IBI March 2011

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6THE ISSUE AT HAND

A Confluence ofCollaboration

By Scott Frager

8SHORTS

BPAA Awards NAIR’s Nancy

Surprenant retires…Kegel’s 30thAnniversary

10NEW

DEVELOPMENTSA university loses itslanes but the memo-ries and wood linger.

By Joan Taylor

12MY PARADISE

Bruce VanMetre:Drumming to his

own beat

14PIONEERS

PBA founderEddie Elias

How imagination, energyand savvy elevated bowling

By Chuck Pezzanowith Fred Groh

32

CONTENTS

22COVER STORYVero Bowl Bringing back life,style & dramaBy Robin Breuner

32 MEMORY LANE The year 1968, thecity Hong Kong.Bowling, a Chinese passionBy Paul Lane

48REMEMBER WHENArchie Comics Since 1941 Archie andbowling have been a pair.

36 Showcase

38 Datebook

38 Classifieds

VOL 19.3THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING

IBI March 2011

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22

PUBLISHER & EDITORScott Frager

[email protected]: scottfrager

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISINGChris Holmes

[email protected]

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTGregory Keer

[email protected]

OFFICE MANAGERPatty Heath

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTORSRobin Breuner

Fred GrohPatty HeathPaul Lane

Chuck PezzanoLydia Rypcinski

Joan Taylor

SPECIAL PROJECTSJackie Fisher

[email protected]

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTIONDesignworks

www.dzynwrx.com(818) 735-9424

FOUNDERAllen Crown (1933-2002)

13245 Riverside Dr., Suite 501Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

(818) 789-2695(BOWL)Fax (818) 789-2812

[email protected]

www.BowlingIndustry.com

HOTLINE: 888-424-2695SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy ofInternational Bowling Industry is sent free toevery bowling center, independently ownedpro shop and collegiate bowling center inthe U.S., and every military bowling centerand pro shop worldwide. Publisher reservesthe right to provide free subscriptions tothose individuals who meet publicationqualifications. Additional subscriptions maybe purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50per year. Subscriptions for Canada andMexico are $65 per year, all other foreignsubscriptions are $80 per year. All foreignsubscriptions should be paid in U.S. fundsusing International Money Orders.POSTMASTER: Please send new as well asold address to International Bowling Industry,13245 Riverside Drive, Suite 501, ShermanOaks, CA 91423 USA. If possible, pleasefurnish address mailing label.Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2010, B2B Media,Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprintedwithout the publisher’s permission.

MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:

6 IBI March 2011

THE ISSUE AT HAND

So what happens when you bring40-50 bowling proprietors fromacross the country into one room,at one time, in a great town withsome outstanding bowling centers?I recently discoveredthat answer, and a lotmore, at the BrunswickShowcase event heldin Portland this pastFebruary.

I hadn’t visitedPortland in many years,and it felt great leavingthe megalopolis calledLos Angeles to themore down to earth city where themighty Williamette and Columbiarivers merge.

The rivers, however, are not theonly things of confluence in thistown. In the metropolitan Portlandarea of 2.2 million, there’s abowling renaissance, of sorts, thatseems to be spreading throughoutthe Northwest.

As part of the Showcase,Brunswick Bowling showed off threecenters in the Portland area thatrepresented what our industry is allabout. We toured Grand Central, acouple-years-old boutique center,Sunset Lanes a traditional centergone hybrid with an incredibleredemption arcade, and the brandnew mega-center Big Al’s Beaverton.

You’ve read about Grand Centraland Big Al’s in past pages of IBI.So have I. But, until Brunswick’sShowcase, I’d never been to eitherof these locations. As amazing asthe published photos were, seeingthese facilities in person amongstproprietors and fellow vendors reallyevoked a sense of pride in our

industry’s creative, collaborative spirit.Watching proprietors interact, kicking centers’ “proverbial” tires, making

frank and extemporaneous comments (some constructively critical, mostoverwhelmingly complimentary) provided an invaluable insight as to howthoughtful one must be when making decisions about purchasing equipment

and upgrading facilities.On the line are not only hundreds

of thousands, if not millions, of dollarsbut it can certainly mean thedifference between make-it or break-it for the center.

That’s a humbling responsibilityfor the proprietors, the makers of theequipment and designers of thefacilities to whom investors are lookingfor the right answers. It’s clear from

this event that it’s a responsibility Brunswick takes very seriously.In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or

more bodies of waters. In bowling, we have our own powerful confluences.

Trade shows, conventions and events are the meetingsof the minds. As we approach our industry’s busytrade show season, I hope to have the opportunity ofseeing you at one or more of these events.

– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHERAND [email protected]

A Confluence of Collaboration

The best kept secret of the bowling business shouldbe shared. That is definitely true of IBI’s website. It’sYOUR site; extend it to your friends and colleaguesin the bowling world. Michael L. Monroe of 247Sportsclub of Waukee, Iowa did! Each new memberbrings vitality and ideas and that’s the way to grow aweb community. Thanks, Mike!

Simply log on or become a member and click“Invite” on the toolbar. You will be guided to howto host more members. And, as they say…themore, the merrier!...and the smarter! …and…

�THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com

8 IBI March 2011

SHORTS

Mention NAIR and you think Suprenant! For 36 of the 39 yearsof NAIR, Nancy Surprenant has served as the Executive Secretary and,along with her husband Ken a past president who has held theposition of Convention Chairman for 33 years, is the heart and soulof the organization. Nancy is retiring and in honor of her and Ken’sservice to NAIR, Gregg Pasdiora, current president, presented themwith a lifetime achievement award on January 20th at the Red RockHotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Acknowledging the efforts anddedication of the Surprenants, Steve Johnson, BPAA President cameto the meeting to shake their hands and thank them for their decadesof service to the bowling community.

This fall NAIR will be holding a 40th Anniversary meeting andcelebration. The dates and location will be announced at a later date.

The 2011 Bowling U.S. Women’s Open will feature four

lanes of equipment provided by QubicaAMF including 90

XLi Pinspotters, SPL Lanes, ball returns, foul detectors,

masking units and AMFlite II Pins.

The event will be nationally televised on ESPN on July

2 from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas and will be

held in conjunction with the 2011 International Bowl Expo.

This event is open to all female youth and adult bowlers

in the U.S. This will mark the first time in the history of

the sport that a women’s major professional bowling event

will be held in a traditional sporting venue. The finals will

be broadcast live on the stadium’s famed 60-yard high

definition video board.

John Losito, Tournament Committee Chair, stated, “We

are proud to partner with QubicaAMF for the equipment

and are looking forward to an exciting finals at Dallas

Cowboys Stadium.” John Walker, CEO of QubicaAMF

Worldwide responded, “We are committed to work with

the BPAA to make this event a success, to promote the sport

of bowling and keep bowling as the largest participatory

sport in the U.S.”

Billy Harmatz, 20-yearcareer jockey and bowlingproprietor, passed away athome on January 27. He issurvived by his wife Connie,his partner and friend for 59years. The youngest of ninechildren, Harmatz grew up inBoyle Heights, California.

During his years as ajockey, Harmatz won thePreakness in 1959 and rodein the Kentucky Derby four times. He was awarded theprestigious George Wolfe Memorial, held a record forwinning six races in one day and was part of a very raretriple dead heat.

After retiring from racing, he moved to Vista,California and began managing his bowling center,Vista Entertainment, and was a vital part of the local andregional bowling community. Along with his wife,Harmatz leaves four children, eight grandchildren andthree great-grandchildren. Services were private.Donations may be made to Vista Rotary FoundationPolio Plus, P.O. Box 24, Los Angeles, CA 92085

Nancy Surprenant’s Retirement

Back row,( left to right) Steve Johnson,President BPAA (left). Steve Caffrey,Ed Jandreau, Scott Freeman, Gregg Pasdiora, NAIR President; front row (leftto right) Nancy Surprenant, Ken Surprenant and Mark Neumann.

Bowling U.S. Women’s Open

Taps QubicaAMF Equipment

THE LAST RIDE FOR HARMATZ

Bowling centers tend to be the support foundation of a community.It is there people gather to support their neighbors. This is very true atCamelot Bowl in Youngstown, Ohio where a packed house bowled toraise money for four-year-old Hunter Shaffer who suffers from epilepsy.

With the help of the Mahoning Valley Epilepsy Foundation,Camelot and Hunter’s parents hosted a Family Fun Day to raiseawareness and money for Hunter and the foundation. A portion willgo to help offset Hunter’s medical expenses and the rest will go toMahoning Valley Epilepsy foundation.

In Niles, Michigan it was support for breast cancer research. TheNiles Four Flags USBC Bowling Association and Joey Armadillo’sBowling Center sponsored the 5th Annual Bowl for the Cure onFebruary 19. In 2010, the association donated more than $11,000and ranked eighth in the nation for most donations from a singleassociation. The goal this year is $10,000 and the proceeds will stayin the local counties to help fund breast cancer research, educationand screening and treatment.

