GEICO, America’s third-largest automobile insurer with more than 17 million policyholders, will celebrate its 10th anniversary as a titled sponsor with the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) by serving as titled sponsor of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IV.
The multi-event international bowling competition begins Friday and continues through Sunday, Nov. 11, at South Point Casino, Hotel and Bowling Center in Las Vegas. GEICO WSOB IV will produce six ESPN-televised events to kick off the PBA Tour’s 2012-13 season. The World Series telecast series will air on ESPN starting Sunday, Dec. 9, at 1 p.m. ET, and continue every Sunday through Jan. 13.
GEICO made its debut as a PBA Tour sponsor in the 2003 GEICO Open in West Babylon, NY, and has been title sponsor for at least one Tour event every year since, in addition to being one of the PBA Tour’s leading advertisers on its ESPN telecasts.
“We're deeply appreciative of GEICO’s commitment to the PBA,” said PBA CEO Geoff Reiss. “GEICO’s support allows us to bring the world's best bowling competition to fans everywhere and together we look forward to a great GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling.”
In addition to ESPN coverage of the GEICO PBA World Series finals, PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel will live-stream nearly 100 hours of qualifying and match play competition, reaching a global audience of PBA fans. International bowling fans also can follow the PBA and its individual stars on pba.com’s live scoring feature as well as on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
“GEICO is proud to partner with the PBA again for the 2013 season,” said Bill Brower, Director of Media Advertising. “We’re thrilled to once again support the PBA as it carries on the rich tradition of championship bowling in the United States.”
“GEICO” is an acronym for “Government Employees Insurance Company,” dating back to the foundation of the company in 1936. Founder Leo Goodwin first targeted a customer base of U.S. government employees and military personnel. Today, the company provides insurance to a wide range of customers, in both the governmental and public sectors. In 1996, GEICO became a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, headed by Warren Buffett, one of the country's most successful investors. GEICO currently has assets valued at more than $28 billion.
The success of the the Storm Master™ line IQ Tour Edition with midlane control and hitting power prompted Storm to create the perfect compliment,
the IQ Tour Pearl.
Storm reports “The IQ Tour Edition quickly became the new
standard for benchmark balls in the industry. The C3™ Centripetal Control Core
is engineered to yield ample midlane roll while smoothing out the transition.
Bowlers have loved the unique combination of low RG and low differential as it
allows even high rev players like Jason Belmonte to control the breakpoint.”
The highly polished pearl R2S™
coverstock was added to the C3™ Centripetal Control Core to create the new IQ Tour Pear. The release date of the IQ Tour Pearl is December 4, 2012.
The special Brunswick bowling lane installation in South Point Exhibition Hall A in Las Vegas that will house the ESPN-televised finals of all six GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IV events will include a change this year with the introduction of a stub lane for use in practice between stepladder matches, PBA Commissioner Tom Clark has announced.
In addition to the two lanes that will be used for the actual competition, Clark said the shortened lane will be built in an off-camera area by the Brunswick crew. “When you conduct stepladder finals, there is a significant dynamic of lane conditions changing by the time the top qualifier returns to the lanes,” Clark said. “The advantage of being the top qualifier, and only having to bowl one match, is diminished because the player who progresses up the stepladder has a much better opportunity to see how the conditions are changing.
“This year, the winner of each match will not be able to practice on TV pair after the game,” Clark continued. “Only the oncoming player will be allowed to practice on the TV pair. The player who is continuing in the competition will go to the stub lane to stay loose. Reducing the amount of practice on the TV pair also will help maintain the integrity of the lane conditioning pattern.
“I want everyone to understand how important the integrity of the competition is to us,” he added. “There are enough other situations that are not ideal when you involve television, such as moving to an arena instead of being in the bowling center where qualifying was held. Our goal is to manage what we can in the interest of fairness and integrity; the addition of the stub lane is a significant step in accomplishing that goal.”
Three World Series telecasts will be conducted in the South Point arena setting on Saturday, Nov. 10 (at 10 a.m., 1 and 4 p.m.), and three more finals will be conducted on Sunday, Nov. 11 (at noon, 2 and 5 p.m.). All times are Pacific. Tickets are available at no cost. Visit pba.com for ticket information.
