4

6THE ISSUE AT HAND

Glass ceiling, you’reshattered

By Scott Frager

8SHORTS

Strike Ten-PBA joinforces...Dick Evans

dies...peoplewatching.

14CENTER STAGEThe most expensive

commercial bowling in theworld?

16MY FRAME

A tourniquet forUSBC

Would this six-stepplan stop the membership

hemorrhage?By Jim Salisbury

18OFF THE CLOCK

Fin fanFor Cesare

Lancellotti, high times aredown below.

31

CONTENTS

24COVER STORYShe will have somemore, pleaseFor Diandra Asbaty,there’s no such thing asliving too fully.By Lydia Rypcinski

31EXPO SHORTSNew day for Women’sOpen...Palin’s keynotespeech...hello andgoodbye.

33BOWLING ARTSA heart of woodBowling lanes are rebornby a Brooklyn artisan.

46REMEMBER WHEN1960sIt was everything to beyoung...and bowling.

36 Showcase

37 Datebook

38 Classifieds

VOL 18.8THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING

IBI August 2010

18

24

PUBLISHER & EDITORScott Frager

frager@bowlingindustry.comSkype: scottfrager

MANAGING EDITORFred Groh

groh@bowlingindustry.com

OFFICE MANAGERPatty Heath

heath@bowlingindustry.com

CONTRIBUTORLydia RypcinskiJim Salisbury

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTVictoria Tahmizian

tahmizian@bowlingindustry.com

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTIONDesignworks

www.dzynwrx.com(818) 735-9424

FOUNDERAllen Crown (1933-2002)

13245 Riverside Dr., Suite 501Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

(818) 789-2695(BOWL)Fax (818) 789-2812

info@bowlingindustry.com

www.BowlingIndustry.com

HOTLINE: 888-424-2695

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy ofInternational Bowling Industry is sent free toevery bowling center, independently ownedpro shop and collegiate bowling center inthe U.S., and every military bowling centerand pro shop worldwide. Publisher reservesthe right to provide free subscriptions tothose individuals who meet publicationqualifications. Additional subscriptions maybe purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50per year. Subscriptions for Canada andMexico are $65 per year, all other foreignsubscriptions are $80 per year. All foreignsubscriptions should be paid in U.S. fundsusing International Money Orders.POSTMASTER: Please send new as well asold address to International Bowling Industry,13245 Riverside Drive, Suite 501, ShermanOaks, CA 91423 USA. If possible, pleasefurnish address mailing label.Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2010, B2B Media,Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprintedwithout the publisher’s permission.

MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:

6 IBI August 2010

THE ISSUE AT HAND

This Bowl Expo, an announcementwas made to attendees that trumpedthe keynote appearance of Sarah Palin.Unless you’ve been living under rocks,you’ve heard it, too. The resurrection ofthe U.S. Women’s Open in 2011,sponsored by Ebonite International.

Ebonite has always been a hugesupporter of women’s bowling and Ibelieve they deserve a lot ofcredit. I recall way backwhen I first met face-to-face with Bob Reid inHopkinsville, KY. He wasbrand-new to the industryand felt that the women’stour (there was a women’stour back then) had animportant place in thisindustry even though it didn’t offerwhat a lot of sports marketerstraditionally jaw about: exposure,exposure, and exposure.

Now it seems long ago when bowlingmarketing professionals used theirinstinct, knack and sense of doing theright thing to make sponsorship decisions,instead of cold, impersonal matrices andspreadsheets and ROI charts. There aresome business decisions that just haveto be made from the heart and soul.Kudos to Ebonite!

Back to Expo. This year’s GeneralSession was dominated by veryprominent women. Yes, we had Palin asa keynoter but the substantive presencecame from industry leaders like:

• Darlene Baker, who took over asUSBC president this month.

• Nancy Schenk, who became BPAAsecretary.

• Cathy DeSocio, who becamepresident-elect of BPAA.

And eight top women bowlers who

were called up to the stage as the big announcement was made aboutthe 2011 Women’s Open. Eight smart, athletic, ambitious achievers.

Just maybe, that on-stage group of women represents the next bigthing in bowling.

In my early years in the industry, very few women were given theopportunity to shine and become leaders. Don’t get me wrong. Therewere powerful and remarkable women. But few broke into the “club.”Today, happily, our industry’s glass ceiling can be considered shattered.No one can say all the ways that women will improve this industry as

a result. It’s a conservative guess, though,they will work some wonders that men canonly have dreamed of.

I would not say that 2011 will be theYear of Woman, however. That’s becauseI think that every year should be. And Iam quite proud that IBI has featuredmore women on our covers and profiledmore women on our pages than any othertrade magazine – most recently, Wanda

Arthur (December 2009) and Lisa Ciniello (February 2010).This month, you’ll walk away proud of what’s possible in our

business after you read our cover story on Diandra Asbaty. For thisterrific young lady, being one of the best bowlersin the world isn’t enough. Being an entrepreneurisn’t enough, ether. She strives to be the besthuman she can be. Now that’s something we canall learn from.

– SCOTT FRAGER, PUBLISHERAND EDITORfrager@bowlingindustry.com

Glass ceiling, you’re shattered

�THIS MONTH AT www.BowlingIndustry.com

Now Classifieds...online. Alwaysbrowse ads for free. For a limitedtime, post your ad free...no wordlimit...add pictures...send readersdirectly to your website. Getstarted by going towww.BowlingIndustry.com andclick on ‘Classifieds’ at the top ofthe page.

8 IBI August 2010

SHORTS

A two-year pact with Anheuser-Busch, under whichBudweiser becomes bowling’s official beer, is the firstsponsorship secured by a joint venture for sales between StrikeTen and PBA.

The arrangement will be for a year with the expectationthat it will continue indefinitely after that, according to PBApresident and CEO Fred Schreyer.

The understanding was finalized at Bowl Expo after talksthat began in April, and at press time was expected on paperwithin 10 days.

Strike Ten and PBA also jointly recruited a new agency, VanWagner Sports in New York.

Dollar amounts being advanced by PBA and Strike Tenwere not disclosed, but do not involve either side subsidizingthe other, Schreyer said. Also not revealed was the tag on theBudweiser deal, although Bud’s new status was announcedat Expo.