Charity Begins on the Lanes

9IBI March 2011

SHORTSPEOPLEWATCHING

The BPAA announced the recipients of the 2011 Bowling IndustryService Awards, the most prestigious awards presented by the bowlingindustry, at its Town Hall Membership Meeting held at the Red Rock Resortand Spa in Las Vegas in January.

Pat Ciniello of Bowling Management Associateshas been selected the 2011 BPAA Hall of FameInductee and recipient of the Victor Lerner MemorialMedal. The Lerner Medal is the highest honor in thebowling business and is awarded for a lifetime ofservice to the industry.

Ciniello is cited for his many years of bowlingcenter management in his Bowland chain of centersin Florida, service to the BPAA and its programs, events and tournaments

as well as the bowling industry on local, state andnational levels including MUBIG and the relocation andrebuilding of the International Bowling Museum andHall of Fame.

Mark Voight of Community Bowling Centers willbe recognized with the President’s Medal for his manycontributions and years of service to the BPAA andleadership in Michigan’s bowling industry.

Bob Gudorf of Classic Productswill receive the coveted V.A. Wapensky Award, namedafter BPAA’s long-time chief executive officer, “Chief”Wapensky. Gudorf is recognized for more than 50years in the bowling industry and his support of BPAAevents over the years and support/service to theInternational Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame.

Parker Bohn III will receive the Dick Weber BowlingAmbassador Award for his many contributions to thegame and sport of bowling both on and off the lanes.

The Service Awards will be presented during International Bowl Expo2011 on Monday, June 27 at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas.

Pat Ciniello

BPAA Service Awards Announced

Mark Voight

Bob Gudorf

One of the highlights of the Bowling Summit Town Hall meeting heldJanuary 21 in Las Vegas was the State Association Awards recognizing thecontributions and accomplishments of BPAA’s affiliated state bowlingproprietors and center associations for their achievements in variousareas of association management, member communications, membershipand special programs or projects.

The awards were given as follows: Best Member Program, NewMember Recruitment: Texas BCA; Best Charitable Project: NorthernCalifornia BPA for its canned food drive; Best Community Project: IllinoisState BPA for the 50th Anniversary “Beat the Champs” contest organizedand presented by Chicagoland BPA and the Chicago Sun-Times; BestBowling Promotion: Bowling Centers of Southern California for its majorsports “Jersey Promotion” to enhance centers’ league participation.Congratulations to all!

...and More Awards

NUTMEG BOWL HOSTS K-9 FUNDRAISERIn January, Nutmeg Bowl in Fairfield, CT hosted

a fundraising event for the police department’s newK-9 unit. Mike Lauterborn of the Fairfield Patchwrote that the event “was sponsored in large partby Bearingstar Insurance, which helped withcoordination, secured merchandise for an onsiteraffle and recruited bowlers.”

Hoping to have a trained dog on board by June1, the goal with the monies received is to buy thedog, train the handler, buy equipment including avehicle with a safe cage, and sustain this operationfor five years, the normal working life of the dog.

Kathy Piro, an insurance consultant withBearingstar, put all of her energies toward theevent. “This is an important need for the townthat’s probably overdue,” she said. The dog will beused for tracking suspects, building searches andmissing person cases. There is also the hope thatthe dog could also provide narcotics detection.

KEGEL TURNS 302011 marks the 30th Anniversary of Kegel

which celebrates three decades of serving andresearching the sport of bowling. A worldwidecorporation located in Lake Wales, Florida andfounded in 1981 by John Davis, Kegel operatesdivisions in manufacturing, quality control,software development, chemical production andpackaging, and technical support along withKegel Connection Pro Shops, Foundation300and the renowned Kegel Training Center. Davis’ultimate goal? “All we want is to make two lanesplay the same.”

From left to right, Fairfield, CT Police Chief Gary McNamara andLt. Jim Perez on Nutmeg Bowl’s lanes. Photo by Fairfield Patchwriter Mike Lauterborn.

decided to eliminate the lanes, it did not impacta “regular” university sports team or its on-sitepractice area.

To soften the blow for students and staff,Witucki orchestrated and hosted a “farewell”ceremony and bowling evening on Nov. 18 foreight current or former staff members and eightstudents whose names were picked in a drawing.He wrapped the event around the 25th anniversarycelebration of the student union itself and calledit the “Last Bowlers Event.”

The staffers, “most of whom came from longdistances, retirement or both, had an importantconnection to the student center and were truesupporters of recreational activities that hadgone on in this space,” Witucki said. The guestlist included three former student centerdirectors - Bob Johnson, Bill Siedlecki and LucyNicolai - as well as Pookie Albrecht, formerexecutive director of Student Life Services andnamesake of the Pookie Helmuth AlbrechtNational Residence Hall Honorary Chapter atUW-Stout; Joe Krier, current executive directorof Athletics and Recreation, Lori Anda-Bowen,current director of University Recreation andthe Sports and Fitness Complex; Krisi Patterson,former long-time coordinator of the RecCenter/Underground; and Anne Buttke, the firstcoordinator of the Rec Center.

Nick Cross, Brandy Makovsky, Brett Martinsen,Matt Marusak, Jacob Medford, Ellen Pedersen,Lindsey Reynolds and Seth Rosenthal were the

10 IBI March 2011

he Memorial Student Center at the University of Wisconsin’s Stoutcampus in Menomonee, Wis., closed for a year-long $19 millionrenovation project in December.

Unfortunately for Stout bowlers, though, the center will be minus its eightbowling lanes when it reopens in January 2012.

“It would have cost $500,000 to update and upgrade the lanes,”according to Darrin Witucki, interim director of University Centers. Someof the equipment, he said, went back to 1959.

“Additionally, the town has Broadway Bowl, a nice 20-lane center closeto the campus, and our lanes couldn’t compete with that,” Witucki said.

“Given the priorities and space needs identified in the renovationplanning process, the space covered by ‘The Underground,’ where bowling,billiards and concerts were available — about 7,000 square feet — wasneeded to meet those goals.”

At least one of those interest groups isn’t expected to suffer; a billiardsarea was included in the plans for the new center.

The campus doesn’t have a formal, structured intercollegiate bowlingprogram as such, but rather “club bowling.” When university officials

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

By Joan Taylor

STAFF, STUDENTSGIVE UW-STOUTLANES A HEARTYSENDOFF

T

11IBI March 2011

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

eight lucky students who wonthe lottery drawing.

Witucki made sure everyoneinvolved in the “last night ofbowling” was captured inpictures to record their night ofhistory and came away with anight of fellowship, lastingmemories, and a final night offun bowling.

On the bright side, whathappened at UW-Stout doesnot seem to be part of a trend.

“We are not aware of anyadditional [collegiate] centersthat closed their doors forgood,” said Gary Brown, USBCcollegiate manager. “ Severalclosed for renovation but haveopened back up. [Lookingahead,] we are not aware ofany additional schools closingtheir lanes in the near future.

“USBC Collegiate has 184 different schools as members. And there areseveral more schools with bowling programs, who are not USBC members.”

Although Witucki did his best to make “Last Bowlers Event” a positive ifnot nostalgic experience, student Jacob Medford had difficulties with theimpending destruction of an area close to his heart and his years at UW-Stout.

“I worked in the student center for the last four-and-a-half years doing lightsand sound for concerts, and the bowling alley was where the weekly shows

were held,” Medford said. “I guess I alwaysconsidered it something concrete; somethingthat I never thought would change and [would]be here 20 years from now.”

Each lane, Medford said, had its own uniquepersonality.

“One had a temperamental pinsetter thatwould put down only nine pins now and then,”he recalled. “Lane one was a little warped atthe end.

“Mostly, I remember the people - friends whoworked there climbing on the machines to unjamthem, bands bowling a few rounds before theirset. And the sounds - the constant thunk of a ballfollowed a few seconds later by a clatter of pins,the roars of triumph and the groans of defeat.”

Medford said it felt “a bit surreal” to bowl atthe student center lanes for the last time.

“I graduated in December, so it means I left justas the building was shutting down,” he said.

“At least I got to leave there with all of thememories of the building as it was - intact. It wasa nice way to say ‘goodbye’ to the building.” ❖

While the bowling lanes at the Memorial Student Center ofthe University of Wisconsin’s Stout campus are gone, thelanes will live on in the renovation project underway. InPhoenix-esque fashion, tables, benches and decorative wallpanels will arise from the wooden lanes. “While we will miss

our bowling alley, we are excited for the space it opens upwithin the renovation project for other needs. We are alsoproud of our reuse of the lanes and our efforts to rememberour bowling alley ‘heritage’ so to speak in the renovatedbuilding,” Darrin Witucki shared.

Left to right: Helmouth "Pookie" Albrecht, Ann Buttke,Lori Anda-Bowen, Krisi Patterson, Joe Krier, Lucy Nicolai,Bob Johnson and Bill Siedlecki. Photo by Bill Wikrent, UW-Stout Senior Media Specialist.

RECYCLING MEMORIES

Joan Taylor is a multi-award winning bowlingwriter based in East Stroudsburg,Pennsylvania.