During the Professional Bowlers Association’s World Series of Bowling III at South Point Casino and Hotel in 2011, international bowlers stunned their American hosts by winning seven of eight titles awarded.
A year earlier, Finland’s Osku Palermaa and Korea’s Yong-Jin Gu made WSOB history as the first international players to win WSOB events in a foreshadowing of things to come.
While the World Series of Bowling is not a team event, the fourth annual edition will resume Nov. 2-11 as a multi-event international competition that will showcase 66 of the most talented players from around the world. WSOB IV will feature players from a record 17 countries (Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, England, Mexico, Sweden, Germany, Korea, Venezuela, Colombia, Finland, Canada, the U.S. plus first-time participants Costa Rica, Iceland, The Philippines and Saudi Arabia). Sweden and Korea are both sending the largest contingents they’ve ever sent to the World Series.
Whether team scores are kept or not, WSOB IV is going to be a matter of pride for America’s best players who hope to prevent another spanking by their international competitors.
“We had our chances to win titles and didn't get it done last year,” said reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, who led U.S. players with a record six television appearances during WSOB III, but failed to win a title.“With the format on TV last year, the best player didn't win every time, so to say. I do think the international players can repeat their performances, but it’s a new year and new things can and will happen. As much as I travel worldwide, the players around the world are, for sure, very good, but I would take our USA players any day when it comes down to it.”
The most prominent international players in last year’s World Series, however, see no reason why they can’t repeat, led by Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte who won three WSOB III titles in 2011.
“I can’t see why we can’t dominate again,” Belmonte said. “The international contingent has only become stronger since the last WSOB. With the formats as short as they are for most of the events, it's possible for anything to happen.”
Former PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, wasn’t surprised by how well the international bowlers performed a year ago, but doesn’t expect a repeat.
“I’m sure there will be more attention paid to that (U.S. vs. international) aspect this year, but we already knew the international players were very good,” the 14-time PBA Tour titlist said. “Now everyone else does, too. That being said, I think the U.S. players as a whole were disappointed in last year's performance and will be looking to improve on it this year.”
Will the international players repeat their domination this year? “No,” Barnes said emphatically.
Finland’s Osku Palermaa, who became the first international player to win the PBA World Championship during last year’s WSOB, disagrees.
“Of course (we can repeat),” Palermaa said. “Obviously after it happened last year it can happen again, but I don't think we will be as dominant. There are so many good players from both sides, you never know.”
Mike Fagan of Dallas, TX who had a career-year during the 2011-12 season, plans to do his best to prevent last year’s results.
“I don't know if the play of the international players is promoting American pride, but it certainly was a wake-up call,” Fagan said. “The rest of the world has some great players and a good number of tournaments to sharpen their skills. The international players are certainly going to be a force for many years to come.
“But I would find it difficult for the Americans to get completely shut out again at the WSOB,” he said. “I’m going to try my best to not let that happen.”
“Anything is possible in bowling, but I have a hard time believing that something like last year will happen again,” fellow Finn Mika Koivuniemi said, stopping short of discounting another powerhouse performance by the record international contingent. “Everyone now knows that many international players can win in the World Series.”
England’s Stuart Williams, who won his first PBA Tour title in last year’s WSOB, noted, “Obviously it’s going to be nearly impossible for the international players to win all the titles again because there are so many more U.S. players. But I still expect a strong showing, especially from the European contingent.”
PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, doesn’t see the World Series as a global confrontation.
“This is not a team competition, nor is it an ‘us against them’ event,” Duke said. “It’s all about individual pride. I bowl for my family's living and that’s plenty of motivation for me. I’m trying to win bowling tournaments against everyone on earth.”
World Series IV will feature five PBA Tour title events – the Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Cheetah Championship, Viper Championship, Chameleon Championship, Bowlers Journal PBA Scorpion Championship and the PBA World Championship (the season’s first major). It will generate more than 100 hours of live coverage on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel and the first six ESPN telecasts of the season (including the Bayer Advanced Aspirin WBT Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by the PBA) on Sundays at 1 p.m. ET from Dec. 9 through Jan. 13.
WSOB IV also is the launching pad for a new set of goals by all players, including the 2012-13 PBA Player of the Year race.
