boulevard Studio City, CA 91604 (818) 789-2695(BOWL) Fax (818) 789-2812 info@bowlingindustry.com
www.BowlingIndustry.com
HOTLINE: 888-424-2695 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy of International Bowling Industry is sent free to every bowling center, independently owned pro shop and collegiate bowling center in the U.S., and every military bowling center and pro shop worldwide. Publisher reserves the right to provide free subscriptions to those individuals who meet publication qualifications. Additional subscriptions may be purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50 per year. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $65 per year, all other foreign subscriptions are $80 per year. All foreign subscriptions should be paid in U.S. funds using International Money Orders. POSTMASTER: Please send new as well as old address to International Bowling Industry, 12655 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604 USA. If possible, please furnish address mailing label. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2013, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.
MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:
THE ISSUE AT HAND
Rise, Phoenix, Rise Before the days of Google maps and GPS, I recall navigating through seemingly endless miles of alligator swamps and boiled peanut shops, only to recognize my final destination by the huge, painted phoenix seemingly rising above the ashes on the side of the building. On second thought, it may have been painted on the roof. In any case, I wasn’t quite sure if this building was home to a motorcycle repair shop, a Floridian exotic bird breeder, or the “new” Kegel headquarters. One step inside, however, and it was clear that this was no standard manufacturer’s office, warehouse or factory. There was a special creative and adventurous atmosphere that touched anyone and everyone who came in contact with Kegel. More specifically, there was a spirit and force within the building that was larger than the edifice itself. That energy and fire was stoked by Kegel’s founder John Davis. He could only be described as larger than life, just like the Greek mythological creature that proudly and boldly shone on the building. The bowling industry lost one of its great visionaries when John Davis suddenly passed away. His passion, energy and his steadfast,
relentless, single-minded need to understand bowling and lane conditions are legendary. He truly was on a mission to bring the sport of bowling back from the doldrums much like his revered phoenix rose from the ashes. John had an inexplicable way of answering any simple question, (ie: time of day?) by turning it into an hour-long dissertation of “What is the perfect scoring condition?” Inevitably, everyone who came into contact with John walked away a little more passionate, if not a little more confused, about bowling conditions and the quest for perfection. He gladly spent millions (my estimates) on his pursuit for knowledge and preserving the integrity of the sport. Everyone has a story about the late, great John Davis. In this issue and online at www.BowlingIndustry.com, we will share stories about and reflections of our dearly departed friend and colleague. On Friday, January 25, 2013 John Davis rose, like a phoenix, to a higher plane. It is my hope and prayer that he’s now that much closer to discovering the answers he was devotedly seeking throughout his professional career.
– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR frager@bowlingindustry.com
THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com A tool is only as good as how you use it. IBI Online has many resource tools which can be used to share, learn and promote. Executive directors and association presidents, JOIN! Upload your newsletters. Proprietors, JOIN! Upload your renovations and inspire someone else. Brag! Share marketing ideas that work. IBI can be your own resource library. Use it. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” And, that’s no fairy tale! Pooling resources is just plain smart. Join IBI today!
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SHORTS
GOODWILL CENTRAL
February was the “Love” month. However, bowling centers across the U.S. are in the love month all year long. Support for and help with causes in local communities and with programs on a national level are what centers do. Here are a few events held in the beginning of 2013.
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Camp Lotsafun, a nonprofit organization in Reno, NV, that provides recreational, therapeutic and education opportunities to individuals with disabilities had its annual Bowling is Lotsafun fundraiser in January at the National Bowling Stadium. Camp Lotsafun started in the 1970s and has campers as young as seven and as old as 69. It was a community event with raffles, silent auctions and the generous time of Circus, Circus bowling pro, Jimmy Sturm, who provided free bowling clinics all day. The goal was to raise $12,000 for its scholarship fund. Hats off to Frames Bowling Lounge in New York City who held more than 10 charity events in the month of December, along with raising over $40,000 for various local causes. Large companies such as JP Morgan and Signature Bank have arranged charity bowling leagues at Frames for their employees. These events also act as post-work stress relief. Gilroy Historical Society in Gilroy, CA, held its 3rd Annual Museum Bowl-A-Thon at Gilroy Bowl. The procedes are designated for the museum’s endowment fund. Chipper’s Lanes North in Fort Collins, CO, held the fifth annual Alley Cats Bowling Night to benefit Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic. Participants enjoyed three games of cosmic bowling with shoe rental included, as well as dinner. Oops Alley in Pensacola, FL, hosted a Bowl for the Cure Tournament, organized by the Greater Pensacola United States Bowling Congress Association. The money raised will go to the Susan G. Komen For the Cure organization to aid breast cancer research. The fundraiser held at Drakeshire Lanes in Farmington, MI, was for nine-year-old Rachel Morris who suffers from Rett Syndrome which keeps her from walking, talking or feeding herself. The community is hoping to collect funds to help the Morris family purchase a handicapped accessible van to assist Rachel. Lore’s Lanes in New Milford, CT, was the location for Dream Come True of Western Connecticut’s Dream Bowling fundraiser. Children and families enjoyed bowling, face painting and prizes. Dream Come True promotes and enriches lives of children who are seriously, chronically or terminally ill. Bowling is business, but there is no business like helping people and communities. Please let us know what your center is up to by emailing heath@bowlingindustry.com.
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MISSION BOWLING
CLUB HOSTS AT-RISK TEENS Keeping Christmas in the air a little longer and definitely worth acknowledging, New York Yankees starting pitcher and six-time All-Star CC Sabathia held his CC’s Christmas Caravan at Mission Bowling Club in the Mission District of San Francisco. Invitees were 19 at-risk teens from Youth and Family Services of Vallejo, CA, who had an opportunity to bowl with Sabathia and his wife, Amber. Following the bowling, Sabathia took the teens to Nike Town, where each one was treated to a $250 shopping spree and given a $100 gift card to take back to their families. “It means a lot for me, being from Vallejo, being from the Bay Area, to have the opportunity to go bowling with these kids,” Sabathia said. “It’s my favorite thing to do off the field.” The event was hosted by the PitCCh In Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded
CC Sabathia with youths at Mission Bowling Club in San Francisco during his CC’s Christmas Caravan hosted by the PitCCh In Foundation.
in 2009 by CC and Amber that is dedicated to enriching the lives of inner-city youth, of which CC was one. As quoted in the Mission Local by Jamie Goldberg, “After speaking with the press, Sabathia sat down with the kids and asked them where they were from. Then he picked a ball, walked up to the line, and threw it into the gutter.” While it helped show that having fun is just that…having fun, he should keep his day job!
SHORTS
EXPANSIONS, OPENINGS & NEW BEGINNINGS A boutique eight-lane center will be opening sometime in the spring in Delray Beach, FL. Steven Dapuzzo who owns the restaurant SoLita, which is next door, is the driving force. “Downtown has great options for dining and socializing, but there’s not a lot to do. Delray needs another attraction for entertainment,” Dapuzzo said to Maria Herrera of the Sun Sentinal. The center, not yet named, will also feature a restaurant and bar that will have an outdoor area.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Liberty Lanes in Liberty, NY, will now be Liberty Lanes! After 42 years, Bob and Arvilla Fix closed the center which had been open since 1970. Within months of the closure, A.C. Patel, owner of Kiamesha Lanes in Kiamesha, NY, is preparing to reopen the 12-lane center maintaining the name, Liberty Lanes. Included in the $300,000 makeover will be new pinsetters, a bar area and a game and snack rooms.
