Saturday, August 31, 2024

Introducing the New Storm Ion™ Max and 900 Global Sublime™ Focus

New Balls from Storm and 900 Global

ION™ MAX

PREMIER LINE

STREET DATE: 9/20

Experience unprecedented power with the Ion Max! A step up in power from the iconic Ion Pro, the Ion Max takes performance to the next level on heavy oil patterns with over 50% more flare potential. Its cutting-edge Element Max A.I. Core, featuring an added weighted disk, delivers unmatched torque and control. The NRG™ Solid coverstock ensures a strong, consistent reaction, while the eye-catching design in bold, contrasting colors makes a statement on the lanes. With the massive ellipse and low RG asymmetrical design of the Element Max weight block, you’re looking at one of Storm's most groundbreaking innovations. Gear up with the Ion Series and dominate all season long!

Fragrance: Strawberry Milkshake
Experience unprecedented power with the Ion Max! A step up in power from the iconic Ion Pro, the Ion Max takes performance to the next level on heavy oil patterns with over 50% more flare potential. Its cutting-edge Element Max A.I. Core, featuring an added weighted disk, delivers unmatched torque and control. The NRG™ Solid coverstock ensures a strong, consistent reaction, while the eye-catching design in bold, contrasting colors makes a statement on the lanes. With the massive ellipse and low RG asymmetrical design of the Element Max weight block, you’re looking at one of Storm's most groundbreaking innovations. Gear up with the Ion Series and dominate all season long!

SUBLIME™ FOCUS

800 SERIES

STREET DATE: 9/20

Introducing the Sublime Focus—a meticulously engineered symmetric option designed to dominate medium to heavier oil conditions. Building on the success of the original Sublime, this ball features the new Reserve Blend 804™ Solid Reactive coverstock, finished with a 2000-Grit Abralon® for ultimate traction and control. At its core, the Immersed™ Symmetric A.I. Core continues to push the boundaries of innovation, delivering consistent, powerful motion through the pins. Handcrafted with precision, the Sublime Focus is your go-to ball for those challenging lanes where focus and performance meet.

Sunday, August 4, 2024

The New Storm Summit Ascent and Roto Grip Optimum Idol Pearl

The New Summit Ascent

SUMMIT™ ASCENT

MASTER LINE

The Summit Ascent is designed for forgiveness, helping bowlers ascend to the top and achieve peak performance. Experience seamless transitions from skid to hook to roll as the Summit Ascent’s strong backend ensures a predictable yet potent arc, minimizing surprises and maximizing consistency shot after shot. With Storm’s renowned R2S Solid at 4000-grit Abralon®, this ball strikes the perfect balance between grip and glide, providing enhanced command over both the length and shape of your shots. Usually, the solid hooks the soonest in a line, but with the R2S cover at 4000, this ball is unique and cleaner than a normal solid. Featuring a brand-new scent, Cream Soda, the Summit Ascent is ready to help you reach your personal summit of success in bowling.

The New Optimum Idol Pearl

OPTIMUM IDOL™ PEARL

HP3

As seen on… nope, wait a minute. You have probably seen this… nada, nope, wait just one minute. Truth is, YOU’VE NEVER SEEN A VERSION LIKE THIS! For all of you keeping score at home this marks the very first time in the domestic market we have released an IDOL series ball featuring the Roto Grip MicroTrax Pearl coverstock. Yes, you read that correctly. Never in the history of ever has Roto Grip matched their nanoparticle pearl coverstock on this legendary core shape. Why you ask? That’s a good question. But that’s neither here nor there. The time was right, and that time is now! We felt following up the original solid with a pearl that provides the optimum traction footprint in oil while providing plenty of responsiveness down lane was exactly what the world needed. It’s ok, you can thank RG later!

Sunday, June 30, 2024

New from 900 Global Harsh Reality Pearl

HARSH REALITY pearl

Building on the overwhelming success of the original Harsh Reality, a pearl version is a much needed addition.Storm/900 Global kept the colors intact from the Harsh Reality Solid for the fans of the series and crafted the pearlized version. This is currently the only polished/pearl asymmetric and will be the most explosive backend reaction in the 900 Global lineup.

Available July 26th

Color: Orange/Silver/Black

RESERVE BLEND 902 PEARL COVERSTOCK

The Reserve Blend 902 Cover, finished with Reacta Gloss, features a similar chemical composition as the S84 Response Cover found on the Reality. We have pushed the envelope on the microscopic pore sizes of the material though. The S84 Response also featured larger than average pore sizes, but the Reserve Blend 902 Pearl expands on that technology. Increased pore sizes mean more oil absorption, thus creating more oil displacement which equals more hook.

DISTURBANCE ASYMMETRIC A.I. CORE

The Disturbance A.I. Asymmetric Core features the same unique single density inner core as the original Reality, however the outer core is the groundbreaking A.I. Core. What does this mean? You will notice that the RG is lower, the differential is higher, and the intermediate differential is higher when compared to the original Reality. This means that you will see a similar shape as the original Reality, but with more overall performance on the heaviest patterns.

RADIUS OF GYRATION

2.48

DIFFERENTIAL

0.054

PSA

0.019

Saturday, June 1, 2024

The Deep Dive Into the Business of Bowlero Corp. Every Bowler Should Read

by JEFF RICHGELS - 11thFrame.com | Posted: Saturday, June 1, 2024 3:00 pm

When Amos Barshad first called me last year, I was intrigued but didn’t get my hopes up: He didn’t know bowling but was aiming to write a deep dive into the business of Bowlero Corp.

The more we talked the more I realized that Barshad was a journalist I’d be happy to work with at my newspaper job or 11thFrame.com. He asked all the right questions to understand bowling stuff, which isn’t simple stuff for a non-bowler, and he clearly was on the right track with the overall story.

When I got the final result this week and read it I could not have been more impressed.

Barshad told me he was writing it for Lever.com, where it’s posted as Meet The New Kingpin.

But I saw many people sharing it posted at Jacobin.com where it’s under the catchier Private Equity–Backed Firm Bowlero Is Ruining Bowling.

It’s similar to the story I’ve long had designs on doing but haven’t been able to carve out the time for, with my focus more on how the company’s business impacts the sport.

Barshad included some interesting material from financial journalist Herb Greenberg and Katherine Spurlock, a Louisiana-based research analyst and former short seller. He also took a well-deserved shot at CNBC’s Jim Cramer, who has conducted multiple fawning interviews with Bowlero CEO Tom Shannon.

And — shocker! — Bowlero didn’t respond to his requests for comment.

I was happy to see that Robin Goldberg, proprietor at Madison’s Dream Lanes, did peak with Barshad and gave him the same answers he has given me.

He used a couple of quotes from my writing and from my talking with me, including one I’ve used in varying forms over the years: “The tragedy of Bowlero is that they’re the biggest and most important company in bowling and they care nothing about the sport.”

The context of that is nothing about the sport that doesn’t make them money, like the PBA.

I’d also add that the tragedy includes how much potential good they could do for bowling if they cared for anything beyond the bottom line.

But they don’t … which should be the point of any serious story about the business of Bowlero Corp.

Barshad nailed that.

Link to 11thFrame.com:

https://www.11thframe.com/news/article/15219/The-deep-dive-into-the-business-of-Bowlero-Corp-every-bowler-should?filter=all