Pepsi Viper Championship

Wes Malott of Argyle, Tex. and Shannon Pluhowsky of Phoenix, Ariz. finished atop their respective fields in Thursday’s Qualifying at the Pepsi Viper Championship at Thunder Alley in which the top 32 men and top 10 women advanced to Friday’s match play.

Malott, who ended the first block of qualifying in seventh, was able to remain consistent in his second block with scores of 213, 241, 258, 221, 248, 255 and 236 to finish with a score of 3261, averaging 232.93 over the 14-games. He bested No. 2 and All-Time PBA Title leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla. by 81 pins.

The Women's Series

The women take the stage on the PBA Tour this week as the 2008-09

PBA Women’s Series kicks off at the Pepsi Viper Championship at

Thunder Alley in Omaha, Neb., Oct. 29-Nov. 2.

The PBA Women’s Series will feature a diverse field including veterans

Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Tennelle Milligan, fresh, young faces in Adrienne

Miller and Trisha Reid, and international stars Clara Guerrero and Shalin Zulkifli, of Colombia and 

Malaysia, respectively.

New From Lane #1

Lane #1’s Richie Sposato reports on 2 new balls, the
BuzzBOMB Agent Orange with “Pure GripTM” pearl reactive in Orange/Black is finished to 500 Grit Abralon, while the core “Doomsday Bomb2(squared) provides “ball reaction where you had none before.” A 15lb. ball has RG of 2.487, Diff:.052.

The Chainsaw from Lane #1 is a highly polished, Blue/Purple cover called “Skid/HookTM” wrapping an “Endcut DoomsdayTM Patented Diamond” core.

Lane #1 “offers you high performance on drier lanes at a more affordable price.” A 15lb. ball has RG of 2.53, Diff: .013.

The New Noize from Columbia 300

The Loud Noize from Columbia 300 is a mid-priced ball designed to provide length and solid turn on the backend of the lane. The Loud Noize utilizes the “TI Boss II” core and Violet/Red/Grey “Pearl New Era Reactive” veneer finished to 4000 Abralon, topped with Powerhouse Factory Finish. The 15# core numbers: RG - 2.56, Diff - 0.040 Worldwide release date 11/6/08.

New Lev RG Response from MoRich

Morich’s new offering is the Lev-RG Response, the Blurple Berry Pearl “Extended Ra Pearl Reactive” coverstock finished at 4000 Grit and wrapped around the “EZRev” core with RG numbers of 2.509 and RG Diff of .046.

Learning from all the valuable research recently performed by the USBC in regards to coverstock Ra values (the height and depth of the microscopic "spikes" and "pores" on the surface of a bowling ball), and their direct effect on a cover's performance capabilities, MoRich developed the all new “Extended Ra Pearl Reactive Cover”.

PBA World Championships

WICHITA, KAN. (October 25, 2008) — Norm Duke moved even closer to the history 
books by defeating Parker Bohn III in five games (247-244, 279-206, 216-230, 
239-223, 234-200) in Saturday’s Round of 8, advancing to Sunday’s televised 
finals of the PBA World Championship, live on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET.

With the win, Duke (Clermont, Fla.) would become the first player in the 50 
years of the PBA’s history to win three consecutive Majors.

Duke’s historical journey began with him winning the final two Majors of the 
2007-2008 season. After being on the verge of losing his exemption, Duke rallied 
back from injuries to fashion one of the greatest late-season runs in PBA 
history, winning titles in both the Denny’s World Championship and the 65th 
Denny’s U.S. Open.

“Honestly I’m not even thinking about it (making history),” Duke said. “I feel 
good and I’m just going to go out there and approach it how I always do.”

Duke will face Wichita’s own Sean Rash, who is undefeated in TV appearances thus 
far (7-0). Rash defeated Michael Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y. in the Round of 8 in 
six games (245-220, 199-181, 237-176, 256-210, 149-236, 243-215) advancing to 
Sunday’s ESPN finals.

Chris Barnes (Double Oak, Tex.) came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Todd Book 
of Wakaponeta, Ohio (204-244, 253-225, 202-257, 246-268, 234-203, 235-166, 
257-216) in order to advance.