Noting that exposure of PBA sponsors is limited to PBA

telecasts and the sites of PBA events, Schreyer commented,“We don’t have the penetration through the bowling centersthat you get through Strike Ten and/or the BPAA. Manymarketers find the ability to interact with consumers inbowling centers to be an attractive opportunity. So to theextent we can collaborate with [Strike Ten], it gives us theopportunity to put more compelling offers together.”

BPAA E.D. Steve Johnson said “the entire industry wins”under the agreement. “Having bowling on television is goodfor the industry and PBA’s got a very good product. BPAA,the PBA and Strike Ten, we’re all striving for the same thing,and that’s to elevate the sport of bowling and to build top-of-mind awareness and to get more people coming into ourbowling centers at the end of the day.”

Johnson joined Schreyer and Frank DeSocio, vice presidentfor activation at Strike Ten, in the discussions that led to theStrike Ten-PBA agreement.

Schreyer said that about five years ago, the twoorganizations “tried something like this and it worked for awhile. Then it got sidetracked for various reasons, so we’rekind of trying it again.”

Strike Ten, PBA Join Forces;Ink ‘Official Beer’

Renowned bowling writerDick Evans, a member of thePBA and USBC Halls of Fame,died July 4 in Daytona Beach,FL, of cancer. He was 78.

In a career of more than 60years, most of them based atThe Miami Herald, Evanswrote about high schoolsports of all kinds, collegefootball, pro boxing, golf,water skiing, wrestling,horseracing, dog racing, jai-jai, and, for 14 months, was

an interim editor for religion news. But stronger than any of those beats in his

résumé were tennis – which he played avidly to theend of his life – and bowling – where he was themost decorated writer at the time of his passing. Thefirst daily newspaper reporter to be inducted into thePBA and USBC Halls, he was also honored withBPAA’s V.A. Wapensky Award for contributions tothe industry (2007) and BBIA’s Industry ServiceAward (1986).

He covered bowling for The Miami Herald

from 1957 until last year, despite officially retiring from thepaper in 1989. He moved to Daytona Beach and from 1994until his death, wrote bowling for The Daytona Beach News-Journal as well.

In the 1970s and early ’80s, his stories for the Knight-RidderNews Wire were sent to 144 daily papers with a combinedcirculation of more than 10 million.

Evans wrote mostly about the bowling game and the players,but a turn of his interests toward bowling business brought himinto IBI’s territory late in life. After a profile on Evans ran in theJune 2007 issue, he became an IBI contributor with a DonCarter interview about the business side of the legendarybowler’s career.

Ironically as well as sadly, his final piece for IBI was hispersonal look back on bowling in Miami. It was published lastmonth.

A born newspaperman, Evans wasted no time getting started.He was delivering the Miami News at age 12, and takinggreyhound racing results and writing headlines for small storiesin The Miami Herald at 14. Three years later, he joined the full-time staff of The Herald as a copy boy. At age 20, he moved intoThe Herald’s sports department.

Evans is survived by his wife, Joan Gano Evans; son RichardEvans, a Louisville, KY attorney; and three grandchildren,Peyton, Carter and Walker.

Dick Evans, Widely Honored Bowling Writer, Dies

10 IBI August 2010

SHORTS

Nottke’s Family Fun Center owner Dan Labrecque,who combined bowling and a job fair for residents ofhis Battle Creek, MI area, was featured by Fox News hostJohn Stossel. Labrecque’s program was profiled in ourDecember 2009 issue.

Brian Graham is new director of marketing forBrunswick consumer products. Graham was mostrecently USBC’s director of youth development. Priorto that, he was brand manager at Ebonite International.

Stephen Shanabrook vowed he would break the122-hour record for continuous bowling. He startedbefore press time for this issue, but was scheduled tofinish too late for us to report on how he did. Tune innext month.

Jack McCarthy, Kentucky BPA president (at presstime) and former manager of Fern Valley Strike andSpare, is managing the center again. A unit of LarrySchmittou’s Strike and Spare chain of 15 bowls, FernValley was remodeled by McCarthy nine years agobefore he went out on his own as owner and operatorof Lyndon Lanes. Both properties are in Louisville.McCarthy has owned several centers and served aspresident of the state association several times in his33 years in the industry.

PEOPLEWATCHING

Practicing for the annualfundraiser golf outing of theBPA of Western New York,Mary Jo Martin gets a few tipsand some exasperation fromManor Lanes and ManorLanes II owner Jim Russo.

The event was Aug. 2 atLancaster Country Club,Lancaster, NY, to raisescholarship money for youngbowlers. Proceeds of thisyear’s tournament had notbeen counted at press time,but the annual events haveraised more than $120,000 inscholarships for more than 240youngsters.

Eye on the BallSCHEMM OUTING NETS $5,000+

FOR CHARITYThree charities shared $5,146 raised by the 28th SBI

(Schemm Bowling) Charity Golf Outing in June.Held at Kettle Hills Golf Course, Richfield, WI, the event

drew 113 golfers from 39 bowling centers and the state BPA.The Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin Scholarship

Fund received $1,130 (including a match of $565 from SBI);Bowlers to Veterans Link, $1,708; and McCardle Labs for CancerResearch at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, $2,308.

Since 1994, the golf outing has raised more than $71,000for charity.

New Venue for World CupThe 46th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup will not be held in

Croatia. Organizers said the Cup will be played Oct. 15-24 inToulon, on the French Riviera.

QubicaAMF president and CEO John Walker said the venuechange was prompted by ownership transfer at the center that wasto host the tournament and by the economic climate in Croatia.

This year’s event will mark the third World Cup to be playedin France.

12 IBI August 2010

SHORTS

Roger Camp, 66, looks backon a career in commoditiestrading, then the computer world.Next, he got into real estate andabout two years ago found himselfwith an empty supermarket and anidea that bowling might go prettywell in Mebrane, NC.

Camp wound up going wholehog, he admits, starting with thename. ‘ZBowl’ is a stylized versionof The Bowl, as in “the place youdon’t want to miss.” Therestaurant is Za’s Bar + Grill; theexecutive suite is not ‘VIP’ but‘Z.I.P.’ You get the idea.

The carpet, naturally, has acustom design using the letter Zand a bowling ball. The samedesign, with the colors reversed,was used for the masking. Panelsthat look like stylized clouds hangover the approaches. Camp has6,000 feet of arcade and 60 games there.

