CONTENTS
VOL 18.7
6 THE ISSUE AT HAND
26 THE ATTIC TRUNK
A Round trip
Surf’s up for bowling in Miami
By Scott Frager
By Dick Evans
THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager
MANAGING EDITOR Fred Groh groh@bowlingindustry.com
OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath
8 SHORTS
heath@bowlingindustry.com
33 OFF THE CLOCK
Re–educating lenders... Jayhawk marks 50... and peoplewatching
Rolling toward Tallahassee 20
Will Floridians vote for this man?
CONTRIBUTOR Dick Evans
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Victoria Tahmizian tahmizian@bowlingindustry.com
ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424
14 MY PARADISE
34 BOWLING GAMES
Summertime, and the weather is just right for beating the blahs at Cherry Grove Lanes.
FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)
Antique shop Did you try this bowling fun when you were a kid?
16 PROFILE
46 REMEMBER WHEN
A pair of ringers
1947
In horseshoes, that’s two of the best. They’re the spirit of Chatham Bowl. 26
20 COVER STORY
The “man’s magazine” came with a double dose of bowling that October.
37 Showcase 38 Datebook 39 Classifieds
Bell sounds for Round1 Next month, Japan’s leading bowling chain opens the first of 100 projected U.S. centers. By Fred Groh
13245 Riverside Dr., Suite 501 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 (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, 13245 Riverside Drive, Suite 501, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 USA. If possible, please furnish address mailing label. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2010, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.
MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:
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THE ISSUE AT HAND
A Round trip Anthony Bourdain has it all. He’s got the rough-and-tumble looks that all the ladies like and a rock-star attitude that travels with him everywhere. He’s funny, he’s smart and he’s irreverent. Bourdain’s an extremely talented chef and a successful restaurateur. He is the quintessential celebrity chef and one of my favorite authors. He also hosts a television show, No Reservations, in which he travels to all corners of the planet searching for the best of the culinary arts. He mainly stays away from the touristy destinations and sterile restaurants featured in your standard travel guides, however. He goes where the locals go, getting to know food as the locals know it, immersing himself. “Be a traveler, not a tourist,” he says. This past month, my wife surprised me with tickets to hear Mr. Bourdain speak at UCLA. The 2,000-seat venue was packed as tightly as a tin of Spanish sardines. His larger-than-life personality came across loud and clear as he told stories of his travels and shared his feelings about family, food, business and how these are inextricable elements of our lives. During the evening, Bourdain referred over and over to the amazing food culture of Japan. Obviously, it has made a deep impression on him. When an audience member asked what his last meal would be on Death Row, he answered unequivocally: sushi. American business, too, has been impressed and changed by Japanese culture. If you drive a car, own a computer or TV, have just-in-time inventory management, fussy quality
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control or consensual decision-making, you’ve been affected by Japan. All indications are that now the U.S. bowling world is about to feel the impact of Japan. Next month Round One Corporation, a Japanese owner and operator of 107 bowling venues in Japan, is scheduled to open the first of a projected 100 bowling centers in the U.S. To judge from their first location, they are not going to be the traditional bowling centers we know, high-end boutique centers or American-style FECs. They are going to be different from all three. IBI’s editorial chef, Fred Groh, takes readers through the multicourse story of this chain’s background, its present and future. It’s a fascinating read about the fast-moving company that is already neck-and-neck with Brunswick as second largest chain in the world and its plans for almost doubling its size. Will Japan’s entry into the U.S. bowling market have the same lasting effect on the bowling business as it has had in the culinary, automotive and technology businesses? We certainly can’t answer at present. However, as far as I’m aware, there have been relatively few foreign enterprises that have entered the U.S. market with the same bold approach as Round One is taking. This is a story that will continue to unfold over the coming months and years, and IBI is proud to be the first to deliver it to you fresh from the oven – er, the press. – SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR frager@bowlingindustry.com
THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com
In the video gallery, watch Homer and Marge Simpson. Catch a stop-motion bowling promo by an 11-year-old filmmaker. And take a look at some new products if you love money.
SHORT SHORTS
New Industry Task Force Wants to Change Lenders’ Minds
generating fresh data; Convention seminars to teach proprietors the best ways to approach lenders; The March meeting of MUBIG, the association of Circulation of data on bowling’s track record in loan chain owners, concluded with the formation of a task compliance, especially compared to other industries; force to propose steps the industry can take to improve lenders’ understanding of the bowling business. National and regional publicity by Strike Ten Sandy Hansell The task force, comprising BPAA past-president Joe about how well the industry is doing. Schumacker, BPAA executive director Steve Johnson, Schumacker said the mission of the task force is to and bowling center broker Sandy Hansell (Sandy Hansell launch the re-education program, after which it would and Associates, Southfield, MI), held its first meeting by likely be turned over to BPAA to continue. telephone on June 2. He indicated that the lender education issue was Schumacker said the task force will outline a document raised at the July MUBIG meeting by reports from at the July 24-25 meeting of MUBIG to re-educate lenders to several MUBIG members who had applied lenders and financial analysts. The document will for loans. The reports contained “grossly inaccurate concentrate on the critical indicators of the revenue- Steve Johnson information, out-of-date information, misconception” generating capability of bowling businesses. Schumacker about the industry, according to Schumacker. He said he personally would want to see such a document described the situation as a “huge, huge issue for all distributed annually not only to lenders but also to firms bowling centers.” whose industry appraisals are relied on by lenders. The lender education program is starting out similarly Some basic research for the task force will be done ecumenical. “Sandy, an independent businessman by Henry Lewczyk, vice president for research at Strike within the industry, MUBIG, BPAA [are getting] Ten. A finished document on the industry reflecting something together that serves a purpose for all bowling that research together with annual financial data centers, not just MUBIG members,” Schumacker noted. gathered from MUBIG members, which will be compiled Joe Schumacker He said the task force “sort of coalesced” at the as of Aug. 1, could be ready for distribution to the financial MUBIG meeting, where Hansell was appearing to make a services community by early December, Schumacker estimated. special presentation. Schumacker put himself up for the task In a letter to Johnson and Schumacker after the force and asked Hansell to participate because of the broker’s teleconference, Hansell suggested four measures for the industry: background in access to the financial community. Johnson BPAA membership surveys at least annually, focusing on offered the services of BPAA and his own participation, which revenue in the current year compared to prior year, continually was also “a perfect fit,” Schumacker said.
Bowling by Candlelight? The look is very different at Splits Kelso from what it was. Revamped and re-opened in March, the Kelso, WA venue includes 10 lanes of youth-oriented bowling lanes – glow and the like – and 13 lanes of upscale adult bowling – over-stuffed leather couches give you the idea. The 13th lane is even more special, set up as a “romantic, candlelit, date-night” lane, says co-owner David Ruiz. A full-service restaurant that seats 200, sports bar, gourmet coffee
house, party rooms, and 83 high-end video games round out the amenities. And then there are the masking units. They look like Picasso took a hand. Quite a change from the mood of the former Hilander, where a fullsize carousel drew all eyes. Ruiz, a Rancho Santa Margarita, CA developer, is partnering in a planned chain of Splits properties with Bill Kellen, whose American Family Entertainment Centers designed and operates four bowling and entertainment centers in Western states. Ruiz says he and Kellen are looking at properties in Cathedral City, CA and Billings, MT.