Third times’ the charm for candlepin bowling in New Hampshire. Milford Lanes, originally Bowlmor Lanes in Milford, closed last year but will reopen under the new ownership of the proprietors of Leda Lanes in Nashua. The third name? Lucky’s Lanes!
Jim Grueter, owner and creator of Jim Dandy’s restaurants, will be converting a charming, 45-foot wide, old, brick building in Nutley, NJ, to a 12-lane center which will accommodate a 135-seat restaurant and a bar. The building has been vacant since 1970. Joseph Haines, a life-long resident of Nutley, said he couldn’t remember the last time the building was productive. Here’s to new life!
Another story of unused space finds new life is Pinky’s Bowling Lanes in Temecula, CA, which has been closed for fifteen years. During that time it had been a Stater Bros. market but then closed. Now, the 30,000 square-foot commercial space has reopened as Temecula Lanes. Owner Alex Mann, who also operates centers in Tustin and Riverside, designed the facility to attract the social bowling crowd that patronizes “upscale” establishments such as Lucky Strike. General manager Paula Vidad said of the new center, “It’s a hybrid.” From Monday through Thursday, there will be league bowling and from Friday through Sunday, it will be open bowling. Mann has created a large section of the space for a bar/lounge area with four pool tables and a private lounge with a pool table and seating for dozens. There are private lanes and couches perfect for parties, and there will be a pro shop on site. The neighborhood at large is excited about the resurgence of life that the center will bring to every business. 10
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hits new high for 2012 Intercard Inc., a cash management solutions company for the amusement industry, announced that 2012 was a record year for the company. 45 new sites were opened in the United States, a domestic single-year high, and 115+ new sites installed globally. “What’s truly exciting about this remarkable achievement is that our growth came from both existing customers opening new locations, and new customers,” said Jason Mitchell, North American Sales, Intercard Inc. New items introduced were: the iPlanner online scheduling system; the “Points for Play,” an e-Ticket payment option; and the iTeller II, an automated payment kiosk. Companies taking advantage of these were existing customers Namco Entertainment, Main Event Entertainment, Brunswick Zone XL and Ryan Family Amusements and new customers Lasertron’s Block Party in New York, Bowl New England’s Sparetime Lanes in North Carolina, and Headpinz in Florida.
A VICTORY FOR
PINSTRIPES Opposition is not always the final outcome but often a step in the process of realizing a dream. Dale Schwartz, CEO of Pinstripes, had designs on Georgetown Park Mall. He proposed to bring a very upscale mix of bowling, Pinstripes’ Dale Schwartz talks with bocce, dining and partying to the residents about his proposed center. renovated complex in Washington D.C. Photo credit: The Georgetown Dish Sounds great? Yes and No! A group of residents were not convinced that this would be such a good idea. There were strong objections to the bowling, in particular. Noise was at the stem of the concerns: the noise from rowdy bowlers and the noise from the outdoor patio and ensuing parties. The Board of Zoning Adjustment heard and supported the concerns. Now, this is where listening comes in handy. In meetings with opponents, Schwartz emphasized that Pinstripes would welcome families, close early, and design and build the facility to eliminate bowling-related noise and vibration. He listened to the concerns of the condominium owners and somewhere in all of that it was guaranteed that no sound would be audible for any of the residents. Representatives on both sides found common ground, and the Board of Zoning Adjustment approved the project. Georgetown Mall will get its bowling center after all, and they will all live happily ever after. Hopefully.
SHORTS
CYBERNETIC SOLUTIONS
TURNS TWENTY
March 2013 marks 20 years of service in tenpin bowling for Cybernetic Solutions. Headquartered in Melbourne Australia, the company began in 1993 with the invention of a small electronic devise that enhanced the performance of pinspotter machines. Also known as Tenpintec, the company under the guidance of Ray Jordan has continued to create new and innovative products specifically designed for the bowling industry. Using Bowl Expo as a springboard, the company had created partnerships and collaborations with many of the industry’s stateside companies, the most recent of which was the Australian distributorship for Kegel in 2009. “The last 20 years have been a blast, and we are ready to jump head first into the next 20,” stated Jordan. Happy Birthday!
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN
Historical Tidbits Do you know what ancient Egypt and 17th century Boston have in common? Bowling! Recently, about 56 miles south of Cairo in the province of Al-Fayyum, Italian archeologists discovered what they feel is the oldest indoor bowling lanes dating back to 332 B.C. It was described as a spaceous room, with a shallow lane running through into a pit and two heavy stone balls lying nearby. Due to the pottery and copper utensils found in abundance, the lane seems to be part of a residential building. Apparently, private lanes in homes are not new. More recently, yet still back in the day, Boston delved into recreational activity. The Big Dig is the nick name for an archeological project near the Boston Harbor and the Charles River. Although not a large find, a bowling ball was recovered that was, in the 1600s, home to Katherine Nanny Naylor, the daughter of Rev. John Wheelwright, a prominent Boston minister. 12
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The wheel-shaped bowling ball, which was properly called a bowle, is made of lathe-turned oak and at one time held a small lead weight and had a decorative cover over the hole. The bowle would have been used for lawn bowling, more similar to bocce than to a ten-pin game. Interestingly, the legality of bowling came into question when in 1650 a law was passed which fined tavern owners 20 shillings and each player 5 shillings for bowling. The problem wasn’t the bowling itself, but the gambling and carousing that went along with it. Boston’s early colonial leaders actively legislated against recreation in an effort to control personal behavior. Much of this attitude was held over from the 16th century when English royalty banned bowling among the poorer classes in an effort to keep recreation better focused on military sports. Bowling has come a long way, baby!
SPECIAL FEATURE
s Little . M nna By A
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f you are a TV host, how do you provide interesting content for the audience and viewers while raising money for a worthy charity? This was the question put to the producers of the Rachael Ray Show which is filmed in New York. Just days after Hurricane Sandy, the show was interested in using a portable bowling lane for a charity segment. Since the producers didn't know where to get a portable bowling lane, they turned to the shows’ go-to man, Art Department called "Bowling for Bucks." Rachael coordinator Delancey Birzim. Birzim's Ray and Sheryl Crowe generated a research led him to the LaSpina family of Maple Family Centers, and the game was on! In the lime light! Ralph Marino (l), Mechanic at Coram lot of excitement along with $10,000 Portable bowling lanes are one of Country Lanes; Paul LaMar (c), Marketing Director of Maple for the charity. In fact, "Bowling for Family Centers; and Bill Kimberley (r), Head Mechanic at Bucks" was one of the highest rated Brunswick's designs and were often used by Rockville Centre Lanes on set of the Rachael Ray Show to segments for a show that’s already the LaSpinas during the summer months. construct the portable lane. headed into its 7th season. That's when the family would set up a lane Ray and the producers loved the segment so much at outdoor summer festivals throughout New York to promote the sport they asked Birzim to talk with LaSpina about setting up they love. However owner, John LaSpina found the portable lane a prop bowling lane exclusively for the show. Look for cumbersome and challenged his brilliant mechanic Barry Bloomfield to more Bowling for Bucks on the Rachael Ray Show in take the Brunswick design to a new level. Barry took on the challenge and support of different charities in the future. This could be worked the specs and together with Brunswick created a product they the beginning of something big for the business! ❖ named “Lanes to Go.” When Birzim went in search of a portable bowling alley for the segment, the LaSpina family had the perfect answer. Birzim along with the show's crew worked with the LaSpinas in putting Anna Littles, a screenplay and freelance writer and the lane together and were able to adjust it to fit perfectly on the set of producer originally from the Bronx, New York, now the show. Rachael Ray wanted to do a segment that would be fun and would resides in Santa Monica, California. You can see her work on YouTube, IMDB, or on her website at generate donations for her guest Sheryl Crowe's charity Feeding America, Anna@alittleLA.com. an organization that fights hunger in the U.S. And so the segment was
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The New Age Viking
CENTER STAGE
Iceland’s Bowling Palace locations are upscale establishments where even a Viking can enjoy some harmless frames of bowling.