The house is set up on three levels – lanebed, lanes, bar –each a foot and a half or so above the one below it. “The ideais that parents can from that bar look down on all the bowlinglanes and into the arcade [and] restaurant, [and] keep a really

good eye on their kids.”Speaking of the bar, it has 24

taps with room for another 12,plus 60 or 70 brands of bottledbeer. The beer cooler has clearsides so patrons can look insideand enjoy a light show playingover the kegs. ZBowl has a winebar, but Camp says he doesn’texpect to sell very much. “This isa beer-drinking crowd.”

The house is excessive bydesign, says Camp. Locatedhalfway between the Greensboroand Raleigh metro areas, “we hadto create something that was adestination.”

He did. ZBowl opened on May1, and on Memorial Day weekend,customers waited 90 minutes fora lane and the restaurant and barwere both full. “Wonderful to see,and a big surprise,” says Camp.

Now he is looking for the best manager he can find so hecan get on with his next project. It will be in Surf City about 100miles away at the seaside and would include a small motel, drugstore, and other retailers.

Bowling, too? “Hell yeah. That’s what I do now!”

BOWLING CAMP

Redemption Plus, a leadingdistributor of redemption prizes,incentive merchandise andmanagement consulting, haslaunched a podcast series aspart of its free RedemptionUniversity website.

The series will featureindustry leaders discussingtrends and best practices in thefamily entertainment industry.

The podcasts compliment alibrary of educational contentthat includes videos, webinars,articles, case studies, andwhite papers.

Redemption University is athttp://www.redemptionplus.com/redemptionu/.

FEC PODCASTSEver want to know really what

makes the difference between topbowlers and everybody else? FranzFuss did. A professor at RoyalMelbourne Institute of Technology(RMIT University, for short) inMelbourne, Australia, he decided tofind out the scientific way.

Fuss loaded bowling ball holeswith tubes connected to transducers,which in turn were connected to theshell of the ball. The transducersmeasured the force applied bythumb and forefinger to the tubes,and therefore to the ball.

Bowlers who scored higherapplied more force to the ball duringthe forward swing, thus moving andaccelerating faster in the delivery.

Fuss also discovered they had larger ratios of pinchforce, period and impulse of forward swing tobackswing.

If you want more Fuss on the research, the placeto go is Sports Technology journal, published byWiley Interscience. You could also write theprofessor at franz. fuss@rmit.edu.au.

Smart B-Balls!

QubicaAMF will kiln-dry a mammoth blackwalnut tree when it is cut down in a few weeks.

The tree is about the same height as the three-storybuilding of Lowville Academy and Central School inLowville, NY, near whose entrance it has stood sincethe school was built in 1924. The tree is about 100 yearsold, a school official estimates, and has a circumferenceof about 11 feet. The tree is dying of natural causes.

The wood will be used to make furniture, plaquesand other items for the school. There are no plans tosell any of the wood.

LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR

14 IBI August 2010

CENTER STAGE

two or three in a private suite, depending on location.It’s the suites that occasion the rumors about price.

Perhaps it suffices to say that at the Brick Lane location(this page and bottom right), the private lanes have theirown cocktail bar, catering facilities, restrooms, 42-inch plasma screens that can be used for karaoke orpresentations, and an iPod docking station socustomers can bring their own music if they wish.

A special canapé menu for the suites is based onAmerican fare, and for more competitive guests, thehouse will arrange private tournaments in the suite withprizes that include champagne, personalized bowlingshirts, and trophy pins in gold or silver engraved to order.

Demand is holding quite well, thank you. An eventsmanager at each All Star Lanes location is employedspecifically for the private suite. ❖

Is this the most expensivecommercial bowling in the world?

That’s what we hear about AllStar Lanes, whose three locationsare in London. The company ismum about the prices as far aspublication goes, it turns out, exceptto say that bowling on its publiclanes is £8.75 (about U.S. $13) perperson per game.

Whatever the money side, bowlingat All Star Lanes is bound to be onanybody’s short list of most exclusivetenpin experiences. That’s owing tothe sleekness and the size of thevenues: four or six public lanes plus

centerSTAGE

At the bar, theUK’s largestselection ofbourbons, All Starsays. Karaokerooms arespeckled gold andbrown leather.

Belying the contemporarysophistication of the

decor, the All Star Lanesspirit is firmly in the 1950s,with an American accent.Chili, mac, and blueberrypancakes are among thespecialties of the house.

Customers can snack onMilk Duds and Lifesavers

and shop in a smallboutique for vintage

fashion.

16 IBI August 2010

he USBC finds itself at a crossroads. Coupled with thestaggering loss of membership over the past three decades,more and more leagues are choosing not to sanction. Morecenters are choosing not to certify. How do we relieve the

financial bleeding? How do we encourage proprietors to certify? Those who host

unsanctioned leagues are going to regret it when (and not if) someonestrolls south with the prize money. There is great risk and expense,especially with houses that host leagues with large prize funds, in self-insuring league deposits.

How do we satisfy the casual-competitive customer who does notwish to leave the comfort of the current bowling environment, who hasno desire to play under the tougher conditions that restoring theintegrity of the spot requires, and at the same time retain theirmembership dollars?

It is imperative that USBC and BPAA take the following six stepsto ensure our future.

1. Restructure the lane certification process.

Rewrite the lane topography specifications to restore some relevanceto the modern sport of tenpin bowling. What we measure, how wemeasure it, and the technology used in the tools of measurement havenot changed in the 100+ years of the Congress.

Establish a nationally administered inspection process, for thesereasons:

� The current system sets up the distinct possibility that a directcompetitor may be inspecting your house. It promulgates a “good ol’boys” network. It may also intensify a bad relationship between local

volunteers and the proprietor, and lead to the harmingof center revenues through rumor and innuendo.

� The cost of training and equipping all of theindividual local teams is inefficient and wasteful ofresources. Costs may be controlled more directlythrough a nationally administered inspection process.

� Consistency of judgment on center complianceis crucial. The system will attain the highest degree offairness through a centrally-managed inspectionprocess.

Require that all lanes be mapped and graphsprovided for all certified tournaments. Set the goalthat all certified lanes in the United States be mappedas part of the lane certification process.

2. Adopt the following lane condition

and equipment specifications:

Require that lanes be dressed with no more than theminimum amount of dressing needed to protect thelane surface and a low ratio of side-to-side applicationof conditioner.