At Splits Kelso, bistro atmosphere in the restaurant and faux Picasso for the lanes.
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SHORTS
Route 66 Bowl to Close; Was Magnet for Shutterbugs 66 Bowl in Oklahoma City, OK has sat next to U.S. Route 66, which used to be the nation’s main eastwest artery, since the center was built in 1959. Could that explain why the old sign out front draws camera-loaded tourists from around the world? 66 Bowl owner Jim Haynes, 78, who is preparing to close the old bowling center at the end of August, says he doesn’t know the reason for the sign’s popularity with shutterbugs, but that goes for his bowlers, too. When a severe storm blew the sign down about 20 years ago, Haynes remarked in front of some of his bowlers, “Good! Now I can replace the sign.” But he remembers
tears in their eyes.“No!” they said,“You build it back up there.” That’s one of Haynes’ many memories of his bowlers who, he says, are the biggest reason he’s sorry to close the old center. He has more than 1,000 league players in the 24lane house, and many of them have been bowling there “for many, many years.” He says he’ll miss his employees, too, most of whom have been on the payroll for more than 20 years. The old bowl will become a Spices of India grocery store, moving from another location in town.
Kid Stuff Check out that footwork, that hand release. What form! Bumpers? Nah, that’s kid stuff. Brody Chatterton, four years old, has a lot of enthusiasm for the sport, too. He doesn’t need an audience and he bowls between eight and 12 games when he comes down to dad John’s center,
Nampa Bowl in Nampa, ID, which he does two or three times a week. Brody once bowled 22 games in a single day. Lifetime best game: 108 (no bumpers). Current average: 70 (no bumpers). Our thanks to Johnie Holwagner, Nampa Bowl’s general manager, who snapped the picture. 10
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SHORTS
JAYHAWK MARKS 50 Jayhawk Bowling Supply went home to celebrate its 50th anniversary in May. That was Royal Crest Lanes, six blocks down the road from HQ in Lawrence, KS, where Jayhawk founder Chuck Hardman was hired as the night manager the year Royal Crest opened, 1959. Hardman was soon being hit by customer requests for ball drilling, since Royal Crest had no pro shop, explains his son John, who now heads the company. The center’s owners had no more money for a pro shop, so Chuck swung permission to get a drill jig and put it in the garage at his home and drill balls on weekends and evenings. One problem: he couldn’t afford to buy a ball jig. He did know a bowler in his league who could make one from scrap aluminum, however, and word got around pretty soon that the new machine was better than what a lot of shops had. One thing – or sale – led to another, and two years later Hardman incorporated as Jayhawk. “It was a hobby that got out of control,” says John, who told that story twice at the 50th anniversary. Both times, he was opening a full day of seminars, packed around golf, a luncheon, two dinners, a bowling tourney at Royal Crest and a couple of hours of swapping stories in the bowling center lounge after the tournament for about 120 who attended. Brunswick was a major presence, co-hosting one seminar and presenting another, and taking two booths at the trade show accompanying the lunch. Other vendors were Kegel, Vantage, ZOT, Jayhawk itself, and a local special effects lighting company. One seminar, built on an idea of John’s, tipped lane men and mechanics on using ball surface maintenance to match bowlers better with lane conditions.
Other seminars included a panel with Jayhawk customers Rex Haney, Steve Sempeck and Beverly O’Donnell sharing their ideas on creating leagues and other operations issues; a presentation on bowling operations in a lean economy; and a seminar on lane maintenance presented by Kegel. Asked about his plans for Jayhawk’s next half-century, Hardman said he had two goals. “To offer our customers the best products and services available. To be able to give my two sons the same opportunity I’ve had,” to work in a family business. Jayhawk founder Chuck Hardman (left), son John (right), who runs the company today, and John’s boys Nathan and Alex (l-r) at Bowl Expo in 2006.
PEOPLEWATCHING Bill Supper retired last month as executive director of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. He had served since last September. “The official opening on Jan. 25, 2010 ranks as one of my career’s greatest moments. Now that it’s up and running, it’s time for me to move on to another phase of my life,” Supper said in a release. Supper was deputy E.D. of BPAA before moving to the museum position. He will continue as executive director of the Billiard & Bowling Institute of America, which is housed at the International Bowling Campus. He did not announce other plans. Bill Supper
Stefanie Nation is new BPAA Tournament Coordinator. 12
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Among her responsibilities will be the North Pointe Insurance Group High School Singles Tournament and the QubicaAMF International Family Tournament sponsored by Georgia Coffee. She will assist in coordinating tournaments for USBC. Nation has been a Team USA member Stefanie Nation since 2005 and was Singles World Champion in 2009. She is a two-time PBA Women’s Series champion.
Max Blumenfeld, a partner in Albany Bowl, Albany, CA, died in May. With partners John Tierney and Ken Friedman, he bought the bowl in 1985 and had charge of the financial affairs of the partnership. The three went on to buy two other centers in the San Francisco area, since sold.
MY PARADISE
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my paradise IBI
July 2010
MY PARADISE
A
lan Downs likes the exercise. Running around in the sand keeps him fit. It’s also the way he beats the blahs. “Your energy level builds right back up. You get a lot of adrenaline with the competition.” So, not surprisingly, he has played a lot of volleyball when he’s been really tired. He plays a lot, period. The rule at the sand courts outside his bowling center (Cherry Grove Lanes in Cincinnati) is, “You play unless the lightning is flashing.” That means three days of most weeks for Downs from May to October, when the nets come down. He plays men’s quads – that is, four men on a side. His seven regulation–size courts draw two thousand players a week of all skill levels. He put in the first three courts in 1996 to do something with the land so the liquor board wouldn’t take away one of his two liquor licenses; popular demand did the rest. Downs used to play softball to unwind, but the new bats and balls “scare me to death. There’s a lot of people getting hurt. Sand volleyball, you have very little risk of injury at all. You can flat-out dive and you’re not going to get hurt. The sand is about 14 inches deep.” ❖
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PROFILE
Photos by Cristal Wheeler
In
horseshoes, that’s two of the best. They’re the spirit of
Chatham Bowl.