“I didn’t know if it was bad reaction or bad strategy,” Barnes said. “I bowled 
here a lot in college, this was my home center which probably got me through 
qualifying. I was surprised how many of the (lane) pairs I remembered (referring 
to the lane characteristics).”

With Barnes and Rash in the Final Four, there could possibly be a Wichita-State 
alumni championship match. Barnes will face Steve Jaros (Yorkville, Ill.) in the 
semifinal match. Jaros advanced to the TV finals by sweeping Mika Kouvuniemi of 
Finland (197-171, 257-247, 244-177, 278,169).

Round of 16
#23 Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., def. #10 Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 4-1 
(218-206, 257-176, 259-197, 157-197, 279-181).
#18 Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, def. #15 Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 4-0 
(223-202, 218-181, 218-208, 214-202).
#19 Eugene McCune ($2,150), Munster, Ind., def. #14 Mike DeVaney ($2,150), San 
Diego, 4-1 (237-236, 193-218, 217-162, 219-183, 235-194).
#11 Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., def. #22 Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 
4-3 (242-221, 209-249, 201-223, 235-184, 245-237, 194-237, 246-224).
#12 Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., def. #21 Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, 
Fla., 4-2 (279-227, 234-246, 223-280, 241-221, 238-235, 246-226).
#20 Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., def. #13 Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 4-1 
(242-181, 234-255, 236-201, 237-230, 259-215).
#16 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. #17 Tom Baker ($100), King, N.C., 4-3 
(172-256, 194-211, 194-201, 254-231, 266-243, 257-238, 226-189).
#9 Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., def. #24 Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 4-2 
(188-203, 221-170, 193-254, 241-226, 226-223, 229-179).

Super 16
# Todd Book, Cantonment, Fla, def. #9 Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 4-1 (214-199, 
166-198, 231-230, 215-167, 223-199).
#16 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. # Jason Belmonte ($100), Orange, 
NSW,Australia, 4-2 (212-236, 229-247, 238-194, 234-212, 226-178, 186-154).
#20 Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., def. # Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 4-2 
(248-181, 245-145, 224-255, 243-202, 164-201, 204-159).
# Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan, def. #19 Eugene McCune ($2,150), Munster, Ind., 4-2 
(224-175, 202-181, 226-247, 202-200, 224-238, 186-171).
# Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., def. #23 Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 4-3 
(200-210, 267-232, 190-212, 235-198, 213-237, 259-234, 237-183).
# Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., def. #18 Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 4-0 
(257-213, 218-212, 288-238, 278-277).
#11 Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., def. # Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 4-2 
(169-158, 205-220, 212-233, 201-190, 193-193, 222-209).
#12 Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., def. # Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 4-0 
(208-185, 244-199, 247-245, 225-214).

Round of 8
# Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan, def. #11 Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 4-2 
(245-220, 181-199, 237-176, 256-210, 149-236, 243-215).
#20 Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., def. #12 Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 4-0 
(197-171, 257-247, 244-177, 278-269).
#16 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. # Todd Book, Cantonment, Fla, 4-3 
(204-244, 253-225, 202-257, 246-268, 234-203, 235-166, 257-216).
# Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., def. # Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 4-1 
(247-244, 279-206, 216-230, 239-223, 234-200).

The Maniac at 900 Global

900 Global introduces a new Performance ball the Maniac. The first introduction into the upper mid-performance category. The Maniac delivers "an insane amount of performance for the price" suggests 900 Global.

The new "Morning Star" core, which along with the "S50" Reactive coverstock, is designed to produce a strong midlane ball motion. The Maniac features an R.G. of 2.503 with a Differential of 0.045 in 15 LBS. and comes with a 1,000 grit Abralon finish. More info at: 900 Global

New From Ebonite International

The Striking Motion from Ebonite, a high performance ball featuring a "Flat Iron" Asymmetric Core and new Navy Blue "Super Shell 1.0" Coverstock Sanded with 4000 Grit Abralon ® that helps the ball through heavy lane oil. From Ebonite "We’ve also designed the Striking Motion to create more overall hook than any ball we’ve ever made..." Number for a #15 ball is RG of 2.56, and RD Differential of .040.