Disallow bowling balls that ablate or use particletechnology.

Disallow any devise installed for the enhancementof the action of flat gutters, kickbacks, side boards,edgeboards or pin decks.

Require minimum pin weight of 3 pounds and 8ounces. Void pins singly for failing to comply with thisrequirement.

3. Establish a national average book.

The book should have three parts. Part I comparesand ranks all certified bowling centers on their placein the scoring environment. We have come up with themethodology to do this; the required data alreadyexists.

Part II includes the bowler’s individual averages,much like the average books locals distribute now. Itwould contain much more information on each bowler,however, and be different for each association to whichthe book is distributed.

Part III lists all USBC-certified tournament results foreach bowler. This would greatly help tournamentdirectors weed out sandbaggers and others trying togain an unfair advantage in tournament play.

A national average book would move the industrytoward enacting a slope-rated handicap system, an

MY FRAME

T

Would this 6-step plan stopthe membership hemorrhage?

BY JIM SALISBURY

17IBI August 2010

MY FRAME

ultimate aim.Funding: Local and national advertising sales.

4. Allow unsanctioned leagues to enroll with

the USBC as associate members. That is, create

two tiers of USBC membership.

This is the key recommendation in the plan, for two reasons.First, we must give bowlers the choice between purelycompetitive play and casual-competitive play if we want to bothretain the bowlers we have and develop new bowlers. Second,this step in the plan would be administered by proprietors, thosein the industry who are in the best position to facilitate therecruiting, retention and development of bowlers. Specifically,the elements of this fourth step of the plan:

Bowler members of unsanctioned leagues who are notmembers of any other USBC league pay only national USBC dues.Bowlers who are members of another USBC league pay anominal amount to cover the cost of bonding and administration.100% player participation is required for an unsanctioned leagueto be enrolled as an associate USBC member.

Associate members are extended all the financial and legalbenefits of full USBC membership. As long as all the rules arefollowed, the associate league is bonded; as long as theproper procedures are followed, individuals are allowed thesame grievance process for financial and discriminatory issues(civil rights).

Unsanctioned leagues must bowl on USBC-certified lanes.As long as all of the eligibility requirements are met, associatemembers are allowed to participate in any and all USBCnational, state and local tournaments.

Bowler associate members are issued identification cards.Bylaws for unsanctioned leagues dictate the playing rules,

lane conditions and equipment specifications the leaguemembers will play under. Any grievance that pertains solely tothese matters will be referred to the league officers foradjudication. No averages will be submitted to the USBC.

Associate members are not eligible for any awards program. Any unsanctioned league that wishes to continue its affiliation

as such with the USBC must enroll by the start of each season. Any league that wishes to sanction will be allowed to

upgrade its_ membership at any time by following the normalsanctioning procedures and paying the appropriate fees.

Projected income: Run-up, 2-3 years; $5m-$10m thereafter.

5. Establish a regulatory and equipment

specification body within USBC totally

independent from any special-interest group.

The body’s power to enact changes in rules and regulations

would be absolute. It would be staffed by outstanding membersof the bowling community who would have no interest in anyfor-profit group or group that advises for-profit bowling entities.

6. Establish a USBC department that deals

exclusively with municipal governments and

community relations.

Review zoning and taxation laws and possible ownership andoperation of bowling centers by local government.

Projected income: From revenue-sharing with localgovernment. ❖

Jim Salisbury is the proprietor of Park Lanes, Shippensburg, PA. He wasa lane technician for more than 30 years and a mechanic for morethan 20. He can be reached via info@bowlingindustry.com.

What do you think of the plan? Weigh in with yourcomments on www.BowlingIndustry.com.

think people see too many movies,”says Cesare Lancellotti, pointing outone more area of human endeavorwhere accuracy takes second place to

drama. Sharks, he says, do attack, butit’s accidental.

“The sharks cannot talk, they have nohands. The only way they have to findout who you are, assuming that theywant to do that, is by biting.”

Even to see them is unusual becausedivers create so much commotion. “Wemake bubbles, a lot of noise and usuallythe sharks go away. In Florida they feedthe sharks in order to call them so they’reclose enough to be seen by the divers. Ifyou don’t feed them, they disappear.They’re not interested in people like us.”

Lancellotti, now in his 21st year of

18 IBI August 2010

OFF THE CLOCK

FORCESARE

LANCELLOTTI,HIGH TIMESARE DOWN

BELOW.

FORCESARE

LANCELLOTTI,HIGH TIMESARE DOWN

BELOW.

I“

ONE OF THE MALDIVES, 400 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SRI LANKA. ABOUT 1,190 CORAL ISLANDS, OF WHICH 200 AREINHABITED, FORM THE REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES.

PALMS, SOFT SAND AND SOMEOF THE BEST DIVING IN THEWORLD. RESORT AT MABUL

ISLAND, OFF BORNEO.

FIN FAN

scuba diving in oceans around the world, should know. For thepast 12 he’s been a diving instructor, too. For his day job, hecoordinates the design and manufacturing of Switch bowlingequipment at the company’s Modena, Italy plant. Modena ishome for Ferrari, which is fitting since the Switch line wasdesigned by the carmaker’s principal stylist, Pininfarina.

Lancellotti grew up not far from there, in Guiglia, a small townin the mountains that almost surround Modena. “For me,there were mountains, snow, walking, and that’s all.” When hiswife, Cinzia, took up diving and couldn’t stop talking to theirfriends about it when they all got together, Lancellotti figuredhe’d better catch up.

“I immediately loved it.”Part of that may have been Elba, an island midway between

Corsica and the mainland. See Elba and think adventure,

perhaps because Napoleonspent his exile there.Lancellotti made his firstocean dive off the island.

That was preceded by fiveclassroom lessons and fivesessions in a swimming pool.After five ocean dives, he gothis first-level certification fordives as deep as – youguessed it – 55 feet.

He took his second level,certifying him to 120 feet, atPortofino on the Italian

Riviera. It has a coastline as spectacular as the name sounds.“Then I started to go everywhere, especially the Orient. I like

Orient, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand. The Philippines arebeautiful.” His favorite diving place in the world? The wateraround Borneo.

And yes, he’s experienced with sharks. “We’ve spent a lot ofmoney to go and dive with the shark. A crazy lot of money. Really.Cruising in the Sudan for a full week, only diving with sharks.”