S
even years ago, a couple of kids in rural Chatham, NY cracked up in a car and one died. It wasn’t the first of such deaths in town, which Ted Miner says have been too frequent since his growingup years in Chatham. But he, the district attorney and some religious people there decided that this time, a real effort would be made to change things. It was Lynn Cross, Ted’s better half (his description), who came up with a slogan and 16
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catechism all in one: “‘Kid, I love you. I don’t want you to die.’ What am I going to do to support that statement?” It stirred people. There have been no youthful automobile deaths since. Ted Miner owns Custom Overhead Door, a garage door business in Chatham that grosses in the millions. He runs it from a 16-lane center, which is attached to the door company’s building, that grosses $200,000. He doesn’t need the income from Chatham Bowl. Lynn runs an animal rescue and youth service facility in Chatham called Little Brook Farm, started 30 years ago. She takes special pleasure in rescuing horses, many of them turned out of the racing industry and headed for slaughter. The three dozen now living at the farm are the focus of an education program for kids that includes traditional and therapeutic riding instruction. The program serves more than 80 schools and other organizations, making Little Brook Farm one of the largest operations of its kind in the state. There is this in common between the car accident, the bowling business, the door company, and the animal rescue farm: The drive for all four comes from two independent-minded people with strong beliefs about the way things ought to be. The rescue farm is entirely privately supported. Lynn did not wail around and wait for the government. Chatham Bowl was bought by Ted and Lynn because they thought it should stay open. It had been owned by Lynn’s parents until her mother died in 2004, but it was not going to continue as a bowling center if the estate sold it to the highest bidder, that was obvious. The door company was already successful. So Ted and Lynn bought the bowl. There is a lot their bowling center doesn’t have, because Ted keeps it that way. “We do not have and never will have automatic scoring,” he says emphatically. “People listen to older music and they keep their own score.” It doesn’t have new pinsetters. The Brunswick As are just fine. “A little pat, a little oil here and there, and you’re good to go.” (Well, sometimes Ted does make a part in the machine shop.) In the snack bar, the person who takes your order at the counter turns around and cooks it. The grown-up bar has beer and wine but nothing stronger.
PROFILE There are a dozen or so video games, but not the violent ones. Decidedly and definitely “retro” describes the place in Ted’s words. The whole town appears to be the same. Do people lock their doors? Nope. “You want to leave your keys in the car, you move to Chatham. You want to steal from somebody, you’re liable to be found on the side of the road a year later. Not a good idea.” He doesn’t shrink from the obvious metaphor. “It’s Norman Rockwell,” he agrees. And then there is horseshoes. Patrons can play alongside the center. “It’s damn good clean honest fun that isn’t promoted much. It’s that get-together that we all remember, growing up, and we’re looking for that to happen again. “ It happened at Chatham Bowl because Ted was wondering what he was going to do for bowling center business in the summer. He got talking one day in the bar to an older customer. The man was one of a group of friends in their 60s and 70s, one in his 80s, who meet 30 miles away to play horseshoes during the winter. The 80-year-old had built a barn for that purpose. Ted had that conversation one spring. That very year, he and his son-in-law put in four regulation, lighted horseshoe pits next to the bowling center and started a league. “The beauty of it is we have the young ’uns – the 20s and 30s and some 40s – out there throwing horseshoes against the old-aged, and most of the time the old-aged are kicking their
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Ted Miner and Lynn Cross.
PROFILE ass. It’s a real homage to experience and an experiencebuilding event for all of them. The old ’uns are finding out they can have fun and compete, and the young ’uns are finding out they can have fun and compete.” Miner has 16 two-person teams on a Wednesday night league and a waiting list “a mile long,” so he’s starting another league on Friday night. Play usually starts at 6 and sometimes doesn’t end until 1 a.m. The young ’uns and middle-aged often come from Chatham bowling leagues, horseshoes and bowling both being hand/eye-coordination games. They’re all weekend horseshoers, Ted says, “thinking they’re hot. Then those old guys come over and show ’em what for. Now they’re coming back each year trying to get [as good as the older players]. A couple of them have started going to their barn during the winter, and the word is out that this year there’s going to be some real competition, which I believe.” Clean competition, one might stress. There is very little swearing – one more thing lacking. “The old-timers won’t put up with it. They’ll just pat you on the hand and say, ‘Not today.’” The money seems almost beside the point, but Miner allows “open play” horseshoers to throw for free and charges league teams $5 per session. That’s put $20,000
on his table that wasn’t there before. The money is irrelevant in another way. Custom Overhead Door, the size it’s grown to be, the bowling center income – “it’s all been a reflection of our effort to mirror and support Lynn’s effort,” says Ted, referring to Little Brook Farm. Leading one to think that after all, there is very little that Chatham Bowl and its owners don’t have. ❖
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COVER STORY
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COVER STORY This page and on the cover: Round1 Stadium properties in Japan climb six stories. First U.S. Round1 is 70,000 square feet on a single level.
By Fred Groh
A
s Round One Corporation puts the finishing touches to a Los Angeles bowling center it will begin operating in August, Hideki Okada says frankly the company has been “guesstimating” its first American store. That’s unusual because Osaka, Japanbased Round One Corporation owns and operates 107 bowling centers in the home country with (U.S.) $800 million annual sales. Companies of that stature don’t usually do things by halves. The 70,000-square-foot property will open after a five-month build-out at Puente Hills Mall in City of Industry, an East L.A. suburb. Odaka, who runs U.S. operations as corporate executive vice president and CFO of Round One Entertainment, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary, says the store will have 26 bowling lanes, an arcade of about 200 games and a basic F&B operation. But while City of Industry has a sizable Asian population, no customer-base projections were done for a “Round1”branded facility there, says Okada, who picked the word “guesstimating.” “We looked at the property first to make sure that we can do what we want— the size of the lot, for example, entrances from inside [the mall] and outside, rent per square foot.” When “everything matched on this location first,” the company did not proceed to demographic studies, either. “We assumed that because this mall generates $100-200 million a year, there’s
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COVER STORY not much research we need to do. We can probably get 5%, 6% from that. That’s our target.” Long-range plans for the U.S. presence of Japan’s biggest bowling chain seem equally offhand, except that the company wants to have 100 units. For instance, Japanese Round1 venues have a minimum 36 lanes of bowling and as many as 60, while Okada says U.S. locations may or may not remain at 26. “It all depends on the property and how the first one goes.” And while the City of Industry property is “not a test market, we’d like to find out how much revenue we can generate” – in the sense of discovering the number, not driving for it. What may appear back-and-forth indecisiveness on Round One Corporation’s part, however, is actually the blurred image of a company moving very rapidly, as it has since the founding in 1993. Four years later, it was listed on the Osaka Securities Exchange and the following year, on the Tokyo Exchange. With current market capitalization of about (U.S.) $600 million, recreation venues bearing the “Round1” sign are second only to Tokyo Disneyland in revenue among entertainment centers in Japan. The past three years have averaged 10 new locations annually. The home-market product is a 24-hour, multi-story venue occupying about 125,000 square feet. Besides 36-60 lanes of bowling, it features around 350 games and what might be called boutique karaoke. Reminiscent of boutique bowling, Round1 Karaoke is sleek in home country Round1s, both in Stage Room (left) and Standard Room configuration (right). Company aims to make a big noise with karaoke in U.S. market.
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puts its karaoke into private rooms. The deluxe version has a stage for performers, massage chairs for audience members, and private food and beverage service. The largest Round1s in Japan occupy six floors, with SpoCha, short for Sports Challenge, on the top two including the roof. There patrons enjoy a variety of sports such as soccer and basketball, tennis and golf, on reduced-size playing fields. Okada explains that high population density in Japan raises land value and crowds out full-size playing fields, creating strong demand for Spo-Cha. There are no plans for
COVER STORY
Private party room flows onto the lanes at Round1 in Japan.
incorporating it in U.S. venues, he says. “Here you can find a soccer field, football field, basketball, free, so people won’t pay for that. We [will] focus on karaoke, which is not really big in U.S. yet.”