MY PARADISE

12 IBI March 2011

IBI March 2011

MY PARADISE

PHOTO BY LISA VANMETRE

n 36 years of playing, BruceVanMetre counts four local bandshe’s drummed for. He’s played

bars, dance halls, weddings, you nameit. He thinks his drums have been partof marrying off maybe 300 peoplethrough the years.

Shows what can come of TinkerToys. He got a set when he was small,proceeded to pull everything out of thecontainer, turn it upside down, andbegin beating time to the radio withthe two longest sticks. He playsthousands of songs, tends not toremember them by title but by howthey go and, having learned the drumsby ear, doesn’t read music.

About five years ago, he tore down asummer kitchen next to the oldfarmhouse where he lives in ruralDelphos, OH and put up a storagebuilding. It turned into a place wherethe VanMetres entertain in thesummer and Bruce can escape theblues at Delphos Recreation Center,which he owns.

“I go out there and go into my ownlittle world to recoup,” he says. Heputs in a CD according to his moodand starts playing along, whateversong comes up.

“I have a jam session with myself.That day, whoever you want to be, youcan just be the drummer in their band,and get away from everything.” ❖

I

13

14 IBI January 2011

ddie Elias created a sport. That’s anaccomplishment that puts him among the greatsof sport. Before Eddie Elias, there was no such

thing as professional bowling. Not only did Eddie create a sport that was not there

before, he created a sport that got the deepest respect.During the Elias years, I wrote for Sporting News.Every writer I met through the News had the highestrespect for bowling.

He was the type of guy that lit up a room withouteven trying. He was a formidable physical specimen –well over 6’ 2” and about 225 pounds. Always nattilydressed. Very friendly.

He went to Western Reserve Law School, graduatingin 1955, but while he never had a law practice, he didgo into court once for a famous golfer, “TerribleTemper” Tommy Bolt. For smashing golf clubs andother temperamental outbursts on the links, Bolt wassuspended from golf. Eddie took up the case, defendedhim, and got him off suspension.

At the time he came into the bowling area, Eddiewas already the well-known TV and radio host of aneponymous talk show in the Cleveland area. He startedthe program when he was in college and had hostedit for about 10 years by the time it left the air and Eddiehad gone on to other pursuits.

One of his interviews on the show was Dick Hoover,a great bowler who won the All Star Championshipwhen he was only 21 years old. When Hooverproceeded to win the ABC Masters in back-to-backyears, 1956 and 1957, he appeared on Eddie’s show.Hoover was based in Akron, OH, from where Eddie’sshow emanated.

Hoover – not Don Carter, as many believe – wasEddie’s initial impetus to get into bowling. During theinterview Eddie asked, “How is your organizationdoing?” and Hoover looked at him and said, ”Whatorganization?” Eddie’s mind was always churning. Hewas always two steps ahead of the conversation. He

PIONEERS

E

The Buck Starts HereThe big deals and big lifeof PBA founder Eddie Elias.

The bowling center at U of Akron’s student center was renamed in honor of Eddie in 2005.Cover of the donation solicitation shows him during the run of The Eddie Elias Show.

Photos courtesy of Chuck Pezzano and the Professional Bowlers Association.

Chuck Pezzano with Fred Groh

16 IBI January 2011

began thinking about an organization for bowling.He didn’t jump in immediately because he was busy. He

had gotten to know entertainer Danny Thomas from attendingfunctions where Thomas was present and because both ofthem were Lebanese. He grew close to Danny’s daughter andlater TV star Marlo Thomas and became something of anoccasional agent for both of them.

Meanwhile, Eddie was also promoting racetracks and golftournaments, often by way of his TV show. He wasn’t a big shotthen, but the show was valuable exposure for those whoappeared on it.

His network of contacts grew, partly because he was verygood with people. He made it a point to treat everybody verynicely. He didn’t fawn over anyone, but treated everyone – thesecretary or the president – the same.

That was how he met Peggy Emerson, who had been a MissOhio. Peggy was a busy model in New York, with hundreds ofappearances as the model for Jean Naté cosmetics and otherproducts. She had also been the lead singer for Fred Waring andthe Pennsylvanians. She had moved much further ahead in hercareer by then than Eddie was in his. She gave it up when sheand Eddie began dating steadily.

Behind the scenes, Peggy was a great force for Eddie. He wasthe kind of guy who would call her with the news that in a half-hour he would be having 10 people over and she would haveto prepare for them. She didn’t let him down.

Once Eddie got into something he didn’t mess around. Hewanted to meet the bowlers first, and the officials, and the writers.He talked privately to Don Carter and Dick Weber among othertop names, and then turned to the TV status of bowling.

Bowling had sporadic shows and some major sponsors, suchas White Owl Cigars. It had homes on three channels in the NewYork area, not that the shows paid much money. The winnerwould get $200 to $300 and the loser would get $100. But thewinner was able to come back and keep trying to go on, so therewas always a lot of action for better bowlers in the area. Bowlingwasn’t completely invisible on TV.

Eddie also learned about an organization of some of thenotable East Coast bowlers of the day, among them FrankEsposito, Junie McMann, Lou Campi, myself and a dozen or soothers. We felt that bowlers were giving themselves away.People would call up for exhibitions and the like, and wewanted to set up guidelines for what we would be paid. Whensomeone called to do a charity exhibition and it was difficult tosay no, we would spend money getting there, spend moneythere, and money coming back. We wanted a betterarrangement. This kind of thinking fell right into Eddie’s plan forthe PBA because the idea behind our organization was thatbowlers should be treated like pros.

Everybody thinks that Eddie was the guy that discovered thatthere was a possibility for pro bowling. I don’t want to call thatWith early ’60s PBA stars and Harry Golden, PBA tournament director.

Among dozens of other entertainment and sports celebs Eddie snaggedfor the show were Dinah Shore, Steve Nagy and Florence Chadwick.

PIONEERS

19IBI January 2011

PIONEERS

a falsehood, just ignorance of history. Even from the early years ofany sport, you have to recognize that it has a possibility of becominga professional sport, and Eddie was one of the first to recognize itin bowling.

The Masters in 1958 was the big meeting. That’s where Eddiemade one of the best pitches that I ever heard.

Seventy or 80 people were at that meeting. It is always said that33 of them became “organizing members” of the PBA. Eddie’s offerwas that first 33 that put up $50 were to be the organizing members.But after the meeting, we decided that instead of naming the first33 we would make the first 100 “charter members.” I think weactually wound up with 106. To my knowledge, there is no officiallist of the first 33.

Many of the early members of the PBA were from the EastCoast, however. That was because of the organization we had setup, (before the PBA was born at that meeting) for exhibition feesand other remuneration for our services.

When Eddie went into his pitch, it was very simple. He said, “I’mnot getting into this because I’m a nice guy. I can see the businessend of it. I can see where I can do pretty well, if I can do pretty wellfor you. By the same token, I can’t make you any great promises.I’m pretty sure I can come up with a national tour, starting verylimited. I will get you life insurance coverage and I’m pretty sure Ican get you on national TV.”

He didn’t say he was going to make big stars out of them.What he told them was what he felt he could do. And he knew hecould do that. But that was more than the bowlers had ever had.

Here was a guy coming out of nowhere, not guaranteeing too muchbut more than anyone had offered before. Basically, this was goingto be a business arrangement where he would be the executivedirector, although he called himself founder and legal counsel.

He explained the kind of set-up the PBA would have, with a boardthat would make the final decisions. Eddie gave the bowlers moresay than any organization ever had. He went by that, even if he didn’tapprove, and his board always trusted him in response. Eventually,we on the board gave him the title of commissioner – we thoughtthat sounded more impressive.

Sometimes the first thing that comes up in a situation like thisis “What’s in it for you?” That was one of the first things Eddie toldthem. He was going to make money. They couldn’t argue with that,and he didn’t come across as being greedy.

Eddie was always a good speaker. A guy who would listen. Healways listened and answered questions and before he would goon to the next question he would ask, “Are you satisfied with myanswer. Is there anything else?” He won over 75% of the peoplethere immediately.

If you are a people-watcher, you would notice that when Eddiewalked into a room he sized it up with a quick glance, the peoplehe knew, the people he didn’t know. If he didn’t see a person whowas supposed to be there, he’d check with someone he knew tomake sure that person was there. He was something of a detective

20 IBI January 2011

when he attended events.Early in the game, Eddie realized that Akron was not a

magnet city for PBA business. He took an office in New Yorkwithin walking distance of ABC-TV, and spent three days aweek there most of the year. TV was soaring and Eddie gotto know everybody at ABC. He could talk to Roone Arledge,not an easy man to get time with.

But he knew that the key to TV success is selling yourshow to the local affiliates. So Eddie made it a point to getto know all the people whose job it was to sell theseaffiliates. These were not big-time people, just regular

employees. It got to where he treated them so nicely that theyhelped him. And that helped the ratings.

On Eddie’s side that was a lot of work. He made sure he got toknow practically every top announcer at all the networks. We wenton in the summertime on NBC and we got $50,000 a show fromthe network, which was unheard of. We were on about five years.