PBA World Championship

WICHITA, KAN. (October 24, 2008) — Fifty-four year-old Tom Baker of King, N.C., 
bowled a perfect 300 game in the first round of match play at the PBA World 
Championship in Wichita, Kan. Baker defeated No. 32 seed Mike Machuga of Erie, 
Pa., 4-2 (238-227, 246-169, 196-212, 238-199, 229-248, 300-227) to advance to 
the Round of 16.

“I don’t really get nervous anymore, but it’s still exciting,” said Baker, who 
shot his 48th career PBA 300 game. “You just count on making a good shot. I knew 
I had already won, but it’s nice to do it (shoot 300) for the fans and for 
myself. It was a good feeling.”

The 2008-09 season marks the last year of Baker’s five-year exemption, which he 
earned at the PBA World Championship in 2004. That win made him the oldest 
bowler to win the World Championship and the third-oldest to win a Major.

“I have to earn my exemption this year so my goal is to stay towards the top,” 
Baker said. “Last year I started off horribly because I took a couple months off 
in the summer. This summer, I bowled on the PBA Senior Tour and competed in some 
Regional Tournaments; I kept bowling, felt sharp. I feel like I’m off to a good 
start.”

In the Round of 32, seven of 16 matches were sweeps. No. 25 seed Tony Reyes 
defeated No. 24 George Lambert IV, No. 9 Brad Angelo took out No. 40 Tommy 
Delutz Jr., No. 16 and PBA Player of the Year for 2007-08 Chris Barnes 
dispatched No. 33 Dino Castillo, No. 12 Mika Koivuniemi eliminated No. 37 D.J. 
Archer, No. 10 Brian Kretzer sent home #39 Mitch Beasley, No. 23 Bill O'Neill 
beat out No. 26 Ken Abner and No. 30 Eugene McCune upset No. 19 Troy 
Wollenbecker.

Match play continues Saturday with the Round of 16 starting at 9 a.m. CST. The 
top seeds going into match play received a two-round bye and will start 
competition in the Super 16 Saturday at 2 p.m. CST. No. 2 seed Norm Duke, who 
can make history this week by winning three consecutive Majors, Wichita native 
Sean Rash, seeded third and looking to win his second major in his hometown, as 
well as top seed Jason Belmonte will all try to capture the first Major of the 
2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season.

PBA World Championship Format:
There are three squads of qualifying (A, B and C). Each squad will bowl one 
6-game block each day over three days, completing 18 total games of qualifying. 
The field will then be cut to the top 53 on Thursday night, Oct. 23. Bowlers 
making the cut will return on Friday morning, Oct. 24 for nine games of semi 
finals. Upon completion of the nine games, the field will then be cut to the top 
40 bowlers, with the top eight bowlers receiving two byes and an automatic berth 
into the Super Round of 16. Bowlers finishing 9-40, will then compete in a best 
4-out-of-7 single elimination match play format starting Friday at 6 p.m. and 
continuing on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 9 a.m. until eight bowlers remain. Those 
eight bowlers will then face the top eight bowlers from qualifying in the Super 
Round of 16 on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. Matches continue until four bowlers 
remain, thus advancing to the live ESPN finals on Sunday, Oct. 26 at noon. All 
times CT.

