U. S. Woman's Open

In addition to competing for one of the most prestigious titles in women's bowling, the participants in the U.S. Women's Open, a United States Bowling Congress event, will have the opportunity to qualify for berths in the expanded Professional Bowlers Association Women's Series to be held in conjunction with the 2008-09 Denny's PBA Tour this fall.

The qualifying portion of the U.S. Women's Open, which will be conducted Aug. 1-Aug. 4 at the Brunswick Zone XL bowling center in Romeoville, Ill., will also serve as the PBA Women's Tour Trials.

The top 12 women who have paid the additional Tour Trials entry fee will earn exemptions for the PBA Women's Series and join last year's Women' Series winners Diandra Asbaty, Shannon Pluhowsky, Joy Esterson and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard to make up the 16-player field.

Those 16 women will then participate in seven PBA Women's Series events which will be held in conjunction with Denny's PBA Tour events throughout the 2008-09 season. The championship match of all PBA Women's Series events will be televised as part of the ESPN telecasts for the seven Denny's PBA Tour events in which women's events will run concurrently.

Tour Trials alternates will have a good chance at competing in one or more Women's Series because they will be needed to fill out fields for original qualifiers who may not be able to compete in every Women's Series event.

In addition, the top 28 (plus Asbaty, Pluhowsky, Esterson and Dorin-Ballard) from the Tour Trials will get to compete in the PBA Mixed Doubles next January in Reno which will pay out $50,000 to the winning doubles team.

Those players competing in the Women's Series will be required to become PBA members but will only have to join PBA once they qualify. The entry fee for the U.S. Women's Open is $250 with an additional $750 entry fee (to be paid on site) for those who choose to enter the Tour Trials. Entry information may be obtained by calling (800) 514-2695, ext. 3173 or by e-mailing uswomensopen@bowl.com.

The U.S. Women's Open starts with an official practice session on Thursday, July 31, followed by four days of qualifying, each day taking place on a different PBA Experience oil pattern. The participants will bowl eight games a day, with the top 16 after the 32 total games advancing to bracket match play.

The final 16 will break into four brackets, with the preliminary rounds and championship being taped Aug. 5 and 6 for later airing on ESPN. From bowl.com

ESPY Bowler of the Year

Storm Products staff member Norm Duke won the Bowler of the Year Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) Award at the 2008 ESPYS presented in Los Angeles which aired on ESPN Sunday, July 20.

Also, Duke has signed a two-year contract extension with the Brigham City, Utah-based manufacturer of high-performance bowling balls. Reportedly, Duke expressed wanting to be a "lifer" with the company.

The Link from 900 Global

New from 900Global, The Link is the perfect fit for those bowlers wanting their first taste of Reactive Power. Coverstock is “S30” finished at 600 Grit, then polished with 2000 Grit Polish. Flare Potential 3 inches. By the numbers for a 15 pound ball: RG – 2.610 And RG Differential -.030.

New Ogre in Town

Visionary Bowling Products begins shipping a New Ogre July 21st, wrapped in “Ionic Particle” coverstock (remember it from the Granite Gargoyle). The Ogre cover is reactive resin based with soft particles, then finished with 1000 grit Abralon pads. The Ogre core has a RG of 2.58 and RG Diff. of .031. Check out the website http://www.visionarybowling.com/.

Lane #1's New Ball

BuzzBomb/R is a battleship gray "Bleeder" pearl reactive cover wrapped around the patented "Doomsday Bomb" core featuring flare potential of 6+ inches and an RG Differential of .052 and RG of 2.478. The Lane #1 BuzzBomb/R is finished at 1000 grit and polished.

For more info: 1-800-Lane No. 1.

IBPSIA Hands - On - Training

IBPSIA HANDS-ON- TRAINING (HOTS) PROGRAM is being offered by Classic Products with Mike Riggins, in Fort Wayne IN July 28 - August 1, 2008.

HOTS in York PA with John Jamison and Bowlers Supply, Inc. is being offered July 29 - August 1.

Also, across the pond, look for HOTS in the United Kingdom September 8-11th at a location near Heathrow Airport in London and in Made, Holland September 15- 18.

Additional European HOTS will be scheduled in 2008. For more info contact bill@ibpsia.com.

Getting A New Performance Ball

Getting a new ball involves some research. Matching up your skills, your ball speed and the condition you bowl on using a specific performance ball is the key to success and a very involved process.

The first step in the process is to ask yourself some questions. What are you looking for a new ball to do? Will it compliment the existing equipment you own or replace a piece that's not working as well as it used to?

