Bowling Notes from Bowlers Journal e-news

When the United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials takes place in January, members of Team USA will be determined based on a points system, rather than total pinfall. 

The new way of determining automatic qualifiers for Team USA, as well as the Team USA Trials champions, will reward consistency and versatility over the course of the four-day event, which will be contested on four lane conditions. 

The 2012 event is scheduled to take place Jan. 2-6 at Texas Station in Las Vegas. Info: bowl.com/teamusatrials

Ronnie “Country Boy” Russell is ready to plow over the competition as the newest pro bowler to join the DV8 pro bowling staff. Russell, who was ranked 15th on the 2010-2011 PBA Tour, is a native of Marion, IN. 

Russell joins staff members: Brian “Deuce” Valenta, two-time PBA title-winner Mike “Choogs” Machuga, and Finnish bowler Joonas “JJ” Jahi.

Jaclyn Marinkovich, a.k.a. Jackie Bowling, has what many would consider a dream job doing interviews on the PBA Tour. 

 

In August of 2010, Marinkovich was invited by the PBA to interview Wayne Webb, the winner of a senior event held in Jackson, MI. With no broadcasting experience or training, the PBA’s biggest fan, Jackie Bowling, was born. 

The PBA was so impressed with Marinkovich’s passion for the game, officials asked her to join pba.com’s Xtra Frame team, as the “fan personality” interviewing players between matches about their game and equipment. 

Marinkovich’s involvement on Xtra Frame caught the attention of the Powerhouse Bowling brand manager, Rich Hanson. Powerhouse produces a line of equipment and maintenance products for both pro shops and consumers. 

“Jackie’s an excellent fit for the Powerhouse brand,” said Hanson. “We noticed that she had a great personality, and she seemed like a very genuine person, so we approached the PBA to see if we could sponsor her interviews.” 

For the 2011-12 bowling season, Marinkovich has been signed to a full staff contract by Powerhouse, and she’ll represent the brand not only on tour, but at industry events as well. 

$30,000 in Bonus Money Up for Grabs

In just a few months, Sunset Station Hotel and Casino in Henderson, Nevada, will become a hotbed for bowling, and competitors will have the chance to strike it rich with three big tournaments: the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Masters, the International Mini and the World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA) International Open.

In addition to the lucrative prizes up for grabs at each tournament, there will be a special $30,000 prize fund available to those who compete in all three events. There is no additional fee to be eligible for a share of the jackpot, and the bowler with the highest 20-game pinfall will take home a top prize of $10,000.

The 20-game pinfall total will include:

• 10 qualifying games from the USBC Masters.

• Highest four-game qualifying series from the International Mini.

• Highest six-game qualifying series from the WTBA International Open.

The latter two tournaments will allow re-entries, so bowlers will have the opportunity to improve their standings for the special prize fund.

“All three tournaments have pulled together to provide the ultimate opportunity for the bowlers, and we're looking forward to celebrating an exciting couple of weeks in Las Vegas,” said Brian Lewis, USBC Managing Director of Tournaments. “Not only is there a lot of money to be won, there also are three entertaining formats that are sure to appeal to many bowlers.”

The Masters, which features a double-elimination match-play bracket for the top 63 qualifiers and the defending champion, will be contested Jan. 22-29. Qualifying rounds for the International Mini and the WTBA event will be held Jan. 28-Feb. 5, with both events leading to unique finals on the last day of competition.

The top prize at the 2012 Masters will be $50,000, while the International Mini and International Open champions will take home $30,000 and $20,000, respectively. All bowlers are eligible to compete in these events, including international competitors and bowlers who are exempt on the PBA Tour.

For entry, hotel or general information about these events, visit: bowl.com/masters

World Tour Expands Again

The World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA)’s World Bowling Tour continues to gain momentum heading into 2012, as two more events have signed on to be a part of the second year of the circuit.