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CENTER STAGE
By Robert Sax ports and games are big in Icelandic culture, and the country is known for excellence in shooting, weightlifting, team handball and chess. Bowling, although not a traditional Icelandic sport, is also very popular, with participation growing every year. The U.S. Navy brought bowling to Iceland when it
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built two recreational lanes at Camp Knox, its WWII-era air base there. The Bowling Palace, Iceland’s first commercial bowling center, opened in 1985 in Reykjavik, the nation’s capital city. In 2012 Keiluhöllin, the company owner of the Bowling Palace, opened a second Reykjavik location with the help of US Bowling Corporation. It features 22 state-of-the-art lanes serviced by fullyremanufactured AMF 82-90XL pinspotters and a Steltronic automatic
CENTER STAGE
scoring system with 42” scoring monitors. There are eight-foot video masking units across the house with 6,000 lumen projectors, and beautifully-appointed seating areas featuring US Bowling’s Celebrity furniture. The new center also offers arcade games, pool tables, air hockey and even a golf simulator. An upscale Italian restaurant and a sports bar with big screen TVs complete the amenities. Keiluhöllin is planning to open a third center in Akureyri, Iceland’s second largest urban center. You can find out more about this creative and exciting company at Keiluhollin.is.hysir.net. ❖
Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.
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PROFILE
Former proprietor Don Hildebrand tackles bowling's challenges as Wisconsin’s new USBC manager. By Mark Miller nly a few people in bowling can come close to matching Don Hildebrand's widespread perspective from a youth bowler to center employee and manager, and from a local, state and national proprietor association official to a USBC association leader. He truly has seen the game and sport from all sides. So, his latest endeavor should be no surprise to those who know him best. The 57-year-old Glendale, WI, resident is in the middle of his first year as the manager of the Wisconsin USBC Bowling Association. “I'm trying to get into the thought more of an association rather than a proprietor,” he said. “They come from two different schools but share the goal of trying to keep bowling alive.” However, he is quickly learning the similarities and differences. “The biggest thing I learned as a proprietor is to listen to the bowler,” he said. “Don't feed them Brussels sprouts when they want peas. You have to listen to the people you want to affect. That's what we do with the higher average bowler. They make a lot of noise. We don't hear from the lower average bowler who doesn't make a lot of noise. We have to ask more. “Some association people think the low average bowler doesn't know anything. Then they fall from the wayside. If they ask for shorter seasons, the proprietors are going to give them that. Association people don't do that. We have to learn to listen better to all of our bowlers not just some.”
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Hildebrand agreed to switch to the proverbial “dark 22
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side” in 2011, then spent time shadowing Phil LaPorte, who had served as manager of the Wisconsin USBC bowling association for 19 years. “I spent one or two hours a week learning the guts of it,” Hildebrand said. “I learned about WinLABS (USBC's association computer system), set up some meetings and worked with some of the financials.” He noted, “It was not in-depth enough that I don't still talk to Phil. He's still on the board. He's manager emeritus and serves as an ambassador. It's good to have that reference.” Hildebrand's apprenticeship ended last Aug. 1, when he officially became association manager. Since then he's been in charge of operating the organization's main events: the open championships that featured nearly 2,100 teams in 2012, and the senior tournament that drew nearly 500. To accommodate his new job, Hildebrand moved the association office from LaPorte's home in nearby Germantown to his own home basement. Enough space had to be made to include room for him and three other people – his wife Krista, Carol Jaske and Gloria Behr. That meant most of his man cave had to be replaced by desks, chairs and tables. Krista Hildebrand handles bookkeeping and financials while Jaske takes care of scheduling and money deposits for the main tournament and Behr covers the housing and senior event. All are long-time bowling officials.
PROFILE Hildebrand is a lifer who followed a parent's love of bowling. “I joined my first youth league at Echo Bowl at age 8,” he recalled. “My mother worked there and made it clear I would be doing that.” The day he turned 16 in 1971, he started working at the center located just north of Milwaukee. “I did everything,” he said. “I worked the front counter, was a cleaning boy, bus person, cook, pin chaser, basically everything. I finally got smart and married the owner.” Though he enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he returned each weekend to work at Echo. Realizing a 160-mile round-trip commute was challenging, he transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he spent the next three semesters before quitting school when Krista and sister, Kathy, offered him the manager's job. As he learned more about the business, he became involved with the Bowling Centers Association of Milwaukee and BPA of Wisconsin, ultimately holding every office. He was on the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America's National Tournament Committee for nearly two decades, 10 years as chair. That role ended in 2004 when the family sold Echo Bowl to Walgreen. Hildebrand remembers the final night well. “That was an extremely emotional moment for my wife [Krista] and Kathy whose father, Frank Prasnikar, built the place. We didn't sell because we wanted to. We did it because they kept coming at us. As we left that final night, we went across the street to Kopps and had an ice cream. In the parking lot was an old car that was exactly like [the one] their dad had. It was a goose-bumper. To this day, my wife and her sister will not go into that Walgreens.” Though the center was no more, the Hildebrands remained close to the game in other ways. They began promoting in-school bowling to school districts throughout Wisconsin. Don even joined the Greater Milwaukee USBC Bowling Association board of directors, serving as president in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. “That was a real eye opener because my main obligation was to help repair and bridge the relationship between the proprietors and association,” he said. “There are a lot of places in the state where they don't get along.” As Echo Bowl's long-time voice, Hildebrand could relate to both sides. While he handled the men’s and senior program, Kathy worked in the office and did the bookwork while Krista ran the junior program. When he and his family received the offer they couldn't refuse, it ended 33 years in the business, a time when he experienced first-hand the dramatic changes that have swept the game. “The first big change was when women went back to work. The daytime leagues quickly began dropping. Leagues as a social norm changed. He also noted the drinking laws changed. 24
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“If one guy had a problem, it was tough because if you lost him, you lost his whole team. As a proprietor I really learned how to adapt to what the consumer wanted.” Hildebrand believes USBC has much to learn.“USBC has been slow to [adapt],” he said. “It's very tough to justify a couples league that bowls once a month to pay the same thing as those who bowl every week. I don't know if today's consumer sees the value in that membership. If you bowl once a month, eight times a year, what does the $18 do for me? There has to be something there. “Proprietors and USBC look at bowlers in different ways. For proprietors, they are their livelihood. USBC looks at every bowler as a league bowler.” Hildebrand also noted, “Consumers won't sign up for anything. They won't even commit to this weekend because something else might come up.” However, Hildebrand thinks USBC can still survive. “It has to keep bowling in the forefront.” Though it's been eight years since he stopped being a proprietor, Hildebrand still has plenty of fond memories and people they met with whom they are still friends. “There was a corps of 60 people who we could count on for anything. They were like an extended family.” With everything he's already done, Don Hildebrand believes his future role is to bring everyone in the bowling industry together. “I find USBC is a family,” he said. “There are a lot of people who have donated a large portion of their life to this industry. But like any industry, you need young blood. You have to know how to take it to the people.” ❖
Mark Miller is a freelance writer from Flower Mound, Texas. He is the national and Dallas-Fort Worth bowling writer for Examiner.com and a columnist for the Bowling News Network.