“My goals are simple,” Rash said. “I want to give myself chances at making TV shows, win titles, win majors, win Player of the Year and keep learning. Every time we shoe it up, the game is changing.”
Barnes said, “My goals include winning the USBC Masters to complete the Grand Slam and winning a second Player of the Year title. To accomplish this, I think I need to win at least one of the WSOB events, maybe two.”
Fagan wants to improve upon last year. “It’s never easy to win on the PBA Tour, so my goals are to give myself a chance in every event and be prepared for anything,” he said. “If I give myself many chances, hopefully I can cash in on a few. It’s also important, because the World Series formats are short, to come out of the gates strong and not look back.”
Duke has his eye on a third PBAPlayer of the Year award. He won in 1994 and 2000. “I want to have a shot at Player of the Year. It’s a lofty goal and usually requires a victory in at least one of the majors,” he said, “so all of my preparation and decision-making is with this goal in mind. It’s a plan that has served me well throughout the years.”
Belmonte’s goals are understated: “I just want to bowl to the best of my ability. If I bowl each frame and focus on the process, then I trust the results I want will follow.”
Palermaa would settle for another year like last year: “I had a pretty good year last year, winning my first major at the WSOB, so I'll try and repeat that. Bowling at the same place for multiple events at the start of the year gives you a chance of doing good, so I'll try and get a good start and just keep the momentum going.”
Koivuniemi is one win away from completing the PBA’s “Grand Slam.” “My big goal is to win the PBA World Championship and get that fourth major to complete the grand slam,” Koivuniemi said.
Williams just wants to be consistent in a good way. “I don’t have any particular goals, just to try and continue learning and improving my performances,” he said. “I think the key to the World Series in general is to stay positive on the days when you are struggling because it’s such a long format for the World Championship. Hopefully there won’t be too many times when I’m struggling.”
Bowling’s U.S. Open, both Men's and women's events, will be hosted in the great bowling city of Columbus, OH from July 21 to July 27. The Men’s and Women’s competitions,
side-by-side, for the first time, will be conducted in three
different bowling centers: Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Game of Western Columbus
and Holiday Lanes.
The U.S. Open, a live
two hour event, will be telecast on ESPN Saturday, July 27 at noon EDT from Webb’s
Columbus Bowl.
The defending U.S. Open champions are Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, who won a
record fifth U.S. Open title in North Brunswick, NJ, in February and Kelly
Kulick of Union, NJ, who won her third U.S. Women’s Open title in July in
Reno, Nevada.
Looking to capitalize on an historic field and compelling action expected at the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling Nov. 2-11, the PBA is partnering with Powerhouse, the official locker room supplier of the PBA, to provide an enhanced programming coverage schedule on the PBA's Online Bowing Channel Xtra Frame. Xtra Frame will provide fans with more than 80 hours of live coverage of all World Series of Bowling qualifying and match play rounds of the four animal pattern championships – Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon, Bowlers Journal Scorpion – and the PBA World Championship. Coverage begins Friday Nov. 2 at 9 p.m. ET with a free GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling preview show available at http://www.pba.com. In addition, Xtra Frame will carry exclusive live coverage of the PBA League Draft Lottery on Friday Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. ET and the PBA League Draft on Friday Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. ET. A detailed Xtra Frame coverage schedule can be found at http://www.pba.com/Live/.
The multi-event international competition will showcase a full field of 240 of the world’s greatest players representing a record 17 countries. The final rounds of each event will be conducted in South Point’s Exhibition Hall complex Nov. 10 and 11 on two specially-installed lanes and taped by ESPN for airing beginning with the Bayer Advanced Aspirin World Bowling Tour finals Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. ET.
Xtra Frame will produce PBA:39X60 pregame and postgame shows for each ESPN-televised final round including the Bayer Advanced Aspirin World Bowling Tour finals. Xtra Frame subscribers will get an inside look at strategies and equipment selection during warmup sessions pregame and exclusive interviews with players postgame.
To further prepare for World Series of Bowling coverage fans can still join the PBA Super Fan Club (deadline Nov. 1) which provides a package of benefits including Xtra Frame subscription for the expanded 2012-13 season, exclusive communications from PBA, and PBA merchandise for $99.99. Additional Super Fan Club purchase information can be obtained by visitinghttp://pbasuperfan.eventbrite.com/#>
“Getting this PBA Super Fan package is the easiest, clearest, best way fans can support the PBA”, said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. “This is the PBA fan’s chance to truly be a part of the PBA.”