• While Round One is not “over-stored” in Japan, Okada says, it has conquered the Japanese market. “Now that we have,
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COVER STORY our president was looking for a new place to start his concept.” The reference is to Masahiko Sugino, 48, the company’s founder. About 51% of Round One Corporation is held by his family, enabling it to move quickly when Sugino wants it to. In a shadow of things to come, he started in 1980 with two projects in different cities, a roller skating rink and an arcade in a bowling center. Eighteen months later, he added bowling to the skating rink. Various world markets were considered for the expansion outside Japan, Okada reports. The gavel finally fell in favor of the U.S. because of the similarity in revenue
and facility size at bowling/FEC properties here compared to Round1 properties in Japan. For five years, Sugino made annual visits Stateside, including California, Michigan, Illinois and New York to see bowling facilities and FECs such as John’s Incredible Pizza. Other brands were benchmarked for comparison to Round1, including Dave & Buster’s, Gameworks, and Brunswick and AMF bowling centers. In a maiden sortie, property was purchased on Oahu, Hawaii on the theory that a Round1 would do a brisk business with Japanese tourists to the Islands. But on a second thought that it would mostly have novelty value, Sugino sold the property and set out to investigate the mainland. He “didn’t really find anything interesting,” Okada relates. Games, including bowling, were a small component of the mix in what Sugino saw, or the brand was predominantly F&B. He considered the purchase of operating bowling centers, but decided in favor of building his concept, if not his buildings, from the ground up. California was selected for the first incursion because of population. A million The ambience for darts and billiards at a Round1 in Japan.
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COVER STORY people live within a 20-minute drive of the first U.S. store.
• Okada says future Round1s here will also locate in malls, because that way the company can benefit from the market research the mall developer has already done. They will offer staple bowling alley food and nothing more, at least to begin with. Again the oddity of a move is belied by the strategy behind it. Malls already offer multiple F&B options for Round1 customers, he points out. Yet Okada concedes that the F&B – or lack of it – may put Round1s at a competitive disadvantage. “I know in the U.S. the average bowling center’s revenue is about 30% from the food. We [will] serve pizzas, hamburgers – American food basics – but we want to focus on entertainment. We don’t do [extensive F&B] in Japan. We don’t have know-how about food. Probably a disadvantage, because many people say – and I partly agree, but we have to go on strategy – that food is a very important component of a center.” Food is “something we have to test out,” he finishes. “If we think food is important, for second store we [will] make adjustments.” Okada is uncertain whether his company will have a competitive advantage in the perspective of its fresh arrival in America. Initially, “we just want to bring as-is from Japan.” That means a family-friendly policy will prevail during the day and an adult focus in the evening. Leagues will be part of the picture, as they are in Japan, although Okada notes that most bowling leagues in Japan “tend to stay in the old bowling alleys.” Game play will be paid via membership card. The customer will lay out $5 for a year’s enrollment and get immediate discounts intended to pay back the price of the card in one visit. On the other hand, the U.S. prototype already incorporates some “customization” for the new market. Kids’ birthday parties will be a major focus, being “very important” in the U.S. Sixty percent of the 200 or so games at a U.S. location will be redemption. And decor is being seasoned to the American taste by the U.S. contractor for the build-out, Brunswick’s Build to Bowl program, and one of its suppliers, Cornerstone Architecture of Oklahoma City. Puente Hills should occupy Round One for about six months – or maybe three, however Sugino decides – before expansion begins in California. “From the company management point of view, it is a lot easier to manage within one state,” Okada observes. Five or six properties are projected for California, followed by movement up the West Coast. From there, Round One heads east, into the country’s midsection. If plans work out, it could also be punching into the midsection of U.S. bowling business. ❖ IBI
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THE ATTIC TRUNK
rs Association ling Proprieto w Bo i m ia M er from the Great ald s courtesy card The Miami Her Top right: Pres al, came in a velvet pouch. t sponsored by ; many captains en et m m na ur ed To or r ol sponsors & Sponso was gold-c In the Captain with their team Bottom right: and junior captains bowled ard. adult -dance afterw and Brunswick, awards dinner e th to rs so took their spon
By Dick Evans
T
here is no question that Miami never will go down as one of the country’s largest bowling membership cities, but the Greater Miami Bowling Proprietors Association may be No. 1 in the country when it comes to bowling promotions and tournaments. There are few cities in America that can boast of hosting: Two WIBC and one ABC national championships; Two BPAA National All-Stars Tournaments; Three BPAA national conventions; Consecutive PBA tournaments from 1964 to 1989; The inaugural PWBA tournament, the Women’s U.S. Open and five other PWBA events; · An annual international amateur tournament that started in 1963 and still is going strong. Miami was a national boom city in the 1930s because land was cheap and it became a boom bowling city because proprietors dared to be promotion-minded and cast their allegiance with a young sports writer from The Miami Herald. That association resulted in a Miami Herald Bowler of the Week award program that ran for almost 50 years, a Miami Herald Bowler of the Year Tournament that ran for 45 years, a Dade County High School Bowling League, physical education programs at Dade County high schools that included bowling, and The Miami Herald selecting an all-city 26
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bowling team that was invited, with elite players in other sports, to an annual dinner. A joint promotion between proprietors and the Herald, AMF’s All-America Youth Bowl, may have been the greatest bowling promotion in history. It featured 16 major daily newspapers, the BPAA local in each paper’s area, and AMF, and ran for three years beginning in 1960. Elimination rounds among the newspaper teams, heavily publicized in the papers, were run simultaneously in four regions. After each game, play was stopped and scores were collected by telephone and compared. The winners from each region got a free trip to the Los Angeles finals that featured movie stars at the banquet and a magical day at Disneyland. The next year, reporters and finalists were flown to New York City for the championship. In the last year of the event, regional winners got a day at the World’s Fair.
Let’s go back to when I was a young sports writer for The Miami Herald and, in 1957, was selected to write bowling columns. I was not a bowler but as a kid I had bowled on two lanes owned by the musicians union of Miami. I also played a few times at a bowling center located across the street from the Herald, where I bowled tenpins on the ground floor and
THE ATTIC TRUNK
Top third of a page, Sunday edition, plenty of kids’ pictures–good ink three days before the first All-America Youth Bowl in 1960. Says Dick Evans about the 1960s, “It was a glorious decade to be a bowling writer for a major newspaper, especially with all the support I got from the Miami proprietors and The Miami Herald promotion department.”
duckpins on the second floor. Then there were the midnight sessions our executive sports editor, Bob Elliott – he once bowled a 299 game in an Ohio state tournament – would arrange at nearby Bowland Lanes. It was owned by fight promoter, Chris Dundee, who got Liston and Clay together for their heavyweight championship bout. Chris would give the sports writers free bowling and free beer. Since I didn’t drink at the time, it was not a big attraction for me. But looking at Bowland’s league scoresheets on the wall one day, I came up with an idea on how to get the top bowling scores from each center into the paper and I approached the proprietors because I needed their help. Each proprietor would appoint someone on his staff to collect the high scores each week and call them in Monday morning for recognition in scratch (men and women) or handicap (we used a base of 70% of 200 for everyone, no matter the league rules). I would pick out four winners and try to get a little information on each, write a few paragraphs on the player and list all the scores submitted. The weekly winners got Herald Bowler of Week patches (as on page 26), and were invited to the Herald Bowler of the Year tournament at the conclusion of the season. The bowlers paid for their lineage and the Herald paid for eight trophies (winners and runners-up).