COVER STORY
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COVER STORY By Fred Groh ptown Alley was a third finished when Steve Uphoff decided to tear it up and start from scratch. Had it been built the way it was flowing out of his architect’s pen, the Midlothian (Richmond), VA, center would have been single-story, traditional, upscale. In a word, pleasant. But not the eye-popper that opened two days before Thanksgiving last year. Uphoff is the first to admit that he knew nothing about bowling when his son-in-law, Steven Moore, brought him the idea in 2007. Moore knew bowling, having started around age five. By high school, he was glow-bowling at a location just up the road. “At the time, you were allowed to smoke in Virginia so they were smoke-filled, just disgusting places that nobody wanted to go to,” Moore remembers. If one of his buddies suggested a night at a local alley, “half of them said, ‘Man, I don’t want to go to that dirty place!’” But suppose somebody put in a new bowling alley—“fancy, non-smoking, beautiful. That place would just be on fire,” Moore was positive. He had just the place in mind, an empty Winn-Dixie supermarket. “I figured it would be a cheap play to get in there. I thought it was in a great location. It had been vacant for six, seven months. I went as far as to call the realtor. The moment ‘bowling alley’ came off my lips they hung up on me. No interest.” Uphoff wasn’t wild about the property either, and that was no spur-of-the-moment reaction. He knew the food and beverage business—crucial in an upscale bowling center these days—from his father, whose
U
Dowdy . ed by Page Photo provid
Photo provided by Page Dowdy .
anban , Jimmy Cab ppy d n a r, e n w dU Uphoff, co-o e one poun wner, Steve ond. On the plate, th me of bowling. -o co , re o o a eg teven M in Richm nd get a fre From left: S ager at Uptown Alley r. Eat it all a e rg n u a B m l ra gene IBI
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eponymous chain of Uppy’s family restaurants eventually numbered 11. Before young Uphoff was old enough to drive a car, he was running an Uppy’s. He also knew property development. The day after he graduated from U of Florida, he went to work for an Amoco gas station across the street from the campus. He stayed with Amoco for 16 years, eventually having charge of sales for more than 300 locations in four Southeastern states. At age 40, he quit to go out on his own and built his first station. In 14 years, he grew his company to 44 stores, 1,000 employees, and a 100-million-gallon distributorship. Next, he decided to expand by buying all the Exxon assets on bid in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. That gave him 298 stores, making his company the largest Exxon distributor in the U.S. That was in 2010. But Uphoff didn’t want to be active exclusively in the volatile-margin business of oil and gas. Two years before the Exxon buy, he and his wife, Linda, formed Uphoff Ventures to buy real estate and develop it into value-added property. In 2011 he stepped down from the Exxon stations as CEO and decided to get
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Photo provided by Page Dowdy .
COVER STORY
Close-up of the boutique lanes. The custom lanes and approaches, based on the nearby James River, were supplied by Brunswick.
seriously into the entertainment business. “We liked the idea that the entertainment business was diversified. It seemed to be doing well in a weak economy. It seemed to be a niche opportunity because you could build a boutique, something special, something unique, and the adage that if you build something nice they will come, we felt there was some truth to that.” Uphoff meant they will come if you build something really nice. His gas stations feature Uppy’s-brand convenience stores, averaging 3,500 square feet. It’s “hard to make a sexy gas station,” he says, but the stores are “absolutely clean, well-stocked and [offer] great service.” That chimed in with Moore’s inspiration for a bowling venue that would be something special. Uphoff didn’t like the idea of setting up a bowling shop in the deserted supermarket, but he loved the 14-1/2 acres Moore dug up nearby. A corner
COVER STORY Photo provided by Page Dowdy .
The 14 lanes in the boutique module. Off-camera are the Rotunda “ultra lounge” and live entertainment space.
was sold to a credit union, and plans call for a hotel of 4-10 stories (200600 rooms) and possibly a waterpark, but bowling is the main concern at the moment. That will probably have to include a new multi-level parking garage, Uphoff reports, given the number of patrons Uptown Alley has been attracting.
The early designs for the bowling venue, drawn by the architect for the
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convenience stores, were in progress when Uphoff and Moore contacted Brunswick, looking for a bowling supplier. As Moore recalls it, Brunswick focused right away on how these oil-and-gas people, obviously business-savvy but not familiar with bowling, were going to operate a bowling center. They were also unfamiliar with boutique bowling modules—a problem that photos of Brunswick’s Big Al’s project in Portland, OR remedied immediately. “As soon as we saw that—the whole concept—like ‘Wow!’” Moore remembers. As to day-to-day operations, Brunswick’s new clients would just hunt up a manager. “How complicated could [that] be?” Moore thought. Quite complicated, if you still have to work out the operational concept. Enter Trifecta Management Group of Agoura Hills (Los Angeles), CA, a strategic partner of Brunswick. Trifecta specializes in concept development and operational management. “Turnkey,” managing partner Mike Auger says, describing the services on offer to Trifecta’s clients. The group can create all the operating systems and procedures for daily operation, all the training content and materials, all the recipes and plate presentations for
the food, hire and train the management and staff, and supply the branding from logo to group sales and PR. After a meet-and-greet with the Uphoff family and their go-ahead, Trifecta began with a three-week study of the Richmond market. “We’re going to get the bowling business,” Auger was sure when the study results came in. “It’s somewhat undersold here. Just by building it, the bowling portion of the business is going to happen. The key is how do we get them to spend money on food and beverage, on games, how do we animate space so that people will have their retirement parties, their birthday
“If you’re going to partner with somebody, you better damn well trust them, right? Otherwise you’ve got the wrong person,” Steve Uphoff says. So when Trifecta Management Group, partnering with Uphoff in his first bowling entertainment project, suggested he take a look at a shuttered bowling property in Surprise, AZ, about 45 minutes from Phoenix, he did. He found a 60,000-square-foot 40-laner, “very similar” to what he was then building in Richmond, VA, with his son-in-law, Steven Moore. Two and a half years after its doors closed, the balls and shoes, the pinsetters and the furniture were still there and so were the 40 screens for the lanes. Seventy percent complete, Uphoff says. The two men thought the former Boulevard EXP was “really nice,” that it could be finished very easily “but there must be liens up the ying-yang,” Uphoff surmised. When they sat down with the developer, Adam Mays of A.R. Mays in Scottsdale, Uphoff asked, “How many people are unhappy?” Mays answered, “There are no liens. Everyone was paid in full. The bank wrote us a check and every one of our subs was paid, and we have lien waivers from every one of them.” Mays had another comment. “Steve, I want to finish the job,” he said. “Please consider 32
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Photo provided by Page Dowdy .