Powerhouse will add former TEAM USA member and collegiate bowling standout Ashly Galante as Xtra Frame on-air sideline reporter who will team with play-by-play announcer Mike Jakubowski, with producers Jason Thomas and Mike Flanagan to call the action during the GEICO World Series of Bowling at South Point Bowling Center.
“We are thrilled to have Ashly Galante represent Ebonite’s Powerhouse Brand, she is a great personality and an outstanding bowler”, said Jim Cormier, Ebonite’s Vice President of Marketing. “Ashly brings a wealth of experience as a world class competitor, her knowledge will add that perspective to Xtra Frame’s productions.”
Galante was a member of Team USA in 2007 and was a member of the Intercollegiate Bowling Championships winning women’s team in 2008 (Pikeville College), earning Most Valuable Player honors and 2010 (Webber International University). She was also the Teen Masters girl’s winner in 2007 and finished seventh in the 2009 USBC Queens.
Fans can also get prepped for this season’s World Series of Bowling by visiting PBA’s Youtube channel for a special WSOB highlight series, http://www.youtube.com/user/PBAProBowlersAssn?feature=watch Fans can also keep abreast of the action through live scoring of qualifying and match play rounds on http://www.pba.com.
In celebration of its 100th anniversary, Bowlers Journal International magazine - America’s oldest continuously-published monthly sports magazine – has been named titled sponsor of the Bowlers Journal PBA Scorpion Championship which will be held during PBA World Series of Bowling IV.
"We are thrilled to launch our 100th Anniversary promotion campaign by sponsoring a PBA event," said Luby Publishing President Keith Hamilton. "It’s great to be working with the PBA again."
Qualifying and match play in the Bowlers Journal PBA Scorpion Championship will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas with the four-player stepladder finals set for Sunday, Nov. 11, on the special WSOB lane installation in South Point Exhibition Hall A. The 90-minute finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, Jan. 6, at 1 p.m. ET.
The qualifying and match play rounds on Nov. 6 will be webcast live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel.
"The entire bowling community can be proud of this milestone year for Bowlers Journal. For the magazine to consistently provide the highest quality of coverage of the entire industry for a century is remarkable," said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. "The PBA is proud to partner with Bowlers Journal at the World Series for the Scorpion Championship and to help make a worldwide audience aware of the magazine's rich history."
Bowlers Journal International was founded in 1913 by Dave Luby. It has covered the sport from the days of pinboys through the introduction of automatic scoring, the evolution of televised bowling, leagues, tournaments and all aspects of bowling ball and lane technology. “The BJ” has done more to cover the business, recreational and sport sides of bowling around the world than any other publication under the leadership of Dave Luby, his son Mort, and later his grandson Mort Jr. In 1994, Mort Luby Jr. sold the company to long-time employees Keith Hamilton and Mike Panozzo. Today, it remains bowling’s foremost magazine.
The magazine has evolved over the years. It began as “The National Bowlers Journal and Billiard Revue.” In 1988, the company changed its corporate name from National Bowlers Journal, Inc. to Luby Publishing Inc. Currently Bowlers Journal alsodelivers both consumer and bowling business news and information to an international audience through BowlersJournal.com, The BJI Cyber Report and e-bowler.
The base
material (half-solid and half-pearlNew Era Hybrid)
for Columbia 300’sMass Eruption is the same high
performing cover (Navy/Baby Blue) used on the Violent Eruption. The Hybrid was created by pulling the pearl
additives from one of the colors. The Mass
Eruption features the Resurgence
(Symmetric) core finished with a smooth, dull surface (800 Abranet™, 1000, 2000, 4000
Abralon®) for added mid-lane recovery.
Columbia reports: “The Mass
Eruption gets through the front part of the lane easily for a dull ball and
provides the best mid-lane read of the Eruption
series.”
Brunswick reports the new Aura
begins a new age of ball motion forBrunswicknever seen
before. “Outstanding length,
super quick response to friction with the most continuation on the backend of
any previous Brunswick ball.” The Aura with its Rough Buff finish, is designed to maintain the
highest amount of Angular Velocity at the breakpoint when compared to other
previous balls on medium to heavy oil lane conditions.