With ABC we had a 13-week schedule from 1962 on, and wewere on 30 years. You could make this generalization: we got upto $196,000 rights money per show during the 1960s, and we werereaching 5-10 million viewers with every telecast.

Eddie was in the midst of it. He was always in the midst ofeverything. It was Eddie’s idea to brand an entire 13-week serieswith one sponsor’s name; that idea produced the FirestoneTournament of Champions show. In anything related to TV that couldaffect the PBA, Eddie was notified by the television people or hewas sitting with television people who got the word.

He was with the PBA, as Founder and Legal Counsel, until hedied in 1998. The ownership and top management at PBA for mostof the years since then has come from the world of largecorporations, very different from how Eddie started. It is not a badangle. But Eddie would have frowned on attempts to turn bowlersinto flamboyant celebrities. He would have done the things SteveMiller did, in a more conservative way.

He continued active outside of bowling. He became the agentfor about a dozen top golfers, including Chi Chi Rodriguez. Heoccasionally repped Danny and Marlo Thomas and became ChrisSchenkle’s and Don Carter’s agent.

He was a charitable man, the kind of guy that would go over toa bum in the street and throw them a five-dollar bill. But by the sametoken when it came to negotiating, he could be tough. He alwaysknew where he stood, how far he could go either way.

He put professional bowling on the highest level it has everachieved.

If I have anything to fault Eddie for, it is two things. He probablywent too far in giving power to the players. They sued the PBAand Eddie was almost in tears. He said, “They’re suing themselves.”

If a sponsor gave the PBA, say, $300,000, Eddie and his staffin Akron would sometimes sit down and say, “This tournamentdoesn’t need $300,000. Two hundred thousand would sufficeand let’s put $100,000 aside to strengthen the weakertournaments.” Which makes sense when you’re trying to build thewhole tour. But the players won the lawsuit and cost the PBA onemillion dollars.

My second thought is that Eddie didn’t develop a successor. Butthen, I can understand that. There was only one Eddie Elias. ❖

Chuck Pezzano has written between one and five bowling columnsa week for more than 50 years. Author of 13 books, 500 magazinearticles and more than 6,000 columns, he has been involved in morethan 1,000 national TV shows, was a PBA founder and won the firstintercollegiate match game tournament while a student at Rutgers.

About 1980 with Billy Hardwick at ABC Hall of Fame induction.

Peggy and Eddie with client and friend Chi Chi Rodriguez.

PIONEERS

22 IBI March 2011

COVER STORY

A Cinderella A Cinderella Bringing life, style and dramaback to VERO BOWL

StoryStoryCOVER STORY

ero Bowl is a Cinderella story. Therundown, neglected, diamond-in-the-rough bowling center meetsPrince Charming and is magically

transformed.In reality, it took much more than magic

to transform the old Vero Bowl space intowhat it is today.

Michael Rechter, chiropractor turnedsuccessful real estate developer, bought theshopping center housing Vero Bowl andquickly found himself faced with a dilemma.

His real estate career began with thepurchase of the buildings that housed hischiropractic clinics. After reading a book byRay Croc, the founder of McDonald’s, hedecided to model himself after Croc’s success.Rechter said that when you buy a share ofMcDonald’s corporate stock, you’re essentiallybuying fifty percent burgers and fifty percentreal estate.

His initial foray into the real estate marketproved so successful, that he expanded intobuying other income properties. He wentfrom a duplex to a fourplex to an eightplexand a mobile home park. In 2005, hepurchased the Indian River Plaza shoppingcenter in Vero Beach for $6 million. Thecenter was in disrepair and in foreclosure.

Rechter said, “The hurricanes had nailed it.It was in foreclosure before foreclosure becamea big thing. It was a $6 million shoppingcenter, which sounds expensive, but it wascheap for $6 million.”

He immediately put his passion to work,renovated the property and handled theleasing process. Very quickly, the center wentfrom 70% vacancy to 90% occupancy.

When the shopping center next doorbecame available, he jumped on theopportunity, purchasing it for just under $12million. Although it was in better shape thanits neighbor, there were other issues.

A theater located in the center had, atone time, been the only theater in Vero Beachuntil a new mall opened across town featuringa 24-plex, state of the art, AMC theater. Thecustomers gravitated to the new mall, and the

By Robin Breuner

V

23IBI March 2011

24 IBI March 2011

old theater declined to the point where it was onlysurviving by showing dollar movies.

Rechter approached Cinemaworld owner, RickStarr, who proposed the concept of transforming thespace into the Majestic Theater, a 1940s – 1950s eraconcept designed to attract the older demographicof Vero Beach.

According to Rechter, they blended the best of theold look with the best of the new technology. He saidthat the theater was so successful that they changedthe name of the center to Majestic Plaza and as aresult, they became an attraction in the area again.

That’s when he set his sights on the bowling center.“Unfortunately, I had this tenant in there, a bowling

space called Vero Bowl. On a grade scale, it washorrible. I mean it was an F. You couldn’t get anyworse than this space. People would say to me all the

time, ‘That theater is terrific, when are you going to dosomething about the bowling center? That place isterrible,’” Rechter said.

He approached the owner of the center who had nointerest in investing any money to upgrade it.

“I had no ambition to get into the bowling business,”Rechter said. “I tried to go to the owner of it to say,‘Can you please work with us to make the place better?’I wasn’t expecting the Taj Mahal, I just wanted to takeit from an F and perhaps make it into a C. Obviously,I was hoping for a B,” he said.

“When you just spent $12 million on one shoppingcenter and $20 million total, the last thing you want tohear is people going somewhere else because theycouldn’t stomach the bowling center,” he said.

He approached Starr again to help him renovatethe center. However after completing his due diligence

Starr concluded that the price tag was too high to justify the investment.Rechter was left with the difficult choice of trying to find another

investor or biting the bullet and doing it himself. He was well awareof the fact that banks are loathe to the idea of lending money to thosetypes of risky investments.

He said that even in today’s bad economy, investors can still go toa bank, put down 30% and get a 70% loan. According to him, the banksdon’t want to lend money on bowling centers because they can’tcollateralize it. They know how to lend on a piece of real estate. Ifsomeone doesn’t pay, the banks can foreclose, and then they are theowners of the property. With a bowling business, if someone defaultson a one or a two million dollar loan, it doesn’t want to have to takeback the pinsetters or the lanes.

He knew that he was going to have to go it alone.He flew around the Southeast to Houston, Atlanta and all over

Florida to as many bowling centers as possible to get a sense of whathe did and didn’t like.

“Essentially, there were two schools, there was the traditionalbowling alley, which is plastic chairs, crappy food, that’s the old thing,and frankly, I think that’s the reason that bowling went downhill for abit. They didn’t keep up with the times, “ he said.

He said that in the 70s and 80s when this kind of center was popular,there weren’t the same kind of options for entertainment that there arenow. Now, kids can just stay home and play video games. He said thatyou also have to be able to attract not just the kids but the parents whohave many entertainment options as well.

Rechter said, “What I ended up seeing was the old style, which Iknew I didn’t want to be, and the new style, Lucky Strike probably beingthe most popular of the new style, which is more of a bar with a littlebowling than it is a bowling experience, per se.”

He knew, however, that a town like Vero Beach could not sustain thisconcept. There are simply not enough people year round to justify it.According to Rechter, there are approximately 200,000 full timeresidents and about double that during the high season.

COVER STORY

Vero Bowl Co-Owner/Developer Mike Rechter with Vero Bowlgeneral contractors Mike Williams and Randy Trent of MHWilliams Construction

Vero Bowl Owner Mike Rechter hosting Indian River County/Vero Beach Chamberof Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Vero Bowl - October 2010.

28 IBI March 2011

COVER STORY

That’s when he decided to hire Doug Wilkerson of Dynamic Design,specialty designers of theme-based bowling centers. He was quicklyoverwhelmed when he discovered the cost of the plans.

“The cost to build a center is a fortune. I’ve opened many offices,I’ve bought many buildings, I can’t tell you how shocked I was by thecosts that were being thrown around to build a new center by the industrypeople. I believe that the bowling center that I built, not only is it a first-class place, I believe I built it for less dollars per square foot than anyother center of its type in the country,” said Rechter.

He was told that hewould need to spendsomewhere in theneighborhood of $4 millionto refurbish the center. Heis proud to say that he wasable to trim that budgetdown to approximately$2.5 million and still comeout with the integrity of thedesign intact.

He was able toaccomplish this by savingboth on equipment and ondesign finishes. He wasinvolved in every aspect ofthe project and knewwhere to trim costs andwhere to splurge. Forexample, Brunswick hadquoted him $1.4 million for

all new equipment. Instead of accepting this, Rechterfound a center that was closing and was able to buytheir lanes for $750,000. He then went on line andfound an incredible deal to buy some used pinsetters,which he had refurbished. He found other equipmentfrom various centers that were being demolished.