Round of 32
#9 Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., def. # Tommy Delutz Jr., Flushing, N.Y., 4-0 
(248-227, 219-186, 233-218, 190-180).
#24 Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., def. # George Lambert IV, Wichita, Kan, 4-0 
(223-176, 234-181, 229-190, 247-195).
#17 Tom Baker, King, N.C., def. # Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 4-2 (238-227, 
246-169, 196-212, 238-199, 229-248, 300-227).
#16 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. # Dino Castillo $100, Carrollton, 
Texas, 4-0 (190-187, 266-203, 238-188, 223-184).
#13 Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., def. # Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 4-2 
(245-252, 219-178, 258-246, 266-235, 181-232, 226-206).
#20 Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., def. # Jeremy Hunt, Sikeston, Mo., 4-0 
(222-190, 200-158, 268-201, 227-160).
#21 Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., def. # Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., 4-1 
(204-228, 245-211, 206-199, 279-164, 227-218).
#12 Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., def. # D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 
4-0 (238-192, 237-201, 224-162, 258-143).
#10 Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, def. # Mitch Beasley, Arlington, Texas, 4-0 
(240-199, 189-186, 227-194, 223-203).
#23 Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., def. # Ken Abner, Cincinnati, 4-0 (212-184, 
220-152, 220-186, 232-197).
#18 Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, def. # Jonathan Van Hees, Newport, R.I., 
4-3 (255-213, 216-214, 234-245, 181-230, 193-204, 233-199, 278-226).
#15 Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., def. # Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 4-3 
(248-212, 201-279, 200-201, 259-180, 183-242, 186-176, 232-195).
#14 Mike DeVaney, San Diego, def. # Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4-1 (195-207, 
185-180, 222-213, 244-215, 237-201).
#19 Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., def. # Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 4-0 (268-201, 
234-215, 227-224, 215-200).
#22 Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., def. # Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 4-0 
(211-167, 232-146, 269-197, 194-160).
#11 Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., def. # Christopher Collins, Fayetteville, 
N.C., 4-2 (223-223, 236-230, 247-225, 225-238, 244-150, 227-189).

PBA World Championships

Norm Duke is one step closer to making history after his move into the second spot in Qualifying today (Friday), but he’s not necessarily thinking about it. Duke who is attempting to become the first bowler in the 50 years of the PBA’s existence to win three consecutive Majors easily advanced to Friday’s Semifinals with a 26^th place finish Thursday, the third day of qualifying. The 195 player field pared down to 53 at the PBA World Championship at Northrock Lanes, Wichita, Kansas.

After Friday's play - Qualifying Round Four

1, Jason Belmonte, Orange, NSW, Australia, 6,316,
2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 6,076
3, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan, 6,064
4, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 6,062
5, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 5,999
6, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 5,991
6, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 5,991
8, Todd Book, Cantonment, Fla, 5,967
9, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 5,958
10, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 5,939

New Storm Virtual Gravity

Storm Bowling's new Premier offering is the Virtual Gravity. The "R2X™" Solid Reactive cover is Royal/Orange/Black finished at 4000 Abralon with the hint of Orange Mint fragrance. The Shape Lock™ HD core in a 15# ball has Radius of Gyration of 2.48 and Differential of .052.

New Storm HY-ROAD

A hybrid variation is being inserted into the Thunder Series, with the introduction of the Hy-Road. With the T-Road core (Inverted Fe2 Technology), the Black/Ultramarine Blue "R2S™ Hybrid" coverstock, of the New Hy-Road is finished to 1500 and polished. The scent wafting from the box when first opened will be Boysenberry. Radius of Gyration (RG) in 15# - 2.57, with RG Differential of .046.

PBA World Championships

Wichita, Kan. – Oct. 19-26, 2008

Qualifying Round - Block 1

(A, B and C Squads combined)
1, Todd Book, Cantonment, Fla, 1,505
2, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan, 1,466
3, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,427
3, Jason Belmonte, Orange, NSW,Australia, 1,427
5, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,421
6, D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 1,419
7, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 1,404
8, Tommy Delutz Jr., Flushing, N.Y., 1,403
9, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,399
10, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kans, 1,389

PBA World Championship Format:

There are three squads of qualifying (A, B and C). Each squad will bowl one 6-game block each day over three days, completing 18 total games of qualifying. The field will then be cut to the top 25% on Thursday night, Oct. 23. Bowlers making the cut will return on Friday morning, Oct. 24 for nine games of semi finals. Upon completion of the nine games, the field will then be cut to the top 40 bowlers who will then compete in a best 4-out-of-7 single elimination match play format starting Friday at 6 p.m. and continuing on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 9 a.m. until four bowlers remain. The top four finalists will advance to the live ESPN finals on Sunday, Oct. 26 at noon.

To help commemorate its 50th anniversary season,the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) today announced that it is offering a new online auction site featuring signed PBA memorabilia.

Bowling fans worldwide can own a piece of history by bidding on unique game-used autographed items directly from the PBA Tour and its players. Items include bowling balls, jerseys, score cards, pin sweeps and photos.

The PBA has partnered with FansDepot and Truition to create the online auction which can be found at http://auction.pba.com/.