COVER STORY
38 open lanes are part of 57,000-square-foot Richmond location, hub of a $20 million complex.
me. I think it’s a great facility. The people of Surprise want to see it. They’ve been waiting for five years”—a reference to the launching of the original project, which folded with the economy in 2008. It sounded too good to be true, Uphoff reports, so he and Moore promptly set out to verify it. Sure enough, there were no liens—and nothing like this center within 20 miles. He was also mindful that Trifecta, who would manage the center if he bought, was 45 minutes away by air if executive presence was needed in a hurry. Uphoff bought it for 25 cents on the dollar; added a patio, eliminated a concession stand and redesigned the restaurant at Trifecta’s suggestion; and opened it four months later. That was last May, about six months before his bowling venue in Richmond debuted. “It’s been doing great ever since,” Uphoff says happily. He or Moore flies in once a month to check operations personally. The Surprise property, like its Eastward sibling, wears the Uptown Alley name tag. The attractions at Uptown Alley #2, as the center is known within the company, has updated and expanded attractions for the entire family. The arcade features 80+ video, prize and redemption games. The sports theater rotunda provides all the popular sports packages, year round. There is a billiards room with live entertainment on the weekends. The Approach is touted as "the" place for adult socialization, corporate events and parties. And, to top it all off is a state-of-the-art laser tag system from Zone Laser Tag. Erik Guthrie, Zone’s VP of Sales & Marketing states, “The Uptown Alley folks had a clear idea on bringing their vision to life. Zone is proud to have partnered with them to create a first-class facility.” With all this fun, it's no surprise that Uptown Alley will be a success.
COVER STORY Photo provided by 88 Love Stories. 9-foot billiard forums upstairs. Below, Red Embers, the bar and grill, with 20-foot projection TV and surrounding screens. Upstairs, the boutique module.
Photo provided by Page Dowdy .
parties or their corporate events [here]?” With the right look and feel of the space, its “fidelity,” as Auger calls it. That’s a matter of where the lanes go, where the kitchen is, yes, but it’s as much in the details of fabric selections and color boards and materials for the flooring, he says. The intent is always to create venues that are contemporary and very...comfortable. He uses the word several times as we talk. For example, the two bars at Uptown Alley have different personalities—an idea Trifecta brought to the discussions. Downstairs, a bar is part of the Red Embers restaurant. Upstairs, the Rotunda bar is attached to a live entertainment area with a dance floor and live bands. “It’s a little edgier. They’re both very comfortable, but one speaks more as a night spot.” Meanwhile, Brunswick was at work on a spectacular set of 14 lanes for the boutique module upstairs, steps from the Rotunda. Taking their cue from the James River, which flows through Richmond, the lanes are printed with a fall river scene. Standing on the approach, you seem to be looking down through clear water to rocks strewn on the riverbed or watching autumn leaves lying quietly on the surface. For nine months Brunswick in the person of Joe Orr, Eric Lindfors or Kurt Harz, plus Trifecta, Uphoff and Moore met in the architect’s office, in Uphoff’s office, in restaurants, talking details. Trifecta paid a visit every other week for several days at a stretch. Everything went to the architect for final interpretation in the architectural and design plans. Then ground was broken for a 15-month, ground-up construction. Midway through, Uphoff hosted a thank-you dinner for those working on the project. Also in attendance were county political officials. Harz, Brunswick’s vice president for North American sales, stood up and “made a fabulous speech about this facility, the 34
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relationship they [Brunswick] had with us, with Trifecta, what [it would mean] to the community to build this facility—just supported us in front of our Chesterfield County officials who were there to get a feel for what this facility would be. So did Trifecta [managing partner Bruce Nussbaum],” says Moore.
“Ever heard of the game called Captain’s Choice?” Uphoff asks. “It’s when four average golfers tee off and the best ball on the fairway is played. The other three players pick up their ball and bring it to the best ball [location] and they hit again. “Four duffers that play a horrible game typically will come in below par. The reason is that it’s a collaborative effort of four people, creating a magical result. “You do not go into business doing something you don’t know anything about,” he continues. “You sure as hell can’t get financing if you’re going to go try it without some level of expertise, and you’re a fool in business if you try. Uphoff Ventures is not an operator of bowling facilities. So what did we do? We aligned ourselves with Trifecta.” The results have been, as Uphoff might put it, magical so far. Sixty-five percent of Uptown Alley revenue is coming from F&B, with diners often not bowling at all. As Auger says, the restaurant is designed as a stand-alone attraction. Patrons are also driving in from 40 miles away—almost twice the distance envisioned in the market study. And despite a grand opening on top of Thanksgiving, the entire upstairs was rented for private parties every day during the holidays—not a cheap buy at $10,000 or $15,000 for a four-hour affair. It’s too early to tell if Uphoff will be as spectacular in the bowling business as he has been in oil, but he is off to the same fast start. He is “looking to add” additional bowling facilities in Virginia, North Carolina and Phoenix, he says. ❖
Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI and former managing editor of the magazine.
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QubicaAMF introduces the newest, and world’s only, Bowler Entertainment System. BES X has been engineered to redefine the bowling experience and help centers grow their business. BES X delivers more fun, competitive excitement, while making bowling easier and more comfortable for people of all ages through unique and innovative features designed to target specific customer segments. For more information on how BES X can redefine the bowling experience and grow center revenue, go to www.qubicaamf.com.
The Lighting Store introduces LED Writing Boards, which are making headway as being the most ideal fluorescent board for increasing revenue and customer base. Their many lights emitting diodes (LED) positioned to reflect bright light on the writing surface makes it great for drawing attention. You can create your own design in a multitude of colors with LED marker, allowing you to create a custom display board. To find out more about this unique way of advertisement, go to http://www.soundandlightkaraoke.com.