“Michael really committed to the feel of this place,”Wilkerson said. “He wanted to change the perception.He was committed to the design, and it turned outreally well. I have never seen a guy who was more‘hands on’ than him. There was not one item thatwasn’t bid out 3 or 4 times. If it was still high, he wouldmeet with other sources to see if they could make itwork. In the end, he got my design, but he was ableto create the same effect by figuring out how to doit for less,” he said.

“Bottom line is, I saved a million dollars, a halfmillion dollars of savings that I got from the bowlingequipment and scoring, and then I probably savedanother half million dollars plus on the finishes and stillkeep the design integrity intact. I tried to find thingsthat were true to what was designed by the designer– only cheaper,” Rechter said.

“Vero was a great project because we started witha center that was shut down. Pretty much the dumpof all dumps. It was moldy and nasty and really, reallyold and dilapidated. We basically reimaged thecenter. It turned out really well,” said Wilkerson.

What they ended up creating was a hybrid center.Rechter said that he looked around at what was

29IBI March 2011

working and knew what he wanted. Hedidn’t want the plastic seats but he didwant the leagues. He said that theproblem with the Lucky Strike conceptin a place like Vero Beach is that youdon’t have enough of a bar business ona daily basis.

They created a concept that is league-based during the day to specificallyaccommodate the senior bowlers, and inthe evening around the happy hourcrowd. Feel becomes more a hipcombination of bar and bowling scene.

Wilkerson said, “Right now, the hotdesigns are these hybrid bowling centersthat have a boutique element and stillhave a family entertainment element.”

“We are really kind of becoming all things to allpeople demographically,” said Rechter.

Wilkerson said that the whole bowling industryhas really been transformed over the last eight toten years with more boutique and upscaleentertainment complexes, and that Vero falls right intothat mode.

“The industry is actually moving a little bit right nowwhere the boutique style is really the hot commodity,what everyone wants to duplicate. Lucky Strike andthose type of projects started the fad, but lately theindustry is really not only still doing the boutique butalmost a theme park element is coming into theseentertainment complexes,” said Wilkerson.

Bowling, somewhere along the line, strayed offpath, where everyone else kept on a remodel schedule

COVER STORY

30 IBI March 2011

COVER STORY

and kept upgrading because they knew they didn’t want to lose themarket. He said that bowling got behind because they didn’t want toput money into the centers and now they’re trying to catch up to therest of the entertainment industry.

“In today’s society, it’s all about the ‘hip’ place to be. If you’ve got$500,000 to spend, upgrade some of your equipment, but you bettermake your place look like the place that would be the ‘in’ place to be,”added Wilkerson.

He said that what they did at Vero and what they encourageproprietors to do if they want to reinvent themselves in an oldcenter is to open up the bar and make it part of the overall experienceand environment.

He said that often the bars and lounges in old centers are just little

“holes in the walls”, hidden inthe corners, or if they’re nothidden in the corners, they’vegot one little door going intothem, and people don’t evenknow that they’re there. Just byopening up the bar, the revenueshould increase dramatically.

“The one item in Vero thatreally stands out to people is thebar and the lounge that is stillseparate but still part of theoverall environment. At Vero,that is the key element of thewhole design,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson said that Michael isunusual in that he wasn’t in thebowling industry before. He saidthat people that aren’t existing

proprietors are typically more open. They see moreof the feel of the facility as being just as important asthe equipment, so they put more emphasis and spendmore money on the feel.

He said that’s an important lesson that needs to belearned by most proprietors because it’s about morethan just the scoring and the equipment and thelanes. It’s about what people feel and see when theywalk in that creates the perception.

Rechter said that prior to eight months ago, hehadn’t been bowling in years. He was a once a yearbowler with his kids. He had no experience in bowling.He had no experience in restaurants. He had noexperience in bars. All of a sudden, he became anowner of all three.

“If you basically took two people and put them intoa bowling center, one a 20-year veteran of bowling,and one, a good business person with no experience,I think the business person with no experience woulddo better at the end of a period of time. They willquestion things and look at things differently and runwith a fresh set of rules, ” said Rechter.

Wilkerson added, “Vero is what I’ve preached to allof my bowling friends. This is what you need to doto take the next step. Hopefully, this will encouragemore centers to upgrade.” ❖

Robin Breuner is a freelance writer who lives on Mt.Tamalpais in Marin County, California with herhusband, two kids and two dogs.

32 IBI March 2011

uring my first seven yearswith AMF in England,my international travelexperiences had been

limited to attending grandopenings of bowling centers,bowling in tournaments, andconducting instructor and balldrilling seminars in a handful ofEuropean and Scandinaviandestinations.

In late November 1967 that wasabout to change when I wassummoned upstairs to Bob Conor’scorner office at AMF’s International

MEMORY LANE

DBy Paul Lane

33IBI March 2011

MEMORY LANE

Headquarters in London. Conor was the president of AMF’s InternationalBowling Division.

Bob’s secretary ushered me into his office where he introduced me to aChinese gentleman, Mr. K.C. Wai, the chairman of the bowling division of theSouth China Athletic Association (SCAA) in Hong Kong. That meant nothingto me at the time.

Bob’s driver was downstairs waiting to take us to a bowling center andBob asked if I was free for dinner afterward. Off we went to a recently openedcenter outside London, a private, members-only club where we ended upbowling a couple of games. I gave Mr. Wai a few tips, much to his pleasure.But at the time I had no idea what his experience would lead to.

When we finished bowling we traveled back toLondon and went to dinner at the landmark Scott’sSeafood and Fish Restaurant in London’s fashionableMayfair district. By the time dinner was over, Mr. Wai hadoffered me an all-expenses-paid trip to Hong Kong toconduct bowling clinics for SCAA members and to runinstructor, ball measuring and drilling, and promotionseminars for the staff.

Fast-forward three months — to February 1968 —and there I was, sitting in the first-class lounge at theBOAC terminal at London’s Heathrow Airport, ready toembark on the first of my many trips to Southeast Asia.

In those days, it was a long flight in a Boeing 707,requiring frequent refueling stops in places like Rome,Bombay and Bangkok. It was also years before laptop and iPod, in-flightmovie and audio channel entertainment, so a good book and (hopefully) goodconversation with a fellow passenger were almost mandatory. I lucked outon both counts.

Twenty-three hours after takeoff from London, we were approaching ourtouchdown at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak International Airport.

Looking down, you could not see land — nothing but water on both sidesof the plane because the runway jutted into the harbor. Overshoot andeverybody would be rowing to customs. Then an abrupt drop, the flight pathtilting down sharply between mountains and skyscrapers. It was night andspectacular – gliding past apartment windows in high-rise buildings wherewe could see people watching TV, having dinner, or putting washing out ontheir balconies on bamboo poles.

I cleared immigration in minutes and thenlined up to go through customs. When it was myturn I lifted my suitcase and bowling ball bagonto the counter ready for inspection. “What’s inhere, sir?” asked a very polite customs officer. “Abowling ball,” I replied. “And why are youbringing a bowling ball to Hong Kong?” he asked.A minute after explaining why I was in HongKong I was on the other side of the countergiving the first lesson of my trip to a group ofcustoms men while other passengers testily had

to wait to be checked. In the arrivals hall I was

met by a representativefrom AMF and whiskedaway to my hotel wherethe idea of a real bedseemed heavenly. But as Ichecked in I was met by atailor who was there tomeasure me for a blazer towear at a press conferencethe next day. He returnedthe following morning for afitting while I was having

breakfast and delivered the blazer (with an SCAAbadge on the pocket) that evening. All thatremains of the blazer is the pocket and badge.

Finally, alone in my room, I unpacked and wentdown to the lobby to exchange some travelerschecks for local currency. Standing at the desk andasking for me was Jerry Pulle, a writer for TheChina Mail, who had found out where I was stayingand wanted to get a jump on the press conferencescheduled for the next day. I was not comfortablewith this, but did not want to alienate him either,so I let him take a photo of me changing mymoney and conducted a very brief interview.

MR WAI HAD

OFFERED ME AN

ALL-EXPENSES-PAID

TRIP TO HONG

KONG TO CONDUCT

BOWLING CLINICS ...

MEMORY LANE

By now I was tired but also wound up and,since it was still only about 8:30 in the evening, Idecided to find the South China AthleticAssociation’s bowling center, which I discoveredwas within walking distance of my hotel onCaroline Hill Road. Off I went. I was in for a shock.

��I had not prepared for the scale of the facility,

having thought it to be only a bowling center. Idid not know that SCAA provided more than 20sports for its members, from track and field toswimming and soccer (including a first-divisionsoccer team) and that their membership wasover 125,000.

I entered through a huge lobby and flight ofstairs leading up to the center. Mounted at the topof the stairs was a large framed photo of mygood friend Dick Weber bowling in front of thelargest gallery I’ve ever seen. I knew Dick hadbeen there to give an exhibition several monthsbefore (after going to Vietnam on a goodwilltour) but I had a sinking feeling about theexpectations of the locals when I looked at thescore sheet below the photo and saw he hadaveraged over 250 for a three-game exhibition.I should not have been intimidated since I wasthere to teach, not give exhibitions, but I feltintimidated nonetheless.