Jr. Team USA Member Is Bowler of the Month

Josie Earnest of Vandalia, Ill. has been named Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA)/ Kegel Bowler of the Month for September. Earnest, a third-year member of Junior Team USA, won four gold medals and one silver medal at the 2008 PABCON Youth Championships in ElSalvador. She won gold medals in Singles, Trios, Team and All-Events, and took the silver medal in Doubles. Earnest averaged 214.08 for her 24 tournament games.

Sunday Professional Bowling Kickoff

Just before this Sunday’s Professional Bowling Association's 2008-09 season kickoff telecast at 1:00pm on ESPN (Chris Paul Celebrity Invitational), bowling fans can go back in time 15 years and view highlights of the 1993 Greater Harrisburg Open championship round. That edited one-hour program will begin at 12 noon Eastern on ESPN Classic.

Click for the complete PBA Tour television schedule on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic.

PBA OFFERS MORE ‘XTRA’

From the Bowlers Journal e-Bowler.
The Professional Bowling Association has added new features to its online video service, Xtra Frame, for the 2008-09 season, which kicks off on Sunday with the the airing of the Chris Paul PBA Charity Invitational, presented by the brands of Ebonite International, at 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

Xtra Frame is the only place on the Web for behind-the-scenes videos of the PBA Tour, including interviews with bowling stars, special features, cover-age of the Senior Tour and Women’s Series, and archived ESPN telecasts. Fans can currently tune in to see Women’s Series and Tour Trials interviews, and activity from the Chris Paul event.

Once the regular season starts, Xtra Frame will be adding new content six days a week. Fans will be able to tune in on Fridays (or Saturdays in the cases of the PBA World Championship, U.S. Open and Don Johnson Buckeye State Eliminator Championship) and watch Round of 8 or round robin action streaming live. Xtra Frame is available for $5.95 per month and features videos in Windows Media On-Demand and Streaming Windows Media.

The Modern Bowling Ball

The Story of the bowling ball on Discovery Channel's Modern Marvels television show. Check out the You-Tube video.

2008 PBA Women’s Series Schedule

Date Tournament Location
Oct. 29 - Nov. 2, 2008 Pepsi Viper Championship Omaha, Neb.
Nov. 12 - 16, 2008 Chameleon Championship Taylor, Mich.
Nov. 26 - 30, 2008 Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship Vernon Hills, Ill.
Dec. 3 - 7, 2008 Cheetah Championship Cheektowaga, N.Y.
Dec. 10 - 14, 2008 Lumber Liquidators Shark Championship Baltimore, Md.
Jan. 4 - 6, 2009 Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles
Championship Reno, Nev.
Jan. 14 - 18, 2009 Earl Anthony Medford Classic Medford, Ore.

The Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship in Vernon Hills, Ill., and the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship in Reno, Nev., have been renamed in recognition of the accomplishments and contributions to the PBA by these all-time greats.

“These icons of bowling helped establish our sport in the fabric of America and it is only fitting that during our 50th anniversary we single them out for special recognition,” said PBA Commissioner Fred Schreyer. “The popularity of our sport also is reflected in the outstanding sponsors that are so vital to the success of our Tour.”

Carmen Salvino and Don and Paula Carter join legends like Dick Weber, Earl Anthony and Don Johnson to have PBA tournaments named after them.

Salvino, one of the original seven founding charter members, won 17 PBA Tour titles as a professional, including the 1962 PBA National Championship. He also served the PBA in various capacities for the past 57 years.

“Anytime someone wants to acknowledge you for your professional achievements, especially the PBA by naming an event after you, it makes you feel extremely honored,” Salvino said. “I feel very fortunate that the PBA has decided to recognize my career and happy that my grandkids will be able to attend the tournament.”

Don Carter, a charter member of the PBA and one of the 50 Greatest, won two titles in 1960, including the PBA National Championship, as well as four titles in 1962. He also won the 1961 USBC Masters and the BPAA All-Star in 1953-54 and 1957-58. He was named six-time Bowler of the Year and was voted Greatest Bowler of All-Time in 1970.