DATEBOOK
MARCH 11-15 Brunswick Training Classes GS Series Pinsetter 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com 12-15 Enada Primavera Exhibition of Amusement & Games Rimini Expo Centre – Italy 051-6256603 18-19 Foundations Entertainment University Educational program designed for FEC owners and managers To be held in conjunction with Amusement Expo Las Vegas Info: foundation36
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suniversity.com 18-22 Brunswick Training Classes Vector Scorer Maintenance 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com 20-22 Amusement Expo Trade Show Sponsored by AAMOA & AMOA Las Vegas Convention Center Exhibit info: Brian Glasgow 708-226-1300 x 17 brian@wtglasgow.com General info: Jacki Canter 708-226-1300 x 22 jcanter@wtglasgow.com
APRIL 14–19 BPAA Bowling University School for Center Management www.bowlinguniversity.net
800-343-1329 21–23 71ST Annual BBIA Convention Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Biloxi, MS Info: 800-343-1329
MAY 6-10 Brunswick Training Classes GS Series Pinsetter 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.com
13-17 Brunswick Training Classes Vector Scorer Maintenance 800-937-2695 or schools@brunbowl.ocm
OFF THE CLOCK
By Ben Breune r
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OFF THE CLOCK ark Marchido is a nature guy. Like a backpacker or a hiker, he loves to get into the outdoors—only Marchido uses a more extreme form of transportation. When he’s not selling bowling lanes and laser tag arenas, the 41-year-old father fuels his souped up rock-hungry Jeep into the wilderness to tackle some of the most difficult terrain California has to offer. Marchido is a rock crawler, a term reserved for the most skilled off-roading hobbyists, who push their vehicles to the limits of rubber and physics. Working from his home in Eastvale, California, Marchido helps run a group called SoCal Jeepers that brings together enthusiasts from around the area to embark on biweekly adventures. "My nickname is Crazy. Crazy Mark,” Marchido said. “I'm always the one that will try anything. If anybody dares me, I typically do it.” Every month or so, he takes his whole family—including his two kids and his wife—out on technical fourwheeling expeditions. “My kids love it,” he said. “We'll be going down twotracks and they'll be saying, 'Daddy this is boring, can you go climb that mountain over there?'” And despite spending the extra money for a reinforced roll cage and 5-point harnesses for his kids, Marchido said he still pulls his family out of the car on the more dangerous terrain. Originally from Waukegan, Michigan, Marchido moved out to California in 2000 to start a job at US Bowling Corp. He worked there for over a decade, serving as vice president of sales for the last eight years. In May, he left US Bowling to start his own company, Indoor Fun and Games, which specializes in family entertainment center attractions, including bowling alleys, rock climbing walls, laser tag equipment and many others. But Marchido’s real passion is Jeeping. A former professional sailboat racer, Marchido owned a Jeep as a teenager and got hooked on rock crawling when he moved to California. He even bought his five-year-old son Logan a small plastic Jeep to race on. “Mark put a full-size battery in it so it'll go faster—a full-size car battery in his little Jeep!” said 42-year-old Tara Marchido, Mark’s wife. “I love it. It’s a really fun thing to do with our whole family.” Tara admits that she often gets fearful when riding with her husband. Yet Marchido said he has never been scared. He said the thing to be wary of when Jeeping is not hurting yourself, but hurting the vehicle. "It's technical driving, the thrill is that if I don't listen to my spotter and do the right thing, I'm going to roll this Jeep and cause thousands of dollars in damage,” he said. “Getting through it and not putting a scratch on the vehicle, it gets your adrenaline going." Marchido currently owns a 2010 four-door Jeep Rubicon with a V6 engine, 37inch tires and a smorgasbord of other after-market parts. He previously owned a two-door jeep, but upgraded to a four-door to make more room for his family. He leads groups of 8-12 people on weekend trips all over the Southern California area. Because he is a very experienced driver, Marchido typically drives first in the pack of cars to choose the best lines for his group to follow. “I don't only need to get myself through, I have the responsibility of getting my guys behind me through who don't have the expensive jeep setup that I have,” he said. “So I need to make sure that if I'm hitting a trail, they can get through, too.” Marchido likes to push people in his group to realize how versatile their vehicles are. “The Jeeps can do almost anything—it's getting the driver to know that their Jeep can it roll over,” he said. “They listen to me and they get through it and they go, ‘Oh my god, my adrenaline! My heart's pounding! But oh that was so fun!' It's that excitement that I love."
M
Marchido p os with son Lo es beside his trusty J ee gan and da ughter Emil p y.
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OFF THE CLOCK Sometimes though, the fear of rolling the car can overwhelm people, and Marchido has many stories of times he’s had to climb in group member’s cars to get them down tough terrain. "One woman one time was looking at a pretty steep hill. She saw me coming down with the other organizer, and we were going to get in her Jeep and drive it up for her,” Marchido said. “She saw that I was coming down and she stepped on the gas and she made it up to the top by herself. She was so scared, she was crying. But when she made it to the top, she was happy as ever—and she's been fearless ever since.” Yet Marchido said you don’t have to have nerves of steel to become an off-road enthusiast. “Anybody who wants to get outdoors and wants to go camping, it's great,” he said. “A lot of our members are hikers. A jeep can take you anywhere,
Parkway Lanes Trenton, MI (32 Lanes) We congratulate David Patz, John Martin and David Martin on their purchase of this fine center, and thank Kenneth Roth and David Roth for trusting us to handle the sale. We wish them them all the best.
Bowling’s Only Full-Service Brokers, Appraisers & Financial Advisors 28200 Southfield Rd., Southfield, MI 48076
(800) 222 • 9131
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to go do anything.” Even Marchido’s eight-year-old daughter Emily loves to Jeep. The kids go adventuring with their father whenever sports or other commitments don’t get in the way. “It's just really fun. You can look out and you see so much nature but when you're sideways you just see dirt,” Emily said. She also added that she enjoys Jeeping more than bowling. "Bowling you just do the same thing. When you're bowling, you're just throwing a ball into the pins. When you're Jeeping, you're climbing on mountains!" Marchido said he loves to educate people about the sport, and he gets a thrill from teaching people how to push their Jeeps to the limit. He encourages those interested to try it out. “It's a fun sport,” he said. “It'll take you places-you'll come across waterfalls that you would have never seen hiking. It's a family sport, we spend a lot of time together outdoors. We get to camp with friends—it's a great social gathering." ❖ Ben Breuner is a sophomore journalism undergrad studying at Northwestern University. Originally from San Francisco, he spends his time writing, sailing and enjoying life.
TRIBUTE
By Fred Groh
W
e did not know John Davis the way Len Nicholson did, or Chris Chartrand or Pat Ciniello, all three friends and colleagues of Davis’s for years who spoke at the memorial service for him in February. It was held at the most appropriate possible place: the Kegel Training Center at Kegel headquarters in Lake Wales, FL. Davis died Jan. 25. We knew some of Davis’s story, the part everyone knows. “He tried to do something that no one else did,” as Nicholson says. “He tried to make the sport as fair as possible.” The two met in 1988, when Nicholson had already been doing the PBA Tour lanes for 27 years. “John knew more about bowling than anybody I had ever met. He said he IBI
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TRIBUTE
John and Linda Davis
wanted to learn more. So he volunteered to come out and observe and help us any way he could. He studied everything we did. “Once he started doing the lanes on the tour, he realized it wasn’t just the oil patterns. The shape of the lane caused a lot of problems. So when he built the Training Center he had cables put underneath the lane, where you could adjust the lane to make it flat, depressed, crowned.” He also devised a machine to analyze and measure the topography of a lane, the LaneMapper. “You remember that Apple commercial ‘Think different’?” asks Chartrand, Kegel president. “‘Here’s to the crazy ones, the rebels. They reject the status quo and they move the human race forward.’ The last line is, ‘Those that are crazy enough to change the world are the ones who do.’ That’s John. He was crazy enough to think that our sport can be saved and could be a glorious activity and sport again. That core belief drove the way he ran his business much more than profits or his own self-interest in it [did].” The word—the word everyone uses 42
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about Davis—is ‘passion.’ “John’s passion for bowling can never be duplicated,” Ciniello says. President of QubicaAMF Worldwide, he, too, met Davis in the ’80s, when Davis stopped at Ciniello’s center to pitch him on Davis’s first lane device, The Key. “He believed in the legitimacy of the sport. He felt that if the sport was gone, the game just [wouldn’t be] enough. “He was the Steve Jobs of the bowling industry,” Ciniello adds, “this person who had this vision of what a perfect bowling world would be, where the competition was there and everybody was playing on a level field. He kept on trying to make that level playing field to the last days of his life.” We knew that part of the story, but we did not know the difference Davis made in many lives, Chartrand’s, for one. “I was 22 years old when I came to Kegel. The position I was being [considered] for was sales for this whole company. I wasn’t qualified for it, I didn’t know what I was doing, I didn’t know how to do it, I was totally unprepared. He gave me an opportunity that I don’t think any other person would. “It was because we connected in terms of character and judgment and ethics. He said, ‘All that other stuff will work itself out; we’ll learn that together.’ It was this long conversation on his back porch about life and about bowling. I think back: at
Loretta Davis and her four sons. From left to right, top row: John Davis, Dennis Davis and Dale Davis. Bottom row: Mark Davis, Loretta Davis and Greg Davis.