A performance bowling ball currently is made using a polyurethane base for the coverstock (commonly called urethane). When particles of various materials (ceramic, glass, etc.) are added into the urethane, the result is a particle ball with varying amounts of particles (called loads). The size of a ball's particles determine how easily the protrusions penetrate the layer of conditioner on a lane. A ball's surface finished rougher (or with heavier loads) bites earlier/quicker. A smoother surface (with lighter loads and/or smaller particles) on a dull ball, or a particle pearl pushes down lane longer before the spikes of material push through the oil and contact the lane surface creating friction. Last in the particle category are the hybrid or combinations of materials like hybrid particle and reactive resin balls.

Particle balls have lost a little of their luster (not many still being made), as they usually demand lots of oil or plenty of ball speed.

I have had good luck with particle pearl balls which have smooth covers to manage the oily front part of a lane but also have small particles or light loads which allow the balls to transition differently than a pearl reactive ball.

Reactive resin balls contain materials that remain uncured when combined with and molded onto a bowling ball core. The urethane base material is porous and the uncured goop, trapped in the pores of the coverstock, can ooze to the surface. When the ball gains friction which heats the surface, the heat warms the goop, goop expands and it bleeds to the surface. The sticky goop is why reactive resin balls transition so violently. They get sticky (gaining tremendous friction) as well as the other characteristics (core influence, surface texture) encouraging a ball to change directions.

Urethane balls are the last category (like the Lane 1 Liberator, Buzzsaw THS or Brunswick Groove). With different (less) reaction than particle or reactive balls, urethane's offer the potential of surface, dynamics of core (or lack of) to provide (usually) milder more controllable ball reactions.

With details like your rev rate, axis tilt and rotation, ball speed and type of lane condition you bowl on, you could START evaluating what might work for you.

Your local International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) pro shop should be able to help with the details. Bowl Well!

Professional Bowlers Association 2009 Schedule

From Luby Publishing's e-Bowler Newsletter:
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) announced its 2008-09 Tour schedule, which includes 20 stops between October and April, with return visits to 14 venues from the 2007-08 season and venue changes for two of the four major events.

Headlining the changes to the schedule is the move of the Denny's World Championship to the beginning of the season. The 2008-09 campaign will kick off with the first of four majors at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kan. This marks the first time the Tour has visited Wichita since the 2004-05 season, and the first time Northrock will host a PBA major.

The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Masters -- which has been the opening event in three of the last four seasons -- will move dates and location as well. The event shifts from Milwaukee to Las Vegas, and now will take place in February at the Cashman Center. The Masters will be one of two majors held in Las Vegas, as the PBA Tournament of Champions returns to Red Rock Lanes.

New hosts on the Tour include Olympia Lanes in Hammond, Ind., which has hosted several PBA Senior Tour stops in previous years, and Brunswick Zone in Wheat Ridge, Colo., marking the first time the Tour has stopped in the Denver area since the 2005-06 season.

"We are very excited about some of the changes to the 2008-09 schedule, particularly moving the World Championship to the first week of the season, which will be a great way to kick off our 50th anniversary," said PBA Commissioner and CEO Fred Schreyer. "We are thankful for the many loyal hosts we return to this season, and look forward to working with our new partners as well."

Additionally, the 2008-09 PBA Tour will feature the return of the PBA Women's Series, presented by the USBC, with seven events -- an increase from the four events held last season. Events will be held in Omaha, Neb.; Taylor, Mich.; Vernon Hills, Ill.; Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Baltimore, Md.; Reno, Nev.; and Medford, Ore., and will once again run concurrently with PBA Tour events.

A special "Golden Anniversary Championship" also has been added, featuring 16 senior bowlers, aged 50 or older. The event will take place during the Hammond, Ind., PBA Tour stop and will utilize the same format as PBA Women's Series events, with 16 senior bowlers earning entry through a special PBA Tour
Qualifying Round. The final two seniors will bowl for the title during the live ESPN-televised championship round on Sunday, Nov. 9.