A few years later, when I was editor of high school bowling for 28
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the Herald, I came up with an idea for a high school bowling league. First I sold it to the athletic director of the Dade County school system and his assistant. Then I had to sell my concept to all the proprietors in Miami. I was amazed the proprietors accepted my concept because it cost them time and money. Under my program, they had to: Provide free practice time and free games for matches; Provide free bowling shirts with the name of their high school on the back; Hold an end-of-the year banquet for coaches and the winning teams plus the most valuable male and female player at each school; Provide trophies for the winning teams and the most valuable players in the league. The proprietors only protested the fact that I insisted it be scratch competition. They wanted handicap competition because they feared one school would dominate for years. I said there was no handicap competition in any high school sport, and bowling wasn’t going to be the first. The proprietors and school board agreed and the program started in 1964. It proved so popular that a few years later the school board allowed youngsters to choose bowling as their physical education if they so desired. The bowling centers sent their bus to pick up the PE bowlers but unfortunately, the PE teachers didn’t try to teach the kids to bowl during their one game at the bowling center, and several bowling centers didn’t provide a coach, so little learning was taking place. This is the only promotion where I felt Miami proprietors did not take full advantage of an opportunity to create more junior bowlers. Maybe they decided the lineage they got for only one
THE ATTIC TRUNK
Cover of 16-page special section on the tourney, written by Evans. $100,000 was a whopping prize in 1977.
game was not worth the cost of the program.
No matter what I asked the proprietors, I always got a positive reply. The Herald advertising department okayed teaming with various bowling ball companies – AMF, Brunswick and Ebonite – on learn-tobowl programs with the benefits going to the Herald ’s Lend-A-Hand charity. The first big one occurred before the 1969 BPAA Convention at the Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach. Since the Herald had the largest circulation, I got first pick whether I wanted to tie in with AMF or Brunswick. I picked Brunswick because it would send its star players – primarily Don Carter and Marion Ladewig – into each bowling center (no matter what kind of ball returns had been installed) while AMF wanted to go to
The Herald’s Bowler of the Year award went to Paula Carter and Wayne Graham in 1981. It was the 25th year for the honor. 30
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THE ATTIC TRUNK only AMF centers. It was the right decision, but Tom Birks, the bowling writer at the Miami News, got the last laugh because AMF decided to wind up its learn-tobowl clinics by televising a scotch doubles match live on local TV. So what happens? Eddie Lubanski bowls back-to-back 300s and all the proprietors at the convention are marveling over the unheard-of feat. The Herald also did bowling clinics before PBA tournaments and Bowling could still be big news in The Miami Herald in 1992. Brian Voss was joining the crowd in applause as he won the $130,000 Paula Carter Homestead Classic.
maybe the largest in history came before a Burger King Tournament at Don Carter’s Kendall Lanes in 1977. Burger King, which was founded in Miami, and the Herald decided to team up on a massive learnto-bowl program featuring pro bowlers on Sunday before the tournament opened on Monday. With the help of Miami proprietors, who spread the word to fellow proprietors in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, I lined up about 40 pro bowlers and 20 South Florida stars and ran learn-to-bowl clinics in 30 bowling centers between Jensen Beach and Marathon about 110 miles away. If I remember correctly, Burger King gave each pro $100 for working three clinics and most were happy to do it.
Finally, how many bowling proprietors would be willing to turn over their bowling centers for a week to the promoter of a new event who claimed it “will unite the Americas through bowling”? But that is what general manager John Smith and later owner Tom Romanik did when Lee Evans came to them and said he would like to hold his first Tournament of the Americas at their 50-lane Cloverleaf Lanes in Miami. It got off to a small start in 1963 but it grew, and now it is the oldest annual international amateur tournament in the world. You might say the 1960s were the decade of the enlightened for bowling in Greater Miami, as the sport grew because of the courage of a handful of BPAA proprietors. Unfortunately, the land that they helped make famous with great bowling events became so valuable that many sold out and made a hefty profit. Only Bird Bowl remains from those glory years. Matter of fact, it is the only traditional bowling center (60 lanes) in a county of over two million residents. How sad. ❖
Dick Evans has been writing bowling for The Miami Herald since 1957 and for the Daytona Beach News-Journal since 1994. He was the print media director for the PBA Senior Tour for six years and has been writing weekly columns for bowling newspapers, magazines and websites since 1999.
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OFF THE CLOCK
ROLLING TOWARD
how to get results by holding people accountable.” He’s had experience as an advocate, if not as a candidate. A year ago he founded Conservatives for Patients’ Rights (CPR), which campaigns at www.cprights.org for a free market in health care. Four “pillars” support the campaign: patient choice in doctor and insurance plan; public pricing, inter-state carrier competition; equal tax breaks for employees and employers; personal responsibility. “If you look at the polls,” says Scott, “that’s exactly what the American public wants, and I think that will happen over time.” If health care remains a live issue as his campaign moves forward – and at press time, challenges from the states showed the issue is still with us – Scott’s record in health care will stay relevant and may boost one of bowling’s extended “family” a significant way toward a governor’s mansion. ❖
TALLAHASSEE
Will Floridians vote for this man?
R
ick Scott is bowling folk once-removed. He partners with Larry Schmittou in S&S Family Entertainment, LLC, dba Strike & Spare Fun Centers, which has 15 bowls in four states. Scott knew of Schmittou when both were involved with the Texas Rangers baseball club, Scott as part-owner and Schmittou as vice president of marketing. When Schmittou decided to leave his 30-year career in baseball as coach, scout and minor league team owner, he approached Scott about getting together in a bowling venture. “It’s hard to say no to him,” says Scott, “he’s such a great guy.” That’s what Scott wants Floridians to think come November. That, and his being the man with the ideas to straighten out what he believes Florida citizens are most agitated about. In order: unemployment is 12%, 40% of homeowners are “underwater” with their mortgages, and the state is $3 billion in the red, a figure he estimates will top $5 billion next year. Scott, who also heads Richard L. Scott Investments of Naples, FL, has put his business interests aside to run for governor. When we sat down with him six days after he announced his candidacy, he introduced himself as a man who has lived the American dream. “My father was a truck driver and my mom did odd jobs—took in ironing, worked at Penney’s, cleaned telephone booths, all sorts of things to make a living.” He served in the Navy, married at 19, and bought his first business, a doughnut shop, at age 21. But if Scott is judging the mood of Floridians correctly, his career in health care will weigh much more heavily with voters. In 1987, he started Columbia Hospital Corp. with his life savings of $125,000 and proceeded to buy hospitals around the country. Ten years later, the company (as Columbia/HCA after acquiring HCA, Inc., owner of 100 hospitals) owned more than 340 hospitals, 135 surgery centers, and 550 home health locations in 37 states and two foreign countries, according to Scott’s website www.rickscottforflorida.com. In 2001, he established Solantic, a chain of venues he calls “walk-in doctor’s offices, basically.” He says Solantic’s charges, which are posted on a menu board in the reception area, are a sixth of ER cost if the patient has insurance and less than a tenth if he doesn’t. “I’ve been successful in business,” he says, summing up his bona fides. “I’ve started companies from scratch. I’ve built large companies. I’ve run large companies. I know how to create jobs, how to balance budgets,
Rick and Ann Scott
Would a bowling proprietor make an especially good politician? Sound off at www.BowlingIndustry.com. IBI
July 2010
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BOWLING GAMES
Antique shop Did you try this bowling fun when you were a kid?