Carter’s wife, Paula, was women’s bowling most marketable player in the 1970s and 80s. She was named Bowling Writers Association of America Bowler of the Year in 1971, named to the Florida Bowler Hall of Fame, twice winning the U.S. Open in 1971 and 1975 and the Florida Bowling Queen’s Tournament. She also won the 1990 Women’s International Bowling Congress National Singles Championship. She was inducted into the WIBC Hall of Fame in 1994.

“This fits perfectly for us,” Paula Carter said. “Anytime you can put a fun spin on the game and make the experience more exciting for fans is a positive for bowling, which is what the mixed doubles tournament is all about.”

Three New from Brunswick

Twisted Fury Destruction, Maxxx Zone and pearl Avalanche Slide expected November 3rd.

The TF Destruction features pearl Pacific Blue and Chrome “XLerator Reactive” coverstock, finished at rough buff. The Asymmetrical Core yields an RG of 2.548 and RG diff of 0.036.

The MaxXX Zone®, Brunswick’s recommendation “the ball to go to when you’re looking for the Max. Maximum Hook, Maximum Traction, Maximum Coverstock.” The “PlaZma Reactive” Solid is Black/Blue/ Purple finished at 600 – Wet Sand. RG-max: 2.522, RG-diff.:0.042.

Retro cores and strong reactive coverstocks have defined the Avalanche series. Using proven core technology and high quality coverstocks, the Avalanche delivers value to the bowling customer. All Avalanche balls use the acclaimed light bulb core initially used in the Teal Rhino Pro®. The light bulb core and its Danger Zone® modification were at the heart of two of the most successful balls of all time. The Avalanche Slide uses the brand new "PowrKoil XD Reactive" coverstock which has been specifically designed to provide extra distance (XD) through the heads when compared to the traditional "PowrKoil" coverstocks. Combined with the light bulb core, the "PowrKoil XD" coverstock of the Avalanche Slide gets cleanly through the heads, even on broken down lane conditions, while maintaining the strong back-end reaction.

2008-09 PBA Women’s Series

Meet the Sweet 16 for the 2008-09 PBA Women’s Series. The 16 exempt women bowlers for the 2008-2009 season include: Diandra Asbaty, Missy Bellinder, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Joy Esterson, Michelle Feldman, Clara Guerrero, Brenda Mack, Adrienne Miller, Tennelle Milligan, Stefanie Nation, Shannon O’Keefe, Jen Petrick, Shannon Pluhowsky, Trisha Reid, Jodi Woessner and Shalin Zulkifli.

2008 PBA Senior Awards

The Professional Bowlers Association announced October 7th, that Tom Baker won 2008 PBA Senior Player of the Year honors, Wayne Webb was named PBA Senior Rookie of the Year and Fred Baldwin was awarded the first Dick Weber Sportsmanship Award.

The awards for the 2008 PBA Senior Tour season were voted on by PBA membership and national media.

Super Bowl High Roller Features

$50,000 for 1st Place, a New Division and 2-Game Qualifying are changes to February’s Super Bowl High Roller. Look for a change in eligibility PLUS more players going to the Grand Finals. Click on www.high-roller.com.

The Bounty from 900 Global

New introduction from 900 Global, the Bounty is covered with "S77 BASF Reactive" finished at 1,000 Grit Abralon, with a "Double Cross" Asymmetric Core. 15# R.G. - 2.487, Diff. -0.054.

Getting a piece of the Bounty bounty ($25,000) offered by 900 Global involves perfection and some paperwork. Check out The Bounty.

Terrell-Kearney 2008 U.S. Women's Open Winner

In the first matchup of African-American athletes for a professional title in the history of bowling, Kim Terrell-Kearney of Dover, Del., defeated Trisha Reid of Columbus, Ohio, 216-189, to win the 2008 U.S. Women's Open, a United States Bowling Congress event.

Luoto Wins EBT Title

Patricia Luoto become the 10th woman to win a European Bowling Tour title as she claimed the 2008 Columbia 300 Vienna Open today (Sunday).

Luoto, a native of Germany now living in Finland, defeated Sweden's Martin Paulsson, 224-201 (including eight pins handicap for Luoto) to win the title. All women competing on the European Bowling Tour receive eight pins handicap per game.