He looks with eyes and camera, but never a spear gun. InEurope, it is absolutely forbidden, he says. “We don’t think thatis fair. You should give a gun to the fishes, then it’s even.”

Spear fishing is also dangerous. As the speared fish fightsto free itself, it generates waves that can be felt by sharks. Thisdoes create close shark encounters of the undesirable kind.

20 IBI August 2010

OFF THE CLOCK

DIVING PARTY FROM THE NAUTILUSSCHOOL AND TWO DISCOVERIES.THE GROUP WAS DIVING OFF ARI

ATOLL IN THE MALDIVES ISLANDS,SOUTH OF INDIA.

CESARE LANCELLOTTIAT EASE (ABOVE) ANDDRESSED FOR ANEXCURSION.

22 IBI August 2010

OFF THE CLOCK

“I SEE YOU.” MABUL ISLAND OFF BORNEO.

AT MALENORTH (ABOVE)

AND MALESOUTH (BELOW),

TWO ATOLLS INTHE MALDIVES.

SIPADAN ISLAND NEAR BORNEO.MANY DIVERS RATE IT ONE OF THE 10

BEST LOCATIONS IN THE WORLD.

“In the last 15 years they made a lot of natural reserves,underwater natural reserves, so the fish are safe. They are notscared and you can see everything. It is beautiful, plus we arelucky. Because of the Suez [Canal, opened 1869] we have a lotof fishes that came from the Red Sea, tropical fishes thatmoved and adapted to the Mediterranean.”

The scuba kit, proceeding from the feet up, begins with fins,then shoes “because the water is cold.” The diver wears a drysuit, which insulates the body with air, or a wet suit, whereinsulation is provided by water. Next, a belt weight that canbe lighter for more experienced divers; the less experiencedtend to keep more air in their lungs, hence to be more buoyant,hence to require more weight to stay down. The air tank holds12-15 liters at about 3,000 psi. All told, standing on dry land,the kit weighs 40 to 50 pounds. The price for a good one beginsaround 500 euros if it includes a wet suit (800 with a dry suit)and can rise to the high side of 2,000 euros.

Lancellotti speaks with authority about the technical side ofdiving not only because he knows enough not to take chances

underwater but also because he is a founder of the Nautilusscuba school (“like the Jules Verne boat”) on the outskirts ofModena and one of the school’s instructors.

Currently Nautilus offers classes in first-level open-watercertification, marine biology, and underwater photography.They averaged around a dozen people until the recession setin. Now they are half that size.

First-level classes run about two months, with studentsmeeting two days a week for basically the same regimenLancellotti followed years ago. Second-level certification requiresfour or five weeks, and the specialty courses, 2-4 weeks.

“It is a really safe sport,” Lancellotti says. “There is anAmerican firm that published accidents in various sports.Bowling and scuba diving have the same number of accidents.

“There are rules that have to be respected. We teach therules. Basic to respect the depth and never dive alone.” Herefers to ascending to the surface at a safe rate of speed, onethat allows compression to pass off without creating gasbubbles in the body. If you follow the rules, “Scuba diving is

absolutely safe. Safer than driving because youdon’t have to be scared of other people.”

Or sharks. Usually. ❖

24 IBI August 2010

COVER STORY

ne word captures the essence of Diandra Asbaty: more.As in more to learn. More to do. More to take in. More to give.

More squeezed into and from every day.More reaching for the sky and, more often than not, touching it.Though she only turned 30 on Aug. 2, Asbaty has already won two PBA

titles, more than 50 international bowling championships and enshrinementin the IBC Hall of Fame.

She’s also become a positive role model for youth bowlers and the sportin general through her work as a coach and a spokesperson for USBC andassorted bowling manufacturers.

That would be enough to satisfy a lot of people. But not the Pride ofDyer, IN.

“I want to show people what’s possible, how a girl from a small townin Indiana could have big dreams and make them come true,” Asbaty says.

She thought that bowlers needed a better fashion option, on a par withother sports, so she started a designer sportswear company called Kaizenby Diandra. She recently began augmenting that with a line of handcraftednecklaces, earrings and rings that she sells online.

But Asbaty’s dreams aren’t limited to the playing field or business arena.From childhood, Asbaty says, her biggest goal has always been to

have children.“But I thought when you have children, you have to stop living [your

life],” she says. “I wanted to do everything [else] before.”Then she saw how pro bowlers Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Lynda Barnes

combined careers with motherhood.“I realized I can still train while being a mom, and continue to have a

bowling career and be one of the best at what I do,” Asbaty says. So thismonth, Diandra and her chef-husband, John, welcome their much-wanted

firstborn, a son.Next on her horizon: the Diandra Asbaty

Foundation, which will raise scholarship money foryouth bowlers.

“When I was a youth bowler, that [availability ofscholarships] was really important to me,” Asbatysays. “Winning scholarship money gave me a lotof opportunities and made it easier for me to goto college. So I’m really excited about giving backthis way.”

The idea of her own foundation follows in the wakeof the charitable events she’s participated in, and abowl-a-thon she organized two years ago to helpdefray the medical expenses for a friend’s baby.

“I thought, ‘I’ve been involved with enoughbowling charities that I could do one,’” Asbaty says.“So what would normally take a year or more toplan, I planned in two months with my friend’s sister.‘Bowl for Mason’ raised $28,000 in one night.

“It was one of the most important things I’d everdone in my life, and bowling brought me that.”

Sometimes it seems the only reason Asbaty isn’t

BY LYDIA RYPCINSKI

O

SHE WILLHAVE SOME

MORE,PLEASEFor Diandra Asbaty, there’s nosuch thing as living too fully.

Husband John and granola at 7 a.m.

25IBI August 2010

COVER STORY

involved with something is because she hasn’timagined it yet.

“Why do I want to do everything? It’s just theway my brain works,” she says. “My parents[Dennis and Kandi Hyman] allowed my sister[Kassy] and me to do whatever we wanted to doas young kids, and I feel like I can do everything.

“There are a lot of talkers in this world,” Asbatyadds. “I’m not a talker. I’m a doer.”

The day she shared with IBI was full of “doing.”It began in the 10th-floor condo on Chicago’s NearSouth Side that she shares with her husband, John.