The International Bowling Championship 2012 supported by DHC in Hakata, Japan, and the Columbia 300 Vienna Open in Vienna, Austria, have been added to the schedule. These additions bring the World Bowling Tour to 12 events for 2012.

“We are pleased to welcome these two new events to the World Bowling Tour,” WTBA President Kevin Dornberger said. “The World Bowling Tour continues to grow and gain momentum, and we will be announcing even more additions to the tour in the coming days.”

The International Bowling Championship will feature one of the largest prize funds on the World Bowling Tour, with an estimated $350,000 available. The event will take place Feb. 7-11.

The Vienna Open will celebrate its 10-year anniversary in 2012, and is scheduled to take place Oct. 2-7 at Plus Bowling.

In addition to the events in Japan and Austria, two other new events for 2012 have been announced, with the Bahamas International Bowling Classic and the WTBA International Open now on the schedule. The eight events that made up the inaugural tour in 2011 have all agreed to remain a part of the tour in 2012, Dornberger said.

The 2011 World Bowling Tour wraps up this week with the AMF Australian Masters, which ends Saturday. Upon completion of that event, the top three men and three women in the World Bowling Tour rankings will be announced. Those players will take part in the World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) on Nov. 17 in Las Vegas.

The WTBA, which is made up of 115 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA and the World Bowling Tour, visit: WorldTenpinBowling.com

Re-posted from: Bowlers Journal International E-Bowler weekly e-newsletter

PBA All-In Showdown Field Adds Rash and Jones

Overnight entries by Sean Rash and Tommy Jones have filled the field for the PBA’s BowlersDeals.com All-In Showdown, a winner-take-all special event that will be held at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas on Friday, Nov. 4, to kick off the two-week PBA World Series of Bowling. 

With the field filled at eight players, the All-In Showdown will pay the winner a jackpot of $45,000, including a $5,000 bonus from BowlersDeals.com. All three two-game elimination rounds will be webcast live on pba.com’s Xtra Frame starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern (3:30 p.m. Pacific) on Nov. 4. 

Following the initial entries by Chris Barnes and Chris Warren, the next players to plunk down their $5,000 entry fees were Joe Paluszek, a two-time PBA East Region title winner and seven-year PBA member; four-time PBA Tour title winner Brian Himmler; and current PBA Tour exempt players Ronnie Russell and Bill O’Neill. Rash and Jones, who are competing in the Australian Masters in Victoria, Australia, completed the field. Mike DeVaney had hoped to enter as well, and was selling $500 shares to sponsors. But he did not collect the full entry fee needed before the field filled. 

“It’s the closest thing around to old-school bowling,” Paluszek, a 31-year-old pro shop owner, said. “I’ve always bowled action. If you put your own money up, you find out who wants to play. As long as they don’t add extra pins to the rack, I have as good a chance as anyone else. I’m not scared.” 

“I grew up bowling a lot of action around the Super Hoinke tournament,” said Himmler. “I’ve been pretty successful on TV. I thrive in that environment. I’m looking forward to it.” 

“The ratio for winning a big paycheck is pretty good if you have a couple of big games,” the 31-year-old Russell said. “I’ve bowled some games on TV for $20,000 and that’s about the same thing. No, sir, I have no fear bowling these guys. I barely even focus on who I’m bowling against. If I don’t bowl good, it doesn’t matter who you’re bowling against.” 

O’Neill and Jones were both entered into the event by TheBowlingShop.com in Dallas, which is owned by fellow PBA Tour competitor Dino Castillo. 

“I think this is a great event. It’ll be very exciting,” Castillo said. “We felt like Bill’s experience gives us a great option, especially as good as he’s bowling right now. And Tommy is one of the best action players in the game. And if either one wins, we’re going to donate a portion of the prize money to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, so it’ll be good for everyone. 

“I like my odds,” Castillo added. 

“I’m probably as intense a competitor as there is in the sport,” O’Neill, a three-time PBA Tour champion, said. “I hate losing more than anyone, so I’m planning on winning this thing. If I didn’t think I could win, I wouldn’t enter.”