T
im Krawczyk’s antique bowling games were a hit from day one. When he opened his Krow’s Nest Family Fun Center in Niagara Falls, NY five years ago, he had lines of kids six deep waiting their turn to play. “I wanted to introduce the kids to what I used to play when I was a kid,” says Krawczyk, whose personal collection of 11 machines was drawing the attention and the action. Five years later, they still do as the centerpiece of a family entertainment emporium that includes a kids’ playground center (tubes to slide in, climbing apparatus, and the like), a 60-game arcade, two indoor batting cages, Build-ABear, party rooms and a parents’ area with wine and beer. Built from 1956 to 1970, first by Bally, the Chicago pinball manufacturer, games of this type have a single lane that varies from 10 to 16 feet. The length depends on manufacturer and whether the game is played with a small rubber or polymer plastic ball about 3.5 inches in diameter, or a larger one about 4.5 inches. The pins–actually, plastic replica half-pins–hang just above relay switches
embedded in the “pindeck.” The ball rolls over the relays, which sends an electrical pulse to the mechanism on the underside, which activates magnets that swing the pins up and out of the way. The ball drops into a reservoir behind the pins, is picked up on a chain motor, drops down a hole in the lane, and comes back via an “above-ground return” running along the side of the lane. To coordinate all this mechanical action, the machine has connecting relays, capacitors, step-up motors and close to nine miles of wiring coiled inside. Kids weren’t the only ones who wanted to play the games, Krawczyk discovered. “Parents would come in and say, ‘Oh my God, I played this when I was in the war’ or ‘I played this in the PX.’” Krawczyk also brought back the leagues he remembers growing up in the ’70s-’80s. Practically every bar around Niagara Falls Underside of the “pindeck.” The ball passing over the relay switches on the obverse side activates the mechanism, and the pins retract.
The relay trips on the “pindeck” and the “scorer.” 34
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BOWLING GAMES
Part of the lineup at Krow’s Nest.
had one of the machines, he says, and a lot of bars had teams that formed traveling leagues, playing teams at other taverns. It cost $3 to bowl in a weekly session: $1 for lineage (four games), $1 for maintenance on the machines, $1 for the kitty. The money was divvied up after 8-12 weeks of play and two weeks of playoffs. Restored lane. It’s made of real wood.
Men’s and women’s two-person teams make up Krawczyk’s leagues, but kids can also partner with parents. And in the seventh frame, everybody has to carry out oddball playing instructions like “Bowl between legs, get extra 50 points” or “Switch scores with team of your choice.” Krawczyk coveted the machines for years before he bought his first one in 1996. He finds them on the Internet and because word gets around that he’s interested, but mostly it takes “a whole lot of luck. You find them all over–in people’s basements, in bars, buildings or deserted areas. A lot of people come across these things and they have no idea what they do.” Prices range $500-$1,700 for small-ball machines and $1,000-$15,000 for the large-ball version, depending on the shape it’s in and its rarity. Krawczyk figures he will have to spend about 150 hours after he buys a machine to bring its condition to the next level, as with the two machines he has in restoration at the moment. The games cost a dime to play when they were introduced in 1956, and eventually Krawczyk will get back the money he puts into restoring them. But he says he had a passion for them all the while he was growing up. For Krawczyk, that’s the real deal. ❖
Did you play any bowling games off the lanes when you were young? Share your remembrances at www.BowlingIndustry.com. 36
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SHOWCASE MINIATURE GOLF
BOWLING BALL
MONITOR REPAIR/ REPLACEMENT
LANE CLEANER
CENTER BUILDS
PORTABLE PA SYSTEM
For nearly 40 years, Castle Golf has been the premier designer and builder of profitable, custom miniature golf courses such as the robot-themed 18-hole course at South Lanes Bowling Center, Three Rivers, MI. Our unmatched quality and attention provides our clients with a competitive advantage in the family entertainment industry. For more information, call 800688-454 or visit www.castlegolf.com.
New repair and exchange program from the world leader in HD LCD monitor replacement sales, New Center Consulting, Inc. Programs for various components that cover all systems, even the hard-to-fix ones. We specialize in keeping you in your current systems longer. For more information, contact Glenn Hartshorn directly at 248-375-2751 or go to www.upgrademyscoring.com.
Brunswick Build-to-Bowl, the single source solution for new center construction and re-imaging projects, provides a complete line of services from the earliest planning stages through project completion. Brunswick has the ability to provide consultation and vendor relationships for additional entertainment venues, including laser tag, billiards, Virtual Bowling, electric go-kart tracks, water parks, and more. For more information, call 800- YES-BOWL.
HOSIERY
eXpert Hosiery’s FunTime Footwear Division announces its acquisition of the bowling portfolio of Hosiery Mills. We look forward to serving you with products second to none and customer service of surpassing quality. “Good pricing, credible company. We’ve been a happy customer for two years,” says Joe Schumacker of Schumacker & Co. in Davie, FL. Call Karen Conder to discuss how FunTime FootWear can help you. Call 866-469-4097 or visit www.funtimefootwear.com.
The first asymmetric ball from MOTIV is here, the Cruel™ C51! Packed with performance, the inner core creates an RG of 2.48, .060 Diff, and .030 MB Diff on the 15# model. New Formula5™ Reactive Hybrid cover provides an incredibly strong reaction and combines solid black with smoke pearl coverstock components. Box finish is 2000 Wet Sand to provide a strong reaction with plenty of continuation. For more information, call 800-235-8324 or visit www.motivbowling.com.
New from Felix Erickson, our SuperStar100, a 100:1 concentrated lane cleaner packaged in convenient quart bottles. A little goes a long way. And like all products from Felix Erickson, serving the industry since 1926, SuperStar100 is guaranteed to perform to your complete satisfaction. For more information, call 800-445-1090 or visit www.festrikezone.com.
Great for meetings, events, wherever great sound and range are needed. This portable PA from The Lighting Store features CD player; hand-held, headset and lapel wireless mics; radio tuner; retractable handle; wheels; and rechargeable battery. For more information, call (888) 746-5483 or go to www.SoundAndLightKaraoke.com.
LCD MONITORS
AccuVision LCD Monitors by QubicaAMF are engineered as a complete system providing a topof-the-line LCD panel to deliver a consistent, classic look. Your score grid will be correctly fitted on the screen. Monitors are integrated with TV control. Available with Qubica Bowland & Bowland X, AMF MagicScore, AccuScore I & II, AccuScore Plus & XL, BOSS, Brunswick Vector, FrameWorx, AS-80/90C. For more information, visit www.qubicaamf.com or call 866–460–7263, option 2. IBI July 2010
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SHOWCASE CONSULTING/ MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Barkley Management, provi-ding services for bowling startups and existing operations, has formed a strategic alliance with Smith Hospitality Group of New York with 20+ years experience in food and beverage, high-end customer service training, and nightclub operation. Paul Barkley has operated or supervised more than 400 bowling centers during 30 years in the industry. For more information, go to www.barkleymanagement.c om or call 602-885-5401.