The
Optimum-Flip Solid coverstock is Brunswick’s
newest innovation in performance enhancing additive chemistry. The new
Optimum-Flip Solid coverstock incorporates a new base reactive along with
additive technology to create an outstanding Skid Flip ball motion for the Brunswick
product line. The Aura Ultra Low RG core features a single density rounded-off
elliptical inner core. The core is dynamically designed to extend the
rotational energy, boosting angular velocity to transfer energy to the pins for
increased pin action and higher scores. Available November 14, 2012
Brunswick Meanstreak™ The Addaptive ƒ(P2) Pearl
coverstock is Brunswick’s latest advancement in performance enhancing additive chemistry. ƒ(P2)
describes the latest ƒormula which multiplies their (P)projection additive with
an aggressive reactive coverstock base creating a reported "Super Clean cover that skids
easily down the lane creating maximum versatility." This new formulation is
designed to produce the cleanest front end, while maintaining traction on the
backend.
The new Meanstreak High RG symmetrical core
features a long and lean design to provide maximum energy retention. Adding a
mass around the equator stabilizes the dynamics to enhance the versatility of
the core.
With its
High Gloss finish, the Meanstreak is
super clean through the front, retaining axis rotation for the backend with a
strong continuous breakpoint. This combination of coverstock and core creates
an extremely versatile motion and a great “Go To” ball on lower volume &
broken down lane conditions. Available November 14, 2012
Ebonite introduces the new Challenge in October. The Silver/Purple/Green Challenge is designed for a Strong Mid-Lane continuation featuring a 1500 Abralon finish of the ®RCS (Reaction Control System) cover. The AXS core features a modified mix of the Empire core (Pursuit basic) core shape and changes of the Contour Planes.
Brand Manger Ed Gallegher explains “With all the research our R and D team has done on contour planes, the new AXS core has been designed to allow ball drillers more confidence in drilling, by eliminating large “void” areas in the contour profile.”
Further Gallegher touched on Advanced Drilling Stability. “This is something that we talked about in the Empire core shape, and the AXS core shares this unique feature. As a result of the unique shape of the AXS core, you will change the values of RG and Differential at the same rate when drilling. “ Look for the new Ebonite Challenge HP bowling ball October 18th.
Finished with a 4000 grit Siaar Micro Pad Finish,
the DV8 Marauder Madness is clean
through the front, digs in the mid-lane to create a very strong and continuous
motion that drives through the pins. The Class 5G coverstock maintains proper
grip throughout the lane on medium-oily to light oil lane conditions.
Finished
with a 4000 grit Siaair Micro Pad Finish, the DV8 Nightmare skids easily through the front and mid-lane with an
extremely quick response to friction on the backend creating a highly
continuous motion that cuts through the pins. The Nightmare with its new Class 8, an upgrade from the Hell Rasier Revenge Class 7, Reactive
coverstock is reportedly the most hooking DV8
ball to date and should be used on medium oily to oily lane conditions. The new
DV8 balls will be available October
31st.
The new Lane#1 Stealth Bomber Pearl is a carbon
fiber gray pearl with the 4000 grit/sheen finish of a “T” NEAT pad applied to
the Bleeder 9.7 coverstock. The Stealth Bomber core is the Stealth Diamond.
As a tribute to fallen friend and fellow competitor Tony Reyes, PBA Tour players will wear a special black-and-silver “TR” emblem during competition in the months ahead. The special TR logo reflects the colors of Reyes’ favorite sports team, the Oakland Raiders.
While supplies last, the “TR” patches will be available through the PBA office (and on-site at all PBA tournaments) for $5 each, with all proceeds benefitting Reyes’ family. To order, send a check or money order (sorry, no credit cards accepted) to: PBA, c/o TR emblem, 719 Second Ave., Suite 701, Seattle, WA 98104. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery (emblems have just been ordered).
The tribute emblem is just one in a growing number of memorials and benefits to the 38-year-old, one-time PBA Tour champion from San Bruno, Calif., who died as a result of injuries sustained in a traffic accident on Sept. 28 in northern California.