TRIBUTE
John Davis and Len Nicholson
23, I’m sitting across from these international distributors. The amount of trust he placed in me was tremendous.” Ciniello says, “Lisa [his wife] and I would be in Orlando and stop at Sebring and we would go into his office. This is when he was starting to work on prototypes. On his Mac, he would show me the distribution of a drop of oil going across the lanes. We would talk for hours. “It was always a dream—this is pre-AMF (merger)—if we combined Qubica and Kegel, what a powerhouse that would be! What respect we would get from the industry because of our shared vision of how you should treat a customer and our love of bowling. We talked about that many, many times. ‘Hey John, if we could get together we could do this, we could do that!’ We [Ciniello] were in Lake Hamilton and they [Davis] were in Lake Wales, maybe 20 miles, 30 miles [apart]. We would get together and talk, talk about how we grew the businesses and how [our]
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philosophies were so much alike.” After Davis died, unexpectedly, “Uncle Lenny” Nicholson went to stay with Davis’s grandkids to help them over the ordeal. He calls Davis “the greatest family man I ever met.” He tells of times when Davis would get to the Orlando airport only to announce, “Hell, I ain’t going. I’ll send somebody else. I’ve got to stay with my family. My family needs me.” But that quality of regard wasn’t limited by blood. Sometimes Davis would stay over on a trip. One time Nicholson asked him why. “I met this young man, a 160average bowler. He wanted me to help him, so I spent a day helping him with his game.” “I can’t tell you how many times he told me, ‘You know what bothers me? I’m not going to have enough to be able to sustain the 100 families I have’,” Nicholson remembers. Davis was talking about his employees. “I [knew] him like a brother. In some ways, he was like a father to me. I’m 72 and John was going to be 65 next month [March]. We traveled a lot together and it got hard to travel because we were getting older. He always worried about my health. We both smoked too much. This past Christmas I had a little bout. We [talked] a lot on the phone and Skype. He said, ‘How you doing?’ ‘Fine.’ ‘I’m
TRIBUTE hearing things.’ He had a grapevine [where] he’d [find] out everything. He said, ‘You better start taking care of yourself. I quit smoking six months ago and I’m eating vegetables. You gotta quit smoking.’ We talked for an hour. He died that night.” “I hope,” says Chartrand, “that his legacy is that more people will think a little like he [did] or make decisions more about what’s best for our industry or what’s best for our sport as opposed to what’s best for my company’s interest in it. On the LaneMapper, “We have invested easily a million dollars. The first dollar of profit on that investment is not anywhere in sight.” The Kegel Training Center “doesn’t make any money, has never made any money, it was never intended to make any money. He started the Training Center in 1997 as a dream, to have a place where people could go to learn the game, to have the tools, the best coaching. “Providing staff and high-level equipment to take care of maintenance at tournaments, to place importance on maintenance and fair play at tournaments around the world was not done until John made it a priority.” “It really hit me the other day,” Nicholson offers. “Somebody said, ‘It’s too
John Davis served four years in the Air Force from 1966 to 1970 as a jet mechanic. His service include one tour of duty in Vietnam.
bad John left so early because he was working on a couple of projects.’ I said, ’You know what? John would never get done with projects. Once he got through those two, he’d be working on something else.’ He reminded me in a way of Eddie Elias [PBA founder]: looking past the horizon.” The last time we saw John Davis was over drinks at the opening of IBC. It had been the better part of ten years since we had done a cover story about him (May 2001), a piece we called “The Keeper of the Flame.” The hair had thinned a little, it was graying and he wore it long in back, but the eyes were just as alert and quick. We thought it might be about time to update John’s story for our readers, but trying to pin him down was, as always, like trying to nail quicksilver. He drifted away, falling into conversation with some other people in the room. We thought as he took his leave, as we had thought many times and as we remember him now: he was innovation advancing the tradition. ❖
Fred Groh is a regular contributor to IBI and former managing editor of the magazine.
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CLASSIFIEDS
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details (248) 375-2751. NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-2556436 or jayhawkbowling.com.
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CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE FOR SALE: 20 ea. Wells-Gardner 28” monitor boards for Qubica automatic scoring. $200/ea. – in working order when removed. Call Autumn Lanes (828) 286-9149. FOR SALE: 12 lanes 82/70s. MP Chassis, Hump Back Ball Returns. Spare Parts. 6 Sure Pics. 28 lanes AS-90 scoring. Wood lanes & approaches. ALL WORKING. Best offer. Call (317) 745-6247. Brunswick AS-80 scoring: over 32 lanes, complete package with extra parts. Excellent condition. $6,000 or make offer. Could be sold by the lane or individual parts. Contact Bill Henderson, Clearview Lanes (717) 653-1818. FOR SALE: 16 pair 36” Frameworx overhead monitors. $500/pair includes hanging brackets. Available May 25. Call Jason @ (816) 322-0488.
EQUIPMENT WANTED LANE MACHINES WANTED. We will purchase your KEGEL-built machine, any age or condition. Call (608) 764-1464.
ITEMS WANTED “WANTED TO BUY” Older Bowling Shirts. Paying $5 - $25 for button front shirts with embroidery or ink lettering on the back. HicardVintage@gmail.com (866) 312-6166.
CENTER FOR SALE NEW YORK STATE: Thousand Island region. 8-lane Brunswick center w/ cosmic bowling, auto scoring. Established leagues + many improvements. $309,000. Call Jill @ Lori Gervera Real Estate (315) 771-9302. WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: One of the top five places to move! Remodeled 32-lane center. Good numbers. $3.1m gets it all. Fax qualified inquiries to (828) 253-0362. GEORGIA: busy 32-lane center, real estate included. Great location in one of fastest growing counties in metro Atlanta. 5 years new with all the amenities. Excellent numbers. Call (770) 356-8751.