FOUL DETECTOR
ZOT’s Radaray Plus Conversion Kit replaces problem parts (with newer technology) in aging AMF Radarray Plus Foul Detectors (installed in both Brunswick- and AMF-equipped centers), restoring them to like-new condition at a substantially lower cost than a replacement unit. For more information, call 800-525-8116, email sales@zotpinsetter.com, or go to www.zotpinsetter.com.
CAPITAL EQUIPMENT
When Mike Gibiser wanted to upgrade, only the best would do. That meant 40 lanes of US Steltronic Vision/Focus Automatic Scoring, 42inch high-def monitors for all lanes, and two Front Desk systems to expedite the fun for bowlers. Plus two POS stations for the bar and restaurant to keep the F&B operation moving. And to coordinate all of it, the back office system standard with US Steltronic. For more information, call 800942-5939 or visit www.ussteltronic.com.
DATEBOOK
JULY 15-17 BPA Carolinas/Georgia Convention Crowne Plaza, Asheville, NC. Howard Baum, 910-484-5178, bpacga@embarqmail.com. 25-28 The Bowling Centers Association of Michigan Educational Forum and Trade Show Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, Mt. Pleasant. Ken Prokopec at 630-235-7794, BCAM at 800-833-2695, or visit www.mibowl.net. 29-31 Independent Bowling Organization Trade Show & Convention Held in conjunction with the GMBCOA. Valley Plaza Resort, Midland, MI. Scott, 888-484-2322 or www.ibo-Show.com.
SEPTEMBER 17-19 Wyoming Bowling Family Jamboree Sponsored by Wyoming Bowling Council Sheridan Holiday Inn, Sheridan. Charlene Abbott, 307-324-3161 or kcabbott@bresnan.net. 21 Kentucky BPA annual membership meeting and elections Location TBA. Jack McCarthy, usa3609@aol.com. 23 Bowling Centers Association of Ohio executive board meeting Embassy Suites, Columbus. Pat Marazzi, 937-433-8363 or pat@bowlohio.com.
OCTOBER LANE CONDITIONS
Kegel Lane Precision,™ a new Kegel division, introduces Kegel Lane Mapper,™ a high-precision machine that provides a new way to view lane surface topography by capturing approximately 70 times the measurements taken during lane inspection, in the same amount of time. With this research, KLP has developed a fast and effective leveling repair process, bringing fairness back to competition while making economic sense. For more information, visit www.kegel.net or call 800-280-2695. 38
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3-5 West Coast Bowling Convention Harrah’s Harveys, South Lake Tahoe, CA. Sandi Thompson, 925-485-1855. IBI is the official magazine of the convention. 11-15 East Coast Bowling Centers Convention Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ. BPAA, 888-6495586. IBI is the official magazine of the convention.
CLASSIFIEDS
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE AMERICAN-MADE PINSETTER PARTS – HIGHEST QUALITY. Visit us on the web at www.ebnservices.com or call toll free (888) 435-6289. USED BRUNSWICK PARTS, A2 parts and assemblies. Large Inventory. www.usedpinsetterparts.com.
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CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
We could not have gotten our loan without him. Mark and Debbie Williams Crossroads Bowling Center Beaumont, TX The leading source for real estate loans with low down payments
Ken Paton (503) 645-5630 www.kenpaton.com kpaton@kenpaton.com
PROFIT
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NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-2556436 or jayhawkbowling.com. Pinsetter Parts New from ALL major manufacturers. HUGE IN STOCK inventory. USED Brunswick Scoring parts, AS90 cameras, processors, lane cables, monitors, and PC boards. Order online @ 888SBIBOWL.com or (888) 724-2695. The Mechanics Choice! 24-lane Brunswick A-2 package. Automatic overhead scoring. Brunswick 2000 returns; wood approaches. In operation through 2003 season. Available immediately. Make offer. (906) 786-1600. Ask for Denis. Buy or Sell @ www.bowlingyardsale.com; one-stop shopping for bowling equipment — from lane packages to dust mops! Metro NYC Closed Center: 16 lanes QUBICA Conqueror scoring 98VDBs; 8230s/OMEGA-TEK Chassis, BRUNSWICK front end power lifts, LUSTRE KING w/ZOT; ATM, shoes, etc. Call (718) 715-4333 or email: centerparts16@gmail.com. 16 Brunswick Factory A-2s, 103-000 serial numbers. Lots of extras. Removed & ready for shipment. Also, 16 lanes Horizon/Omega masking units w/ 2 foot upper graphics. Ron @ (605) 237-0288.
LOCKER KEYS FAST! •Keys & Combo Locks for all Types of Lockers.
www.gkmintl.com
•One week turnaround on most orders.
For FLORIDA CENTERS Call DAVID DRISCOLL & ASSOCIATES 1-800-444-BOWL P.O. Box 189 Howey-in-the-Hills, FL 34737 AN AFFILIATE OF SANDY HANSELL & ASSOCIATES
•New locks All types
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•Used locks 1/2 price of new
All keys done by code #. No keys necessary.
FAX YOUR ORDER TO US AT:
530-432-2933
CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-700-4KEY INTʼL 530-432-1027 Orange County Security Consultants 10285 Ironclad Road, Rough & Ready, CA 95975
CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
CENTERS FOR SALE
CENTERS FOR SALE
Complete 32-lane package available: A-2s, Frameworx seating, scoring, masking, synthetics & Phoenix oiler. Still in operation. Call Jim (313) 715-7921.
CENTRAL WISCONSIN: 12 lanes, auto scoring, Anvilane synthetics, 82-70s. Great food sales. Yearly tournament. Attached, large 3 bedroom apartment w/ fireplace. $550K. (715) 223-8230.
AMF AccuScore Plus scoring system (28 lanes) + 27” overheads, LowBoys, two front desk terminals with pole displays & back office computer. Available immediately. Call John (260) 450-2903.
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.
Small indoor playland (12’ x 12’ x 20’) about 10 years old. Already disassembled & ready to be moved. 40K value; asking 7K OBO. Call John (260) 450-2903. REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details (248) 375-2751. FOR SALE: Used Smart pindecks with hoods & racks; Master units & AMF auto scoring packages. Ken’s Bowling Equipment (641) 414-1542.
EQUIPMENT WANTED LANE MACHINES WANTED. We will purchase your KEGEL-built machine, any age or condition. Phone (608) 764-1464.
UPSTATE NEW YORK: 8-lane center/ commercial building built in 1992. Synthetic lanes, new automatic scoring, kitchen and room to expand! Reduced to sell @ $375,000. Call (315) 376-3611. 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.
SOUTHERN INDIANA (close to Indianapolis): 18-lane Brunswick center with lounge, liquor license & movie theater on 4+ acres. Turnkey business. Owner retiring. Great investment! (765) 349-1312. 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.