7a.m. Both Asbatys are up by the time daylightfloods their living room. Their eastern andsouthern walls consist of a series of large platewindows, unimpeded by curtains or blinds. Theyenjoy an expansive view of Lake Michigan, SoliderField, and sailboats bobbing in nearby BurnhamHarbor while they have breakfast.

Asbaty laughs off a question about needingsunglasses indoors on days like today. “We likethe natural light coming in,” she says. In a stretchy

gray t-shirt and black leggings, Asbaty looks more like she’s cradling a bowlingball than a third-trimester baby. Her eyes shine and her skin glows. Pregnancybecomes her.

At-home mornings are quiet. There is no TV- or radio-induced “whitenoise,” and little is happening on the streets below at this hour. The Asbatys’condo is a corner unit, far from the swish-swish of elevator doors openingand closing down the hallway as their neighbors leave for work.

This is usually when Asbaty catches up on email, blogging, and the

A row of souvenirs. Asbaty has won more than 50 international championships, two PBA titles.

COVER AND COVER STORY PHOTOS BY SHEILA K BLACK PHOTOGRAPHY

26 IBI August 2010

myriad details of her life. Sometimes that includes autographing picturecards to send to fans. Other times, she pens a column that appears everyother month in Bowlers Journal International. It’s also a good time forTweeting or loading photos onto or updating one of her online sites.

“People are really surprised to find out I respond to all my emails andposts rather than have someone do that for me,” she says. “That’s thebeauty of bowlers. We’re so accessible.”

This morning, Asbaty is researching online charity auction websites.She plans to raise money for her nascent foundation by auctioning off“some pretty good items” at two clinics she has scheduled.

“I’m sure I will have to put a little of my money into [the foundation],but it will be funded mostly by auction items I put up for bidding,”Asbaty says.

“I may go through the USBC’s SMART program to get it off theground rather than incorporate and start a brand new 503c [non-profitorganization],” she says. “Things are still in the planning stages. Butwhenever I get to the point that I have enough money to set aside fortwo scholarships, then I will offer them.”

Asbaty finds a site that helps non-profits set up a web page for freeand bookmarks it for inspection later.

9:25 a.m. The Asbatys leave for an hour-long workout at PhenomenalFitness, a no-nonsense fitness studio located a block away on SouthMichigan Avenue. For the next hour, trainer Linda Gisburne puts thecouple through a non-stop series of weight-training and cardio drills.

Soon Diandra is doing back ridges on a stability ball, step-ups (“I canhear my left [sliding] knee grinding this morning,” she says), overheadpresses dragging a weighted sled, while John works on a bench press.

“My primary job is being an athlete, so I have to be [physically]strong and healthy to make sure I’m emotionally strong and healthy,”Asbaty says.

“And I want to be strong for my kids. I will have more than one, andI want to be around for a long time.”

About 20 minutes of the session are devoted to cardio-boxing,something Asbaty loves.

“It makes me feel tough, empowered,” she says as she jabs and

uppercuts at Gisburne with her hot pink boxing gloves.“But I’m still a lover, not a fighter,” Asbaty says with

a laugh.10:35 a.m. Back at the apartment, Asbaty gets

ready for her next appointment, two one-hour bowlingclinics at Hines Veterans Hospital in Maywood, IL. Inthe meantime, John, who will later walk a block northto get to the Italian deli where he is chef/part-owner,shows off their building’s recreation facilities on the33rd-floor. They include a heated indoor pool and twoglassed-in lounges with views that stretch north, eastand south of the building.

“We came up here on Election Night [in 2008] andcould hear Barack Obama giving his speech at GrantPark,” John says.

12:25 p.m. Jill Kalkofen Jacobsen and Jess Sportemeet Asbaty at Hines Hospital’s Spinal Cord Building.They escort Asbaty to a two-lane facility deep withinthe maze of buildings on the campus. Asbaty will beworking with two groups of disabled veterans whowant bowling tips.

Jacobsen, a recreational therapist, says they arepracticing for the National Veterans Golden AgeGames and the National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

“I just bowl for fun and don’t have the sportexpertise to help them improve,” Jacobsen says. “SoI emailed a couple people asking where I could find

Working out with trainer Linda Gisburne,followed by a pause that refreshes. The babywas expected this month.

COVER STORY

28 IBI August 2010

COVER STORY

“Do what you love.” Tips, coaching and inspiration for disabledveterans at Hines Hospital.

a coach here in Chicago, and they forwarded those emails to Diandra.”1 p.m. Jacobsen introduces Asbaty, who greets each veteran by name

and thanks him or her for serving the country. Then Asbaty opens upthe floor for questions and requests for specific help.

“If I know I’ll have 40 young bowlers, I will have a lesson plan andhandouts,” Diandra says. “But for this, I’ll just go with what I know andspend as much one-on-one time as I can with each person.”

Her first student, Rich Olson, is blind. He shows her how he lines upon the approach by standing next to the ball return and then taking alateral stride to the center of the lane. Asbaty says that’s a greatadjustment and mentally files the technique away for future clinics. Shestresses to all the attendees the importance of having a loose armswingand following through straight ahead.

“You hit the second arrow on the left,” Asbaty teases one right-handedbowler who is using a crutch. “Now we need to get you hitting the oneon the right.” The bowler laughs along with her.

2:30 p.m. The second group of veterans arrives. Almost all arewheelchair bowlers. Darryl Urchel, a paraplegic athlete who’s ramp-bowled for 10 years, impresses Asbaty right away. He can tell herexactly how to position his ball on the ramp so that its weight blockproduces the most flip in the backend.

“You can teach others,” Asbaty urges him. “You’re telling someoneelse what you want them to do and they can carry out your vision.”

Later, Asbaty helps Judy Ruiz get positioned for a more effective shot.She urges Ruiz to visualize 10 pins falling before pushing the ball downthe ramp. Ruiz says Asbaty’s advice “opened my mind” and changedher game not only physically but mentally.

“For someone like [Asbaty] to give us her time is awesome,” Ruiz says.“It proves we matter as bowlers.”

3:30 p.m. There’s a rush for the publicity photos Asbaty brought withher as the clinic ends. Everyone wants to take an autographed picturehome.

“Do what you love - Diandra Asbaty,” she writes on each.On the way back to the car, Asbaty denies that she was starting to flag

towards the end of the second clinic before admittingshe wore the wrong shoes today - simple black flats.