SELL YOUR CENTER
(818) 789-2695
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CLASSIFIEDS
AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENT COMPLETE PACKAGES WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY ALL AMF BUMPER PARTS, XS Q-BUMP, DURABOWL AND GEN II IN STOCK
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Danny & Daryl Tucker Tucker Bowling Equipment Co. 609 N.E. 3rd St. Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-4018 Fax (806) 995-4767
Bowling Parts, Inc. P.O. Box 801 Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-3635 Email - daryl@tuckerbowling.com
www.tuckerbowling.com
PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70 S.S. & M.P. MACHINES Save $$ on Chassis & P.C. Board Exchange & Repair! A reasonable alternative for Chassis and P.C. Board Exchanges MIKE BARRETT Call for Price List
Tel: (714) 871-7843 • Fax: (714) 522-0576
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CLASSIFIEDS CENTER FOR SALE WASHINGTON COAST: 8-lane AMF center with automatic scoring & snack bar. Owner contract to buy business for $150,000 and/or lease to buy. Good league base. colrond@centurylink.net.
CENTRAL IDAHO: 8-lane center and restaurant in central Idaho mountains. Small town. Only center within 60-mile radius. Brunswick A-2 machines; Anvilane lane beds; automatic scoring. (208) 879-4448. NE MINNESOTA: Food, Liquor & Bowling. Established 8 lanes between Mpls & Duluth w/ large bar, dining room, banquet area. Two large State employment facilities nearby. High six figure gross. Call Bryan (218) 380-8089. www.majesticpine.com. EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA: 6-lane Brunswick center, bar & grill, drive-thru liquor store in small college town. Also, 3 apartment buildings with 40 units, good rental history. Call (701) 330-7757 or (701) 430-1490. SOUTHWEST KANSAS: well-maintained 8-lane center, A-2s, full-service restaurant. Includes business and real estate. Nice, smaller community. Owner retiring. $212,000. Leave message (620) 397-5828. 16-lane center in Southern Colorado mountains. Great condition. 18,000 s/f building w/ restaurant & lounge. Paved parking 100 + vehicles. Established leagues & tournaments. $950,000 or make offer. Kipp (719) 852-0155. CENTRAL ILLINOIS: PRICED TO SELL!! 8-lane center with AMF 82-70s, full service restaurant, pro shop. Plus pool tables, karaoke machine & DJ system. Asking $125,000.00 with RE. (217) 3515152 or toms-uvl@sbcglobal.net. NW KANSAS: 12-lane center, AS-80s, Lane Shield, snack bar, pro shop, game & pool rooms. See pics and info @ www.visitcolby.com or contact Charles (785) 443-3477. WISCONSIN, Gilman: Profitable 6-lane center with bar & grill, pizza kitchen, banquet hall. Owner financing or lease/purchase possible. PRICE REDUCED BY $50K (715) 447-8770 or gilmanbowl@centurytel.net.
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CLASSIFIEDS
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CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE MICHIGAN-SOUTH CENTRAL: Large center with late model equipment. Strong league base plus high-volume franchise. RE included. Sandy Hansell (800) 222-9131. OREGON: 16 lanes near Portland with good revenue and cash flow. Ken Paton (503) 645-5630. AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC board repair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fast turnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service 5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054 Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695) Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon) E-mail: wb8yjf@earthlink.net Visit us on the WEB! http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/
SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN: 8-lane Brunswick center w/ bar & grill & many improvements. Established leagues & tournaments. Six figure gross. Owner retiring. Serious inquiries only. Call & leave message @ (608) 767-3136.
CENTERS FOR SALE SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: 8-lane family owned center w/ snack bar & large game room. 10-year-old AMF equipment. Only center in the county. Email: bowlingcntr@aol.com. Serious inquiries only please. CENTRAL MINNESOTA: 6-lane center. Owner retiring. $99,900. hartmann@midwestinfo.net. (320) 760-3377.
MANAGER WANTED Don't miss your chance to grow with an Industry Leader! Looking for Experienced, Service-Oriented General Managers for our U.S. bowling retail center locations. Please check us out at www.brunswickcareers.apply2jobs.c om for more details on our current openings. Act Now! Apply Today!
SELL YOUR CENTER OR EQUIPMENT
(818) 789-2695
SERVICES AVAILABLE Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com. See a list that will help centers fill lanes w/ 1200+New Bowlers, Birthday Parties & Corporate Outings that generate $15,800— a 600% ROI from 4 payments starting at $378. Visit mcprs.bmamkt.com or call (888) 243-0685. AMF 5850 & 6525 CHASSIS. Exchange your tired or damaged chassis for an upgraded, rewired, cleaned, painted and ready-to-run chassis. Fast turnaround. Lifetime guarantee. References available. CHASSIS DOCTORS (330) 314-8951.
POSITION WANTED
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BOWLINGFAN 52
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March 2013
Seeking General Manager position— West Coast, Nevada, New Mexico and/or Southern region. 40 years in the industry—owner, GM & District Manager. Familiar with F&B, marketing, special events and youth programs. Has served on the Indiana BPA Board of Directors for 4 years. Resume and references available. Rudy Hinojosa (317) 590-5499 or email: rhbowl@yahoo.com.
CLASSIFIEDS
"Bowling Center Construction Specialists" New Center Construction Family Entertainment Centers Residential Bowling Lanes Modernization Mini Bowling Lanes Automatic Scoring CONTACT
BRIAN ESTES
(866) 961-7633 ( Office: 734) 469-4293
Toll Free:
Email: build@capitalbowlingservice.com
www.CapitalBowlingService.com
MINIATURE GOLF COURSES Indoor/Outdoor. Portable/Pre-Fab. Black Light/Traditional/Pro Putter. 202 Bridge Street Jessup, PA 18434 570-489-8623 www.minigolfinc.com
SERVICE CALLS WORLDWIDE • PRE-SHIPS • WE SELL
AS80/90 • BOARD REPAIR • Frameworx NEW KEYPADS • FRONT DESK LCD MONITORS
LOCKER KEYS FAST! •Keys & Combo Locks for all Types of Lockers.
Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849
291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940 on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: mike@bowlingscorer.com
For FLORIDA CENTERS Call DAVID DRISCOLL & ASSOCIATES 1-800-444-BOWL 3800 Lake Center Loop, Suite B1, Mount Dora, FL 32757-2208 AN AFFILIATE OF SANDY HANSELL & ASSOCIATES
•One week turnaround on most orders. •New locks All types •Used locks 1/2 price of new
All keys done by code #. No keys necessary.
E-mail: huff@inreach.com FAX YOUR ORDER TO US AT:
530-432-2933
CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-700-4KEY INT’L 530-432-1027 Orange County Security Consultants
IBI
March 2013
53
REMEMBER WHEN
1998
V
anity Fair, a pop culture, fashion magazine started back in 1913, was revived in 1983 and has been definitely au currant since. Its covers have been iconic and jarring, an example being a naked, pregnant Demi Moore. The articles are cutting edge and often focus on high profile celebs. It is definitely a cultural catalyst. So here in the 1998 Vanity Fair issue, we have a Tanqueray gin ad with Mr. Jenkins, older, buttoned54
IBI
March 2013
down, sedate, and a little supercilious but with obvious good taste, observing the less than composed, bobble-head hilarity on the lanes. The “communal footwear” mentioned might be a snub, but Mr. Jenkins does have a bowling bag! So whether taking a punch or not, we realize that bowling captures the fun. “Do drink responsibility, won’t you?” But of course! Bowl responsibly? Yes, and often! ❖