Same Name, Great Game!

Same Name, Great Game!
by Lisa Hummel

PBA. ABC. WIBC. Cosmic. Bumper. Ten-pin. Center. Alley. No matter what you call it, regardless of how good you are at it, the concept remains the same … bowling is all about getting the strike. Sure, it also used to be about the stale-smelling, multi-paneled shoes and the now-considered retro shirts in shades of teal and pink, proudly emblazoned with “Bob” or the like over the single breast pocket, but times have changed. This is no longer your father’s sport.

In fact, it’s everybody’s sport. According to a recent study of sports participation conducted by American Sports Data, Inc., 50.6 million Americans, six years of age or older, bowled at least once in Bowling Alley 1998. That number, which declined 5.1 percent from the previous year, still exceeds the participation rates of other popular sporting activities, including fishing, camping, and basketball. And while numbers may mean nothing to many people, they mean a lot to the bowling world — in fact, they signify a sound future in the sport. As part of the same survey, it was discovered that the 6 – 11 year old age group registered the highest growth rate in the past twelve years, signifying an end to the common misconception that bowling is a sport for beer guzzlers and senior citizens alone. Whatever it is, whomever it’s for, bowling has come a long way.

Referred to as the only sport that “boasts 7,000 years of unparalleled popularity” by the Brunswick bowling company, bowling has evolved vastly from its origins. From a sport once played in darkened halls to the current $7 million dollar complexes like the AMF facility that opened in Manhattan in 1997 — the first bowling alley to be constructed in the city in 30 years — the interest in bowling has necessitated a need for 6,542 certified bowling centers in the nation in 1998, all of which offer the traditional game — your father’s game — and it’s modern day counterparts. Bowling these days includes bumper bowl for the tykes, “cosmic” bowl and rock’n’bowl for the young-at-heart, corporate parties, birthday parties, and leagues for every age and demographic imaginable — all practices that have more than made their way into the area.

Contrary to popular belief, local bowling proprietors deny the fact that the sport had ever truly lost its hold on society, they just attribute the latest additions — or the so-called “resurgence”— of the classic game as one reason for the presence of the newer, if somewhat younger, faces at the alleys. According to Don Kirkpatrick, owner of Red Crown Bowling Center, Harrisburg, the new innovations such as “cosmic” bowling and rock’n’bowl have definitely added some interest, and excitement, to what had already previously been a stable product. “Clearly, the glow-in-the-dark bowling [“cosmic” bowling] has improved the public bowling,” he admits, citing the Center’s 200 black lights, 600 yards of glow-in-the-dark carpet, fog machines, disco balls, and colored pins as more than an added benefit to the game — supporting the belief that bowling is no longer just about shoes and shirts. For the newer crowd, bowling is just as much about the athleticism as it is the atmosphere.

In fact, atmosphere has become a big part of the bowling product itself. In addition to the 24 lanes and standard bowling alley offerings, Kirkpatrick prides himself on the concept that Red Crown is “Harrisburg’s Best Bowling Night Club”, with all of the amenities of a night on the town — the lounge, the state-of-the-art sound system, the late hours — and a terrific sport all under one roof.

Much like Kirkpatrick, Mike Freumel, the Assistant Manager of Trindle Bowl, Mechanicsburg, has seen an increase in individual participation and has made use of nightly specials and attractions such as the aforementioned rock’n’bowl to draw in the crowds. Rock’n’bowl is “really popular with the high school kids and the college kids when they come home on break,” he said, noting that, like Red Crown, Trindle has made use of the atmospheric changes — the dimmed lights, music, and colored pins — to make the fundamentals of bowling a ’90s thing.

Although Trindle does not currently offer “cosmic” bowling, Freumel admits that the very concept and others like it have helped transform the image of bowling from a classic sport to an active and energetic form of participation — one that is apparently open and appealing to all ages in ways that it hasn’t in a long time. According to Freumel, he has seen a definite rise in the high school/teenager group in the last year or so, further supporting recent industry reports that have suggested that, in addition to strengthening the already established base, further initiatives be taken to “capture more of the youth market” — in the hopes that their initial experiences with glow-in-the-dark and rock’n’roll will keep them wanting to return to the lanes long after the trends have passed.

And while his Center has adapted with the trends and offer such attractions as rock’n’ bowl and “cosmic” bowling as well as a lounge and night club feel, Red Crown’s Kirkpatrick knows better than to stray far from the original. “We have leagues every night,” he said, adding that he has never taken the time to count the number of participants and teams — mainly because there are just too many. Further, Kirkpatrick attests that the bowlers that enter through his doors are truly from every walk of life, from first-time bowlers to those who have bowled most of their lives. “The crowd varies from 16 to 40” on some nights, Kirkpatrick noted, with the Center offering leagues for men, women, youth and, for those bowlers of tomorrow, bumper bowl — during which no ball can be a gutter ball — and bowling ball push sticks — oversized skewers that push the ball down the lane.

Regardless of whose name is on the shirt pocket or what one single color your shoes aren’t, it is clear that bowling is here to stay. In fact, when talking to bowlers and bowling proprietors alike, it becomes even clearer that, through all of the changes and additions, bowling has never gone anywhere. Whether it’s a league or an individual, whether you’re six or you’re 60, the goal remains the same — it’s all about the strike. After all, with or without lights, with or without music, when the bowling ball finds its way to the end of lane, it still needs to knock over ten pins. Some things never change.