“Not much support in these; my feet hurt a little,”she says. “I should have brought my bowling shoes.”

She also agrees that it’s taxing to be “on” fornearly three hours of instruction.

“You have to be ‘up’ the whole time for them, togive them your best, and that takes a lot of energy,”she says.

4 p.m. Asbaty is hoping to meet with Jeff Augustyn,sales/production representative at Midwest SwissEmbroideries, and discuss getting her Kaizen “K”logo embroidered on some off-the-rack items. Butwhen she arrives at the shop on Chicago’s FarNorthwest Side, she learns Jeff had to leave earlybecause of a family emergency.

Waste not, want not, is Asbaty’s motto when itcomes to time management, so she checks out thefloss in stock for the next time she stops by.

“I’m a planner,” she says. “I like planning andknowing what I will be doing. I wanted to know whatmy baby was going to be before it was born, so I coulddecorate and buy the right things.

“I make a lot of lists. I like the feeling of getting to crosssomething off my list. It just comes naturally to me.”

That penchant for planning and organization helpsAsbaty keep so many plates spinning in the air at

30 IBI August 2010

COVER STORY

once. Midwest Swiss Embroideries, for example, is part ofthe consortium she has assembled for her Kaizen by Diandraenterprise.

“I don’t have any employees,” Asbaty says. “Everyone is anindependent contractor – my designer [Chicagoan KristenHassan, who was a contestant on Bravo TV’s The Fashion Show],my photographer, my web designer, everyone.

“Pretty much, though, everything is run by me,” she says.“For instance, I send Kristen’s designs to a pattern maker. Inthe meantime, I order the fabric, buttons and everything elsefrom some suppliers in California.”

The pattern maker sends a digital file to a factory Asbaty hashired in Chicago to print out the patterns, cut the fabric, andsew her clothing. A graphic artist in Egypt designs her posters,catalogs and other promotional items. Asbaty’s father keepsthe inventory for each collection at his store on Chicago’s FarSouth Side and ships orders from there.

“It’s all about being resourceful and lucky,” Asbaty says.That includes organizing the photo shoots for her catalogs

and marketing materials. Asbaty does everything from bookingthe models to making sure there are working electrical outletson location for curling irons.

“I’ve come to know Craigslist pretty well,” Asbaty says.“I’ve gotten some great models through there that I don’t haveto pay, because they want the photos for their portfolios.Same with make-up artists and hairstylists.”

The Kaizen clothing was originally designed andmanufactured in Colombia. However, Asbaty moved theoperation to Chicago after the first collection came out.

“I had no control over the process when everything wasbeing done in Colombia,” she says. “I didn’t speak Spanish, soI wasn’t a factor.

“Here, I can see what is going on and ask questions. I amway more hands-on here,” she says.

“Plus, a lot of people here need jobs, and I would rathersupport our own economy. I want to take advantage of what[this country has] to offer.”

6:30 p.m. Following a light dinner of French toast withrhubarb sauce, Asbaty goes to her prenatal yoga class at BendYoga and Movement Studio. Owner Marti Clemons putsAsbaty and the other students through an hour of posesdesigned to help them enjoy their pregnancies with less stressand strengthen their muscles for labor.

In addition to yoga, Asbaty plans to take a nine-week courseon natural childbirth. She’s determined to have her baby bornin the most natural way possible.

“If I have a choice between bringing my baby into thisworld completely alert, with no medicine inside him, versusnumbing the pain for my own sake, I choose the former,”Asbaty says.

Still, she admits, “I know unforeseen things could happen.

I have no idea how much pain my body can take. But if I can’tdo it, I won’t feel defeated. I’ll know that I tried.”

7:30 p.m. The yoga must work. Asbaty emerges from thestudio looking refreshed and heads for the car with a light,bouncy step.

8:00 p.m. Back home at last, Asbaty kicks off her shoes andsets up her jewelry materials on the kitchen table. She startstoying with some ideas she has for pieces, but nothing clickstonight. That is fine with her.

“This is how I get away from everything,” Asbaty says.“When I’m making jewelry, I focus on what I’m doing. I don’thave my phone around me, and I’m not checking email. It givesme peace.”

8:30 p.m. John is home from the deli, and he’s broughtdinner with him - some of the lasagna he made earlier that day.

“That’s the one thing I don’t do – cook,” Asbaty says. “Johntaught me how to make eggs, hummus, and sweet potato fries.But it’s just so easy not to have to do it [cook], because I knowhe’s going to do it much better than I would.”

Husband and wife bring each other up on how their dayswent, then snuggle on an overstuffed velvety-soft sectional towatch American Idol and their favorite show, Modern Family, onTV. The lights of Chicago’s South Side filter into their living roomas the night deepens.

10:00 p.m. Asbaty is back on the computer to see if anyKaizen orders have come in while she was out. Nothing tonight,however, so she posts a quick Tweet about her day, doessome blogging, and shuts the Mac down for the night.

12:30 a.m. “I always go to sleep late,” Asbaty says. Tonightis no exception. She climbs into bed, feels the baby kick, anddrifts off to sleep, thinking about how lucky she is to have thelife she does – and what she wants to achieve tomorrow. ❖

Not a moment to waste. Checking the stock at a contractor for Kaizen by Diandra.

A frequent contributor to IBI, Lydia Rypcinski has been writing for andabout bowling for more than 30 years. She has won writing andphotography awards in and outside the sport for her coverage,which has taken her to six continents and more than 20 countries.She co-authored Revolutions: The Changing Game with Chip Zielkein 1998 and Sports Traveler Chicago with Anbritt Stengele in 2009.

31IBI August 2010

EXPO SHORTS

Suspenseful moment. Top women in bowling assembled on stage at Expo preceding the Women’s Open announcement. From left, they are Cathy DeSocio (BPAA vicepresident), Nancy Schenk (BPAA secretary), Darlene Baker (USBC president), bowlers Kim Terrell-Kearney, Tennelle Milligan, Shannon O’Keefe, Stephanie Nation, ClaraGuerrero, Liz Johnson, Lynda Barnes and Kelly Kulick. John Sommer, who founded PWBA with John Falzone, was also called to the stage.

attend bowling events. “Anyone who has seen Bowling’s U.S. Women’s

Open can attest that you will not find tougher, fiercerand more tenacious competitors. Also, through nationaltelevision exposure, we are excited to now makeBowling’s U.S. Women’s Open more accessible to thepublic than ever before.”