I was also not expecting to find the 40-lanecenter so busy. All the lanes were full and so toowas the large concourse. It was a sea of people.There was a five-person-team handicap league

on the first 24 lanes, which I stood and watched for a while. Everyone was in a team shirt with the team name and the league sponsor’s

name embroidered on the back. The sponsor’s moniker was also imprintedon the acetates for the overhead score projectors (this predated automaticscoring by more than a dozen years). I was impressed, but later horrified,to learn that the sponsor (a cigarette manufacturer) not only underwrote theshirts and prizes and put a carton of cigarettes on the score tables for eachteam every week, they also paid the bowling fees.

This league was far from being a premier scratch league, being made upof average bowlers typical of any handicap league you’d find anywhere inthe USA, and they were bowling for free. My argument with the managementa few days later was that they were developing league bowlers who thoughtbowling was great when it was for free, but how would they react when thetime came when they would have to pay for their bowling? Sadly, at the timeI don’t think they understood my concern. They liked the idea of having thelanes full and a corporate sponsor giving them a check each week.

Moving farther along the concourse I found there was a live TV show inprogress. I was spotted on the concourse and called in front of the camerasto give an impromptu interview, the first of several that week. The show wasthe finals of a bowler-of-the month contest, a round robin between 12bowlers who had qualified over the previous four weeks. Here I saw for thefirst time how good Hong Kong’s more elite bowlers were. They all had formlike you would see in an instruction manual. Whether this was from coachingor emulation I had no idea but they all looked good. At last, however, I wastoo tired to stay up any more and I went back to my hotel for a long sleep.

��The next morning I was picked up and taken to the center to meet with

K.C. Wai and his management team, including Paul Pau, the generalmanager of the club, and Mr. Edmund Poon, the deputy manager. I laterlearned that Pau was quite a celebrity, having been a star goalkeeper withSCAA’s first-division soccer team and a player for Hong Kong in the Olympics.

Most of my mornings for the next 10 days were taken up with classes forthe staff at the South China bowlingcenter, all of whom were eager to learnand took the classes very seriously. Indifferent groupings we coveredeverything from basic to advancedinstruction to promoting and runninglearn-to-bowl classes, reception skills(meeting and dealing with the public,telephone skills, and the like), ballmeasuring and drilling techniques,advertising and promotion, leagueformation and management, and makingoutside sales calls.

Most of the afternoons were spentgiving instruction to members indifferent categories – beginner,intermediate and advanced, men,women, and seniors, among others. Theattendees had all signed up for the

34 IBI March 2011

36 IBI March 2011

presented me with a fine Omega Seamaster watch. I wear it still, 43 years later.I was also impressed with the level of interest and volume of coverage

in the local English- and Chinese-language daily papers. The South ChinaAthletic Club’s PR department obviously had a good relationship with thelocal media and had done an excellent job promoting my visit.

��Despite the busy schedule K.C. Wai made sure I had many opportunities to

enjoy Hong Kong, with visits to tailors to get suits and shirts made in 24 hours,and splendid meals at the world-famous Tai Pak Floating Restaurant in AberdeenHarbour and at the elite Hong Kong Country Club by Deepwater Bay.

That was besides sightseeing. I saw the city spread out far below fromVictoria Peak, which still today is reached by a very steep tramway ride ofabout 15 minutes. And I felt almost surreal among the artifacts andarchitecture of the Tiger Balm Gardens, built in 1935 by the manufacturerof Tiger Balm, a popular restorative that is still on the market.

At my request we also visited an orphanage I’d seen at the bottom ofCaroline Hill Road on my way to the bowling center each day. It housedorphaned Chinese children anywhere from day-old babies to boys and girlsin the mid-teens. The priest who ran the facility showed me around and Iwas horrified at what I saw, dozens of children with little hope of a meaningfulfuture once they left the orphanage.

“What happens to them when they leave?” I asked. “The boys willprobably end up working in road gangs or on construction sites,” he said.“The girls, if they were lucky enough not to be attractive, will probably endup as maids or in a Hong Kong sweatshop at a sewing machine,” he added.“The unlucky ones, the attractive girls, will most likely graduate to a red-lightdistrict — at least until their looks begin to fade.”

In the middle of the week I was invited to be the guest speaker at a lunchwith a local chapter of the Lions Club International. Knowing this was anaffluent group of businessmen, I put them on the spot to sponsor monthlyvisits for groups of youngsters from the orphanage for a bowling activity atthe South China bowling center. They agreed!

The trip ended with a farewell dinner with the key executives andmanagement of SCAA plus John Garfield, the Hong Kong-based managingdirector of AMF’s Southeast Asian operation, and several members of theHong Kong media, including Robert Leung of TVB Jade’s network. Therewere speeches and presentations – including diplomas and bonuses for theemployees that had attended the classes – and the gift of a magnificent hand-carved ivory ornament for yours truly to take home as a memento.

I returned to Hong Kong more than a dozen times in the next 15 years,staging AMF’s Bowling World Cup there in 1971, and it was always a thrillto be reunited with the many friends I now had there. But nothing comparedto the excitement of the first visit in 1968 that started in Bob Conor’s officein London and a bowling lesson for Mr. K.C. Wai. Thank you, Bob, and thankyou, Mr. Wai. ❖

Paul Lane is former Director of Marketing and Marketing Services for AMF Bowling,Inc. He has been the director of 18 AMF World Cups, an officer in national andinternational trade associations, and a pro bowler during a career that spansmore than 60 countries and 50 years.

lessons before I arrived, and all were charged afee according to the type or level of lesson theywere attending.

The lessons were sold out and at every one, agallery of bowlers behind the lanes observedand tried to absorb some of what I was impartingto the paying participants. We ended each classwith a question-and-answer period of 10-15minutes when we allowed the people in thegallery to ask questions too. I’d worked withgroups like this all over Europe in the past, but hadnever met with the enthusiasm and attentionpaid by my new Chinese friends. They hung onevery word and were not afraid to adapt to newconcepts. They were hungry to learn and improve.

A highlight of the program for me was thesheer volume of prime-time television coverageon TVB Jade’s network over the 10 days. Inaddition to the three scheduled demonstrationsand interviews, camera crews showed up severalmore times to film the classes we ran and tointerview many of the participants. Robert Leung,the executive producer for Jade’s sportsprogramming, became personally involved andshowed up at the center virtually daily to watch theactivity. At the close of the last show Leung

MEMORY LANE

37IBI March 2011

SHOWCASE

SOCKSBerry Cutler Hosiery is theleading sock distributor forbowling centers across thecountry. They offer a wide range of bowling socks as well asthe ability to create your own logo. With over 800 centersand 25 years of experience they can help create the idealsituation for every bowling center. For questions or to placean order contact Perry Trafman at [email protected] or708-410-2500.

CUSTOM PROMO ITEMSSierra Products has specialized inpromotional products for the bowlingindustry for over 15 years. They canpersonalize most of their products toshowcase your bowling center, league,tournament, or birthday party package!Don’t have a logo? They can make one for you free of charge!Check them out on the web at www.noveltybowlingstuff.com,call toll free 1-800-900-7695 or email:[email protected] for more information.

CLEANERSolve-It Orange All Purpose Cleaner is FelixErickson Company’s newest maintenance product.It is a citrus based foam aerosol cleaner that clingsto surfaces to increase cleaning effectiveness,dissolves away grease and surface grime and has alight pleasing citrus scent that doesn’t annoy yourcustomers. Get twelve 18 ounce cans per case fora suggested retail price of $69.95. For more information, call800-445-1090 or visit www.festrikezone.com.

COACHING SOFTWAREEbonite introduces BowlersMAP™3.0, that brings enhanced capabilitiesto the most successful and mostpopular coaching software ever developed. The new softwareincludes the ability to work with all recent versions ofWindows software, including Windows 7. Quickly find thepeak angle of the backswing, spine tilt angle and swing shaperatio of the bowler. You can send lessons, drills and videosdirectly to your bowler’s email address or upload them to theinternet. Contact Brenda Green at 270-881-1200.

MOBILE MARKETINGeBowl.biz is introducing Mobile Marketingfor bowling. This new service will delivertext messages to a list that they help youbuild, along with tracking reports. With aread rate of over 90%, text messaging canbe a powerful tool in your marketingarsenal. Pricing starts at under $100 amonth. For more details go to www.BowlingWebDoctor.comor call Carey Tosello at 877-326-9599. eBowl.biz providesinternet marketing services to bowling centers in more than30 states.

EMAIL CLUBRegister to receiveQubicaAMF’s monthlySupply Line E-newsletter and you could be the winner of a $100Visa gift card! Log ontohttp://www.TheEmailClub.com/QubicaAMF and registertoday for your chance to win. One lucky person that regis-ters between March 1 and March 31, 2011 will be selectedto win! Visit website for full rules and details.

SCORING UPGRADERevolutionize your customers’bowling experience and upgradeyour Vector, Frameworx®, AS-80or AS-90 scoring systems to thelatest LCD flat panel overheadmonitors. Impress your customerswith a more clear and precisepicture quality, and rest assured that the commercial-gradeelectronics will last for years - even if operated 24 hours / 7days a week. For more information, contact your Brunswickrepresentative, call 1-800-YES-BOWL or 1-231-725-4966.