Here's the complete schedule, with additional title sponsor names to be added later:
Denny's World Championship, Oct. 19-26, Northrock Lanes, Wichita, KS

Thunder-Alley, Oct. 29-Nov. 2, Omaha, NE, (PBA Tour and Women's Series)

PBA Golden Anniversary Championship, Nov. 5-9, Olympia Lanes, Hammond, IN, (PBA Tour and Golden Anniversary Championship)

Taylor Lanes, Nov. 9-11, Taylor, MI, (Taped Telecast)

Taylor Lanes, Nov. 12-16, Taylor, MI, (PBA Tour and Women's Series)

Brunswick Zone Hawthorn, Nov. 26-30, Vernon Hills, IL, (PBA Tour and Women's Series)

AMF Thruway Lanes, Dec. 3-7, Cheektowaga, NY, (PBA Tour and Women's Series)

AMF Country Club Lanes, Dec. 10-14, Baltimore, MD, (PBA Tour and Women's Series)

PBA Mixed Doubles Championship, Jan. 4-6, National Bowling Stadium, Reno, NV (Taped Telecast, PBA Tour and Women's Series)

National Bowling Stadium, Jan. 7-11, Reno, NV

Lava Lanes, Jan. 14-18, Medford, OR, (PBA Tour and PBA Women's Series)

PBA Tournament of Champions, Jan. 19-25, Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, NV

Dick Weber Open, Feb. 3-8, Fountain Bowl, Fountain Valley, CA

USBC Masters, Feb. 8-15. Cashman Center, Las Vegas, NV

Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge, Feb. 18-22, Wheat Ridge, CO

Woodland Bowl, Feb. 23-March 1, Indianapolis, IN

Sequoia Pro Bowl, March 2-8, Columbus, OH

Norwich Bowling & Entertainment Center, March 18-22, Norwich, CT

AMF Babylon Lanes, March 25-29, West Babylon, NY,

66th U.S. Open, March 29-April 5, Brunswick Zone Carolier, North Brunswick, NJ

Orange County Chopper TV Show Creates a Bowling Chopper

The ORANGE COUNTY CHOPPER episode featuring the making and delivery of the Strike Ten bowling bike before and at Bowl Expo will air on Thursday, August 7th on the TLC Cable Network (check for your local channel) at 9 pm Eastern time. It will be a great show in which they visit a bowling center, pro shop, and Bowl Expo!

IBPSIA Annual Awards

The International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) presented its ANNUAL AWARDS during the June 24th breakfast in Prior to the BowlExpo Trade Show in Orlando, Florida. Receiving IBPSIA's top award, The Lighthouse Award, was Jayhawk Bowling Supply and Equipment, Inc. for outstanding contributions to the pro shop industry. IBPSIA's President's Award went to Gary Parsons for outstanding contributions to IBPSIA. And, the 2008 IBPSIA Pro Shop of the Year was presented to K & K Bowling Services, Las Vegas, for extraordinary performance in the area of bowling pro shop operations and management. Congratulations to all these winners!

Track Ball Launch in Las Vegas

The PALM’S FAMOUS KINGPIN SUITE is one of the most sought after attractions for their celebrity guests at the popular Las Vegas Hotel and Casino explained hotel owner Gavin Maloof. Maloff's comments opened the Track Up-Rising Ball Launch party Tuesday night July first.

Kegal techs lugged in one of the companies lane machines to dress the two featured lanes in the 25th floor King Pin suite. The party the previous night left the lanes lacking (for oil).

Demo balls were thrown, the bar was open and informational videos of the Up-Rising and Kinetic Pearl (one of the other new Track offerings) played.

Ebonite, Track, Columbia and Powerhouse execs oversaw the party while staff members helped map out the Up-Rising bowling balls provided to attendees. A goody bag including a Track T-shirt, towel, key chain and Powerhouse products, rounded out the freebies.

Party goers enjoyed the open bar and commented on participants efforts on the special tournament pattern on the lanes. Vegas gaming invaded the event, when a couple of onlookers started to wager on the effects of one players delivery.

With luck the slogan "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" won't describe the buzz created by the event. Certainly Track Brand Manager Paul Figliomeni hopes the Palms new slogan "What happens at the Palms - never happened" isn't true.

Figliomeni said "A Vegas style launch party is the perfect way to introduce this newcomer (The Up-Rising) to consumers in America's bowling tournament capital."

The Villain and Orbit Extremes

AMF300 introduces the Villain, a BASF reactive urethane cover (AMF's F45), surface in Purple and Black. The RG of a #15 is 2.486 and Diff of .040. The core shape resembles the (retired) Game core from Columbia.





Adding colors to the resilient Orbit cores and you get the Orbit Extremes in Copper/Blue and Blue/White. Tweaking the coverstock (stronger, AMF's F35) and higher RG for length, look for the New Extremes to measure: RG - 2.559, and Diff of .024 in #15lb.