WWW.FACEBOOKBOWLING.COM
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CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE
CENTERS FOR SALE
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. SE WISCONSIN: 12-lane Brunswick center including building, real estate & 7 acres. Raised dance floor, grill, pro shop, arcade, tanning room and more. Reasonably priced. Owner retiring. (920) 398-8023. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: 16-lane center w/ synthetic lanes, 82-70s, 19,000 s/f building w/ lots of parking. Newly remodeled bar & large kitchen. Owner retiring. (530) 598-2133. 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.
SELL IT FAST IN IBI
818-789-2695
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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.
SOUTHERN NEVADA: 8-lane center. Only center in town of 15,000. 30 minutes from Las Vegas. AMF 82-70s, newer Twelve Strike scoring. R/E leased. Will consider lease/option with qualified person. REDUCED TO $175,000. Call Steve @ (702) 293-2368; email ljjaa1414@yahoo.com. MICHIGAN: Brunswick 20 synthetic lanes, Qubica scoring, liquor lounge, full kitchen & outside deck. Needs experienced operator. Email: kaynorcorp@comcast.net.
CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE CENTRAL ILLINOIS: 8-lane center with AMF 82-70s, full service restaurant, pro shop. Plus pool tables, Karaoke machine, DJ system. PRICED TO SELL. Includes RE. (217) 351-5152 or toms-uvl@sbcglobal.net. SOUTHWESTERN WYOMING: 12 lanes + café & lounge, 2 acres w/ 5 bedroom home. Full liquor & fireworks licenses. Outside Salt Lake City area. Dennis @ Uinta Realty, Inc. (888) 804-4805 or uintarlt@allwest.net. SW IDAHO: 8-LANE CENTER w/full service, award winning restaurant, new lanes & scoring. $500,000 includes equipment & real estate. Nicely profitable. Call Ron @ Arthur Berry & Co., (208) 639-6171.
SW WISCONSIN: 10 lanes, new automatic scoring/sound. Bar/grill. Great leagues, local tournaments, excellent pinsetters. Supportive community. 2 acres off main highway. $299,995. (608) 341-9056. 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. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: 16-lane center REDUCED to $799,000 for quick sale. Synthetics, 82-70s, 19,000 s/f + parking. Newly remodeled bar, large kitchen. Owner retiring. Will consider selling only equipment or building. www.siskiyoulanes.com. (530) 598-2133.
(570) 346-5559
SERVICE CALLS WORLDWIDE • PRE-SHIPS • WE SELL
AS80/90 • BOARD REPAIR • Frameworx NEW KEYPADS • FRONT DESK LCD MONITORS
Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849
291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940 on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: mike@bowlingscorer.com
3
EASY WAYS
to place your Classified Ad in International Bowling Industry Magazine
Call (818) 789-2695
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your ad to:
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CLASSIFIEDS
BUY
AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENT COMPLETE PACKAGES WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY
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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 - bpitx@texasonline.net
www.bowlingpartsandequipment.com 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/
MINIATURE GOLF COURSES Indoor/Outdoor. Immediate Installation. $5,900.00 & up. 2021 Bridge Street Jessup, PA 18434 570-489-8623 www.minigolfinc.com
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NE NEVADA: New 2001. 16 lanes, 19,200 square feet, 1.68 acres paved, sound & lighting, lounge w/ gaming, arcade, full service snack bar & pro shop. Call (775) 934-1539. NORTHWEST LOUISIANA: 12-LANE Brunswick center. REDUCED TO SELL NOW! Includes auto scoring, glow bowling, pizza, large dining area & video poker. Good income. Long Lease. Great opportunity. Call Mike (318) 578-0772.
NW INDIANA (Lake Michigan/National Lake Shore area): Well-maintained 32lane center, family owned & operated since 1997 with spacious nightclub lounge on 6.6 acres. Also billiards, arcade, pro shop, full-service restaurant, established leagues, birthday party activity & MORE! Owner retiring. Reasonably priced. (219) 921-4999.
CLASSIFIEDS CENTERS FOR SALE
SERVICES AVAILABLE
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.
SELLING, BUYING or FINANCING a Center? RC Partners can help–we are not brokers. (616) 374-5651; www.sell104.com.
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. 3-bdrm home included. $1.2m. Call Bryan (218) 380-8089. www.majesticpine.com.
30+ YEARS INSURING BOWLING CENTERS – Ohio, Illinois & Michigan. Property & Liability; Liquor Liability, Workers Comp, Health & Personal. Call Scott Bennett (248) 408-0200, Scott@Bowl-mail.com; Mark Dantzer, CIC (888) 343-2667, Mark@DieboldInsurance.com; or Kevin Elliott.
WASHINGTON: 24-lane, high revenue center. Strong league program & open play. Exceptional food/bar operation. Rental income from adjacent space. GSX pinsetters, Pro synthetic lanes, Touchworks scoring, Frameworx seating. Real estate included. Ken Paton (503) 645-5630. CENTRAL ALABAMA: Recently remodeled, split house w/24 synthetic lanes (16 & 8) in 28,000 s/f building in shopping center; Brunswick A2s & 2000 seating; AccuScore Plus; VIA returns & storage tables; systems for Cosmic; established leagues; snack bar, pro shop & game/pool table area. Nearest competition 28 miles w/ colleges & Honda factory within minutes. Need to sell due to health. Reasonably priced. (435) 705-0420.
INSURANCE SERVICES
TRAINING BRUNSWICK PINSETTER TRAINING COURSE – Colorado Springs, Colorado. 12-day sessions including hotel accommodations. Call for schedule. RMGPinsetter@gmail.com; myspace – rmgpinsetter.com; (719) 432-5052 or (719) 671-7167. Fax (866) 353-5010. 82-30 TRAINING CLASSES. For more info call (513) 594-7791 or email: Mathis_8@msn.com.
POSITION WANTED Check this out! 30 new leagues, scores of new parties & fundraisers. Yes, I can do all that plus more. Looking for a Brunswick center in Midwest area. Manage to own. Call Matt (507) 696-1151 or Andy (507A) 527-1551. Brunswick “A” mechanic, 12+ years experience, AS-80/AS-90 scoring system expertise. Former owner/GM. Willing to relocate. Contact me at (308) 380-8594.
SELL YOUR CENTER OR EQPT.
FAST! (818) 789-2695
SERVICES AVAILABLE Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com. BUILD YOUR PARTY BUSINESS – Affordably reach people celebrating birthdays within the neighborhood of your bowling center. (818) 241-3042 or larrysiegel@charter.net.
WWW.FACEBOOKBOWLING.COM
IBI
July 2010
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REMEMBER WHEN
1947 “
T
he Man’s Magazine” led off with a double dose of bowling for October 1947: the front cover and the first page. Turning to the story on page 28 (teased next to the cover bowler), readers found a couple of amusing anecdotes about the game, including exploits of the legendary conman The Count, and almost two dozen photos comparing 3-step and 4step deliveries. The models were, respectively, Tony Sparando and Joe Falcaro. The pensmen for the opus were I.R. McVay and Pat McDonough. Pat founded the Sports Reporter, a bowling weekly today published out of
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Secaucus, NJ and still going great guns in its 71st year under Pat’s son, Dan. Bowling stats for that double-barreled ’47-48 season: 5,747 ABC/WIBC houses with 46,004 lanes; 1,235 BPA member centers tallying 15,688 lanes. ❖