Team USA's Lynda Barnes is widely considered one of the best bowlers in the world - male or female. So when she arrived to compete in the 2008 Columbia 300 Vienna Open, she was a little stunned to find out that even she would get eight pins a game handicap.

Barnes is one of nearly 300 bowlers from 28 countries competing this week at the 2008 Columbia 300 Vienna Open. For complete coverage of the tournament, including standings and updates after each squad, visit BowlingDigital.com.

2008 U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN TODAY

WATCH THE FINAL INSTALLMENT

The final four is set.

The semifinals and championship match for the 2008 U.S. Women's Open, a USBC event, will air on ESPN today (Sunday) at 2 p.m. ET (Check local listings).

iBowl on the iPhone

SGN, a social gaming company, has launched iBowl which provides technology for an iPhone user to virtually bowl.

To play iBowl, the user depresses the "bowl" button on the touch screen interface throughout the swing and releases the button at the end of the swing to direct the ball down the lane. By twisting your wrist while you swing the iPhone player can create spins and control the direction of the ball.

Bowl Free for a Year

On Oct 9th, millions of consumers who have collected points from purchasing Pepsi products get a chance to win a FREE YEAR of BOWLING on www.pepsistuff.com . Check it out at www.pepsistuff.com .

USBC Members 2007-2008

United States Bowling Congress reported 2,482,785 members for the just completed 2007-08 season, down from the 2,608,279 of the prior season (a 4.8% drop).

In contrast, Sport Bowling league membership was up 13%, accompanied by a rise in 2007-08 honor scores.

The above drop coincides with a 2% decline in the number of bowling centers from the prior year with USBC certifying 5,443 centers and 113,041 lanes in the U.S., Puerto Rico and on U.S. military bases. The average lanes-per-center is 20.67. PA had the most centers with 378 while MI had the most lanes with 8,060. WI was second in centers with 362 followed by MI with 353, NY with 339 and OH with 331. Following MI in lanes were NY (7,303), OH (7,290), CA (6,614) and IL (6,456).

PBA Regional Players Invitational

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) announced the schedule for the 2008 Regional Players Invitational Tournament (RPI) presented by the Sands Regency Casino Hotel to be held Dec. 9-11 at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. The event is considered the "Super Bowl" of the PBA Regional Tour.

This year marks the 10th consecutive year that the event will be contested at the National Bowling Stadium.

For more click: PBA/RPI

New Look for PBA.com

The The Professional Bowlers Association’s (PBA) 50th Anniversary celebration now has extended to its Web site, pba.com, which has undergone a redesign that launched Wednesday Octobber 1st. Users will notice visual changes like 50th Anniversary logos and a cleaner, more user-friendly look. New features on the home page include a photo gallery, an "In the News" section which will feature links to articles written about the PBA from throughout the country, and soon there will be a fantasy bowling section. Check out the story on PBA members competing in the Weber Cup in Barnsley, Great Britain. USA TIED AFTER DAY ONE WEBER CUP ACTION

Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational

Chris Paul has been an NBA All-Star, an NCAA All-American, and an Olympic gold medalist. He also might be the biggest athlete ambassador to the sport of bowling there is today.

To kick off the 2008-09, PBA season, the 50th anniversary for the league, professional bowlers and basketball players alike joined forces for the inaugural Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This event was held in conjunction with the Third Annual Chris Paul’s Winston-Salem Weekend, and all of the proceeds will support a variety of charities and programs associated with and supported by Chris Paul’s CP3 Foundation.

This landmark event represents the first time professional athletes from other sports partnered with professional bowlers for a bowling event with a dedicated telecast. Both the professional bowlers and the NBA superstars were excited to be part of such an event.

“This gives me an opportunity to show a part of me and it also gives an opportunity for the world to see how big of a sport bowling is,” said Paul, the New Orleans Hornets superstar point guard. “Bowling is a competitive sport and something that I’m very, very involved in, and I love it.”

The bowlers seemed to have an especially good time. “I was really pumped; it was great bowling with my partner (Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James),” said Team Dexter Pro Jason Couch. “It was huge for me to meet these guys, let alone bowl with them.” Reported by Dexter Bowling.