NEW CONSTRUCTION &MODERIZATION Brian Estes, owner of Capital BowlingService is no rookie when it comes tobuilding a “state of the art” bowling center. With 32 years ofon the job experience, Brian has the knowledge to get thejob done right. When it comes to new center construction,modernization (scoring, lanes, etc.), mini bowling lanes, orhome installs…Capital Bowling Service is one of the topbuilders in the industry. For more information visitwww.capitalbowlingservice.com.

38 IBI March 2011

SHOWCASE

LOCKER LOCKSCelebrating 25 years working in thebowling industry, Orange CountySecurity Company is a lock and keybusiness that makes keys for all types oflockers. They also repair locks, sell newlocker locks as well as combination locks. There are masterkeys available for the combination locks and the regularlocker locks. One week turn around on most orders. It’s easy,just send them your locker codes and they make the keys! Youcan call them at 800-700-4539 or e-mail [email protected].

DJ LIGHTSFarralane introduces theFlash Panel 16, an afford-able LED panel that can be controlled via DMX or via theoptional CF card controller. Multiple panels can be linkedtogether to make one large screen. Dynamic effects canthen be played on it, which makes this system ideal forbars, dance areas and glow bowling. For more informationon this and all your lighting needs call 800-433-7057 or visitwww. farralane.com.

KARAOKE CONTESTThe Lighting Store presents theSeventh Annual International BowlingKaraoke Superstar Contest takingplace at bowling centers across thecountry. This contest is a great reasonto invite customers to your bar area.Visit www.soundandlightkaraoke.com for a complete list ofparticipating centers. The semi-finals and final rounds will takeplace at Bowl Expo in Texas. First prize is $5,000! Call 888-746-5483 for more information.

10 SMART SEATSThe Bowl America chain recently decidedto upgrade its seating at their Burke, VAcenter. They selected the patented SmartSeat covers from GKM. OperationsManager Don Armel stated, “Smart Seatsare attractive, durable and cost effective.And since they slip on over our existing seats, installation isfast and there is no need to change the seat pedestal or floortile as with other manufacturer’s seats.” For more informationon Smart Seats call 310-791-7092 or visit www.gkmintl.com.

39IBI March 2011

DATEBOOK

26-28Foundations EntertainmentUniversityDallas, TXwww.FoundationsUniversity.com.Frank Seninsky, 732-254-3773,[email protected]

MAY2-6GS Series Pinsetter TrainingBrunswick Training CenterMuskegon, MIEmail: [email protected]

9-13Vector Scorer MaintenanceTrainingBrunswick Training CenterMuskegon, MIEmail: [email protected]

16Illinois State BPA Board ofDirectors MeetingMarriott Hotel & ConferenceCenter, Normal.Bill Duff, 847-982-1305,[email protected]

23-25BCA of Ohio State Convention &Trade ShowCrowne Plaza, Dublin, OHPat Marazzi, 937-433-8363

JUNE6-8Kansas State BPA AnnualMeetingCourtyard by Marriott, JunctionCity, includes table top exhibits &KSBPA Hall of Fame inductions.Mary Thurber 913-638-1817

13-17GS Series Pinsetter TrainingBrunswick Training CenterMuskegon, MIEmail: [email protected]


26-7/1Bowl ExpoGaylord Texan Resort &Convention Center, Grapevine,TX. 888-649-5685

JULY11-12Iowa BPA Summer AnnualMeeting and Trade ShowEconolodge, Newton, IAJenny Duede, 515-255-0808,www.iowabpa.com

13-15Intl Billiard & Home RecreationExpoSands Expo & Convention Ctr.Las Vegaswww.bcaexpo.com


MARCH8-101st International BowlingExhibition Kuwait 2011Mavenpick Convention Center,Salmiya.www.BestExpo-kw.com


16-19ENADA-Intl. Amusement &Gaming ShowRimino Expo centerRimini, Italyhttp://en.enadaprimavera.it/


23-24BCA of OhioSeminars & MeetingEmbassy Suites, Columbus, OHPat Marazzi, 937-433-8363

APRIL11-15Bowling UniversityManagement Training ProgramEnroll: BowlingUniversity.netKelly Bednar, 800-343-1329Ext 8462. Email:[email protected]

IBI

40 IBI March 2010

CLASSIFIEDS

OCTOBER2–4

West Coast Bowling CentersConventionSilver Legacy Hotel, Reno, NVSandi Thompson, [email protected]

4-5Kansas State BPA a AnnualMeetingPittsbury, KSMary Thurber 913-638-1817

10-12East Coast Bowling CentersConventionTrump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJLee Ann Norton, [email protected]


26Bowling Centers of Southern CAAnnual MeetingLocation TBDScott Frager, [email protected]

NOVEMBER9-10BCA of Ohio Seminars & MeetingEmbassy Suites, Columbus, OHPat Marazzi, 937-433-8363

21Montana BPA Annual Board andMembership MeetingFairmont Hot Springs, MT Tom [email protected]

23-24Oregon Bowling SummitLincoln City, ORChristy Herman 877-567-6374

24Illinois State BPA Board ofDirectors Meeting with BowlingCenters Association of MichiganConvention and Trade ShowSoaring Eagle Casino & Resort,Mt. Pleasant, MIBill Duff, 847-982-1305,[email protected]


SEPTEMBER16-18Wyoming Bowling CouncilJamboreeHilton Garden Inn, Laramie WYCharlene Abbott [email protected]

22BCA of Ohio Executive BoardMeetingEmbassy suites, Columbus, OHPat Marazzi, 937-433-8363

DATEBOOK

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

USED BRUNSWICK PARTS, A2 parts andassemblies. Large Inventory.www.usedpinsetterparts.com.

NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment.Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

Pinsetter Parts New from ALL majormanufacturers. HUGE IN STOCK inventory.USED Brunswick Scoring parts, AS90cameras, processors, lane cables,monitors, and PC boards. Order online @888SBIBOWL.com or (888) 724-2695.The Mechanics Choice!

REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details(248) 375-2751.

For Sale: used pin decks. Buy one, get oneFREE. 27” monitors for AccuScore Plus & XLScoring. Also XL Scoring package. (641) 414-1542.

FOR SALE: Entire contents 8-lane centercurrently in operation & closing mid-May2011. AMF 82-70 pinsetters. Twelve Strikescoirng, wood lanes w/ Lane shield,refrigertion equipment, pro shop equipment, 90 lockers. Will furnish complete list uponrequest. Steve (702) 293-2368 [email protected].

EQUIPMENT WANTED

LANE MACHINES WANTED. We willpurchase your KEGEL-built machine, anyage or condition. Phone (608) 764-1464.

WWW.FACEBOOKBOWLING.COM

IBI

IBI

IBI Official magazine of the convention

41IBI March 2011

CLASSIFIEDS

CENTERS FOR SALE

16-lane center in Southern Coloradomountains. Great condition. 18,000s/f building w/ restaurant & lounge.Paved parking 100 + vehicles.Established leagues & tournaments.$950,000 or make offer. Kipp (719) 852-0155.

CENTRAL WISCONSIN: 12 lanes, autoscoring, Anvilane synthetics, 82-70s. Greatfood sales. Yearly tournament. Attached,large 3 bedroom apartment w/ fireplace.$550K. (715) 223-8230.

NW KANSAS: 12-lane center, AS-80s,Lane Shield, snack bar, pro shop, game &pool rooms. See pics andinfo @ www.visitcolby.com or contactCharles (785) 443-3477.

SOUTHWEST KANSAS: well-maintained8-lane center, A-2s, full-service restaurant.Includes business and real estate. Nice,smaller community. Owner retiring.$212,000. Leave message (620) 397-5828.

CENTERS FOR SALE

SOUTHERN INDIANA (close toIndianapolis): 18-lane Brunswick centerwith lounge, liquor license & movietheater on 4+ acres. Turnkey business.Owner retiring. Great investment! (765) 349-1312.

ARIZONA, PAYSON: 16 LANES. Assumemortgage. Details @ http://rimcountrylanes.com/4sale.pdf. Bob (602) 377-6657.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: 16-lanecenter w/ synthetic lanes, 82-70s, 19,000s/f building w/ lots of parking. Newlyremodeled bar & large kitchen. Ownerretiring. (530) 598-2133.

NEW YORK STATE: Thousand Islandregion. 8-lane Brunswick center w/ cosmicbowling, auto scoring. Established leagues+ many improvements. $309,000. Call Jill@ Lori Gervera Real Estate (315) 771-9302.

EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA: 6-laneBrunswick center, bar & grill, drive-thruliquor store in small college town. Also, 3apartment buildings with 40 units, goodrental history. Call (701) 330-7757 or (701)430-1490.

EQUIPMENT WANTED

30 used synthetic lanes & scoring. (616)796-4769.