Columbia 300 Introduces The Benchmark

In nearly three-quarters of a century of existence, the Columbia 300 brand has a history of producing benchmark bowling balls – balls that set the standard for performance.

“Every bowler needs a benchmark, that dependable, predictable ball that you can always count on,” said Columbia 300’s PBA staff player Chris Barnes. “As long as that ball is in my bag, I know I have that safety net that will get me out of trouble - no matter what comes my way.”

With a new coverstock, the New Standard ReactiveTM Hybrid, the engineers at Columbia 300 have developed the right amount of traction to work effectively on most typical house patterns and a great variety of tournament patterns. Of the four colors used in the coverstock, one is a pearl silver, making the veneer a Hybrid and resulting in the right amount of length. The new coverstock surrounds the Power Swing “Tri-Rib” core a symmetric core with a medium RG and medium to high Differential.

“The Benchmark will work on most typical league patterns and medium volume tournament patterns,” said Columbia 300 Brand Manager Bugsy Kelly. “The combination of a 4000 grit Abralon® finish N.S.R. Hybrid cover and the Tri-Rib core creates a great amount of mid-lane read and continuation through the backend.” The Benchmark will be available on November 10, 2011.

Brunswick Adds The Nexus Line

Brunswick revealed a pair of high performance balls will be added to their bowling ball lineup. A new solid entry is the Nexus ƒ(P+F), the Blue/Violet “Addaptive f(P+F) Solid” coverstock is finished 500, 1500 Siaair Micro Pad and surrounds the “Nexus Rotar” core (in #15 RG – 2.536 and RG Diff. - .056).

The second entry the Nexus ƒ(P) in Black/Blue/Silver Pearl “Addaptive f(P) Pearl” coverstock is finished: 500, 1500 Siaair Micro Pad and Rough Buff Finish. It covers the “Nexus Arrowhead” core (#15 RG - 2.558 and RG Diff. - .056).

World Wide Release Date: November 11, 2011.

The Brunswick Nexus series will be introduced in a series of ball seminars in: Chicago, Orlando, FL., Fort Wayne, IN., Dayton, OH., Atlanta, Dallas, Greensboro, NC., and Denver from October 24th to November 4th.

Storm Products, Inc. Signs Remy Ong to International Staff

Storm Products, Inc. is excited to announce that Remy Ong, one of the premier bowlers in Asia, has signed a contract to represent Storm Products, Inc. Not only is Remy a highly respected bowler in his home country of Singapore, but around the world. 

“I am very happy to have Remy as our newest member of Team Storm International,” commented Robert Dong, VP of International Sales and Marketing for Storm Products, Inc. “He has been one of the best bowlers in Asia for many years and his passion and excellence will definitely bring more exposure to Storm and Roto Grip worldwide.”
 

Ong has numerous titles to his credit including his most recent title at the 2011 Saudi Open. In 2002, he became Singapore’s second male to win multiple gold medals in the Asian Games in 51 years. At ten years old, Ong’s uncle introduced him to bowling. Although he tried other sports, bowling was always his first love. At 16 years old, he bowled his first perfect game at the ATBC Championships. In 2007, Ong was voted Singapore’s “Sportsman of the Year”, for recognition of his overall achievement in the sport and the leadership of his team at the Asian Games in 2006. 

“Remy is without a doubt one of the better bowlers in the Asian Zone.” commented Johnson Cheng, an international distributor.
 

“This partnership will be a win-win situation for both parties. Welcome to the Storm family Remy, because that’s what Storm is, a family.”

Driven by his love of the game and mental tenacity, Ong has emerged as one of the most enduring and successful athletes in Asia. He’s not even 30 years old, but he is already making history. “Remy was my bowling student during his youth; I am very proud of him, and I’m excited to be working with him again,” commented longtime friend, A.K. Yong.

Visit stormbowling.com/athletes/international for more information on all of Storm’s international staff members.