CENTERS FOR SALE

UPSTATE NEW YORK: 8-lane center/commercial building built in 1992.Synthetic lanes, new automatic scoring,kitchen and room to expand! Reduced tosell @ $375,000. Call (315) 376-3611.


42 IBI March 2011

CLASSIFIEDS

BUY SELL

AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENTCOMPLETE PACKAGES

WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY

Danny & Daryl TuckerDanny & Daryl TuckerTucker Bowling Equipment Co. Bowling Parts, Inc.609 N.E. 3rd St. P.O. Box 801Tulia, Texas 79088 Tulia, Texas 79088Call (806) 995-4018 Call (806) 995-3635Fax (806) 995-4767 Email - [email protected]

www.bowlingpartsandequipment.com

CENTERS FOR SALE

NE MINNESOTA: Food, Liquor & Bowling.Established 8 lanes between Mpls & Duluthw/ large bar, dining room, banquet area. Twolarge State employment facilities nearby.High six figure gross. $1.2m. Call Bryan (218)380-8089. www.majesticpine.com.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: One ofthe top five places to move! Remodeled32-lane center. Good numbers. $3.1mgets it all. Fax qualified inquiries to (828)253-0362.

CENTRAL IDAHO: 8-lane center andrestaurant in central Idaho mountains.Small town. Only center within 60-mileradius. Brunswick A-2 machines;Anvilane lane beds; automatic scoring.(208) 879-4448.

SOUTHWESTERN WYOMING: 12 lanes+ café & lounge, 2 acres w/ 5 bedroomhome. Full liquor & fireworks licenses.Outside Salt Lake City area. Dennis @Uinta Realty, Inc. (888) 804-4805 [email protected].

GEORGIA: busy 32-lane center, realestate included. Great location in one offastest growing counties in metro Atlanta.5 years new with all the amenities.Excellent numbers. Call (770) 356-8751.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: 16-lane centerREDUCED to $799,000 for quick sale.Synthetics, 82-70s, 19,000 s/f + parking.Newly remodeled bar, large kitchen. Ownerretiring. Will consider selling only equipmentor building. www.siskiyoulanes.com. (530)598-2133.

NORTHWEST LOUISIANA: 12-LANEBrunswick center. REDUCED TO SELLNOW! Includes auto scoring, glow bowling,pizza, large dining area & video poker. Goodincome. Long Lease. Great opportunity. CallMike (318) 578-0772.

NW INDIANA (Lake Michigan/NationalLake Shore area): Well-maintained 32-lane center, family owned & operatedsince 1997 with spacious nightclub loungeon 6.6 acres. Also billiards, arcade, proshop, full-service restaurant, establishedleagues, birthday party activity & MORE!Owner retiring. Reasonably priced. (219)921-4999.


(818) 789-2695SELL YOUR CENTER

43IBI March 2011

CLASSIFIEDS

CENTERS FOR SALE

CENTRAL ALABAMA: Recently remodeled,split house w/24 synthetic lanes (16 & 8) in28,000 s/f building in shopping center;Brunswick A2s & 2000 seating; AccuScorePlus; VIA returns & storage tables; systemsfor Cosmic; established leagues; snack bar,pro shop & game/pool table area. Nearestcompetition 28 miles w/ colleges & Hondafactory within minutes. Need to sell due tohealth. Reasonably priced. (435) 705-0420.

NE NEVADA: New 2001. 16 lanes, 19,200square feet, 1.68 acres paved, sound &lighting, lounge w/ gaming, arcade, fullservice snack bar & pro shop. Call (775)934-1539.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS: PRICED TO SELL!!8-lane center with AMF 82-70s, full servicerestaurant, pro shop. Plus pool tables,Karaoke machine, DJ system. Includes RE.(217) 351-5152 or [email protected].

ForFLORIDA CENTERS

CallDAVID DRISCOLL& ASSOCIATES

1-800-444-BOWLP.O. Box 189

Howey-in-the-Hills, FL 34737AN AFFILIATE OF

SANDY HANSELL & ASSOCIATES

Orange County Security Consultants

•Keys & ComboLocks for allTypes ofLockers.

•One weekturnaroundon mostorders.

•New locks -All types•Used locks1/2 priceof new

All keysdone bycode #.

No keysnecessary.

LOCKERKEYS FAST!

CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-700-4KEYINTʼL 530-432-1027

The leading source for real estate loans with low down payments

Ken Paton(503) 645-5630

[email protected]

I could not have gottenI could not have gottenmy loan without him.my loan without him.

Bill HansonBill HansonAll Star LanesAll Star Lanes

Fort Myers, FloridaFort Myers, Florida

E-mail: [email protected] YOUR ORDER TO US AT:

530-432-2933"Bowling Center Construction Specialists"

�New Center Construction �Family Entertainment Centers�Residential Bowling Lanes�Modernization�Mini Bowling Lanes�Automatic Scoring

Toll Free: (866) 961-7633Office: (734) 469-4293

Email: [email protected]

CONTACT BRIAN ESTES


44 IBI March 2011

CLASSIFIEDS

AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC boardrepair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fastturnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service

5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695)

Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon)E-mail: [email protected]

Visit us on the WEB!http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/

(818) 789-2695

Sell YourCenteror Eqpt.Fast!Fast!

CENTERS FOR SALE

MISSOURI, St. Louis area: Two centersfor Sale or Lease in great bowling areas.1) 16-lane Brunswick recently remodeled.2) 24-lane Brunswick/Qubica Scoring, state-of-the-art with all the whistles and bells.MUST SEE! Contact Voss ManagementProperties (636) 458-9430 or [email protected].

MINNESOTA—Brainerd Lakes area:Successful 8-lane AMF center with pizza,restaurant & bar. 7,952 s/f. In middle ofNature’s Paradise! Contact Chris @ Close-Converse (218) 828-3334.

EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI: 24-lanecenter with property included in high trafficarea—well-maintained; solid business.Lease/purchase and/or owner financingavailable to qualified buyer. Email: [email protected].

TEXAS, SE of Houston: 40-lane center inmid-sized market. Updated scoring, lanes,seating, masking units in 2007 plusremodeled bar. New roof. Includes RE. Bankowned. Ken Paton (503) 645-5630.

POSITION WANTED

Wanted – job as a manager for a bowlingcenter. 30+ years experience in all phasesof running a center. Great references, reliableand trustworthy. Seeing is believing! Call Ed(515) 771-7606. Please leave a message.

SERVICES AVAILABLE

Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring BallRepair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com.

AMF 65-25 CHASSIS: Conversion, Repair,Replace & Exchange. Includes rewiring,requested repairs, conversion to MK 30 boardsystem and converting chassis to new PRsystem where applicable. TOTALSATISFACTION GUARANTEED. Referencesavailable. CHASSIS DOCTORS(330) 314-8951.

MANAGER WANTED

Citizen Potawatomi Nation & the NEWFirelake Bowling Center are seeking acustomer service related manager to run ourbrand new state of the art facility. Experiencea MUST. Complete applications atwww.firelakejobs.com. For more info pleasecontact HR Dept @ (405) 275-3121.

(818) 789-2695

SELL YOUR CENTEROR EQUIPMENT

FAST!

45IBI March 2011

CLASSIFIEDS

2021 Bridge StreetJessup, PA 18434570-489-8623www.minigolfinc.com

MINIATURE GOLF COURSESIndoor/Outdoor. ImmediateInstallation. $5,900.00 & up.

46 IBI March 2011

CLASSIFIEDS

Call(818) 789-2695

Fax(818) 789-2812

E-mailyour ad to:

[email protected]

3EASYWAYS

to place your

Classified Ad in

International

Bowling Industry

Magazine

Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940

on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: [email protected]

AS80/90 • BOARD REPAIR • FrameworxSERVICE CALLS WORLDWIDE • PRE-SHIPS • WE SELL

NEW KEYPADS • FRONT DESK LCD MONITORS

PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70S.S. & M.P. MACHINES

Save $$ on Chassis & P.C. BoardExchange & Repair!

A reasonable alternative forChassis and P.C. Board Exchanges

MIKE BARRETTCall for Price List

Tel: (714) 871-7843 • Fax: (714) 522-0576


47IBI March 2011

CLASSIFIEDS

Call(818) 789-2695

Fax(818) 789-2812

E-mailyour ad to:

[email protected]

3EASYWAYS

to place your

Classified Ad in

International

Bowling Industry

Magazine

48 IBI March 2011

REMEMBER WHEN

rchibald “Archie” Andrews knew aromantic venue when he saw it!

It was 1941 when our rumpled, comichero, ever 17, came upon the scene. He is still upto his tricks today and manages to get himself ina lot of good, old-fashioned trouble on the lanes.

A creation of Bob Montana, Archie and hisfriends could be heard on radio during the 40s,read about to this day in comic books publishedby Archie Comics Publications, and seen in alive-action, TV movie on NBC in 1990.

Anyone remember the two young ladies inhis life? His best friend? I bet someone caneven conjure the name of his Model T Fordif given a moment or two. And, who wasWaldo Weatherbee anyway? ❖

A1941

IBI March 2011

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