Randy Schickert, CEO of Ebonite International,joined the group on stage to say, “As a company thatboth prides itself on its long-standing support ofwomen in bowling and on achieving the higheststandards of excellence, we could not ask for a betterbrand association than the great female players ofBowling’s U.S. Women’s Open and this trulyprestigious and historic sporting event.

“At Ebonite International, our goal is to designand produce the world’s best bowling balls andequipment for passionate bowlers. In furthering thismission, we’re tremendously pleased to present ourbrands alongside the finest female competitors inthe world. Additionally, we’re proud to be an integralpart of this stellar event, before the fans and bowlingenthusiasts who will be in attendance and the millionsmore watching from home.”

NEW DAY FORWOMEN’S OPEN

No better connection. Randy Schickert, CEO of Ebonite International,comments on the company’s sponsorship. Behind him are Sarah Palinand outgoing BPAA president Jim Sturm.

Eleven top women from BPAA, USBC and the player ranks were calledto the stage at Bowl Expo’s General Session without preliminaries.They were joined by John Sommer, who with John Falzone, foundedthe PWBA. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who had just concludedher keynote address, remained on the stage.

BPAA executive director Steve Johnson paused a moment, forsuspense, then made the announcement.

The U.S. Women’s Open next year moves to Cowboys Stadium inArlington, TX, under a new name, Bowling’s U.S. Women’s Open, anda new title sponsor, The Brands of Ebonite International.

The announcement was greeted by an explosion of confetti and astanding ovation from the crowd.

At press time, last details were being settled for the nationallytelevised event, which will be held June 30 in conjunction with Bowl Expoin Arlington,but the tournament lanes will be laid out on each side ofthe stadium’s 50-yard line, and play will be broadcast live on thestadium’s 60-yard high-definition video board.

“This is a landmark announcement for bowling and for women’sathletics,” Johnson told the crowd. “There is no more prestigiousname in sports than the U.S. Open and no bigger venue than CowboysStadium. This event exemplifies both the surging popularity of bowlingamong women and the heightened consumer demand to watch and

32 IBI August 2010

EXPO SHORTS

“Sharing shoes is my idea of a community sport,”Sarah Palin said, drawing one of a number of heartylaughs from the audience at Bowl Expo’s General Session,June 30, listening to her keynote address.

Palin’s 45-minute speech touched on a conception ofbowling as a hub of social life but emphasized bowlingcenters as examples of how American small business keepsup and thrives in changing circumstances.

She recalled watching her father, a pinboy in his high

‘Consensus,’ ‘common sense’ and ‘relevance’ will be the watchwords of newBPAA president John Snyder, if his short speech introducing himself at the AnnualMeeting was an indication. Snyder took over from Jim Sturm on July 1.

The new president said he will expect fiscal and operational excellence fromBPAA and wants to see more buy-in from small centers. On his wish list forthe long run – Snyder called it his “pie in the sky” – he wants to “bring thesport of bowling back” and not for elite players only. He promised transparencyof the organization under his tenure.

In his goodbye remarks, Sturm said he wanted his legacy to be “the sameas every other BPAA president: leave the association a little better than itwas handed to us.”

Incoming BPAA presidentJohn Snyder

HELLO AND GOODBYE

Outgoing BPAA prexyJim Sturm

PALIN TOUTS BOWLING, SMALLBUSINESS IN KEYNOTE SPEECH

school days, bowl in his Thursday night league. Raising her own kids,she took them to bowling centers for birthday parties.

Palin said proprietors’ adaptation to changes in Americanlifestyle, as with glow bowling, are “proof of free-market resilience.”This industry, and small business generally, “embodies the principlesof America.” She added, “Thanks, bowling proprietors, for beingpart of the solution.”

After the talk, Palin was joined on stage by Steve Johnson, BPAAexecutive director, to answer questions selected in advance. Sheanswered eight in the time available, ranging from her biographyto advice for first-timers in a political race. She called cap and trade“a gutterball,” which brought a laugh from the audience, and saidthat if she were president, she’d keep the White House bowling lane.

“Sarah Palin’s comments about the impact of bowling ring true,no matter where you stand on the political spectrum,” Johnson saidto the audience. “Bowling is a sport that knows no political or socialboundaries. It is the embodiment of the American spirit and ahealthy, fun and inclusive activity that brings together people fromall walks of life. Today Sarah Palin said that bowling helps make ourcountry a better place and we couldn’t agree with her more.”

Earlybirds. Attendees were lining up early to get good seats for the General Session and Sarah Palin.

33IBI August 2010

BOWLING ARTS

eople would come over to the Jim Malones’ fordinner and comment on a counter he had made fortheir New York apartment.

After that, he took a few pieces he had made to alocal flea market.

“I’ll tell you the real thing that made me know that thecompany was going to take off,” he says now about thegenesis of CounterEvolution, his three-year-old Brooklynbusiness that makes furniture. “People would come by and lookat the stuff and they liked the way it looked. When they foundout it was made from bowling alley wood, it always put asmile on people’s faces.”

Malone had gone to a dealer in reclaimed wood in upstateNew York. He had wanted to buy a slab of tree to make hiscounter, until he found out what it would cost.

But he could swing a slice of lane that had been installed in1947. Nice, hard pine. It had come from a center near Albanythat closed in the ’80s. The dealer, trying to interest would-bebuyers, had lifted the polyurethane off a couple of pieces. “Ifyou had a little imagination, you could tell that if you cleanedit up, it would look pretty nice,” says Malone.

P

Aheart

of

wood

BOWLING ARTS

IBI August 201034

He found the wood tough to work with. A coupleof months after he bought a seven-foot piece of the oldlane for the counter, he reappeared at the dealer’s, gotsome scraps, and went back to work on the material.

“It was a real learning curve to figure out the best way to cleanit up and try and do something unique,” he offers. By this time hehad been online and discovered others who were selling furnituremade of old lanes, “but most of the time it was mostly cleaning up theslab and sticking it on something. I wanted to try and do somethinga little more artistic.”

Malone eventually developed techniques for manufacturing what hecalls his modern rustic line, which features finger splicing of the corners andexposed end grain. All the items in the line are made of old lanes. Most ofthe time, it’s hardwood pine, which is denser and tighter grained than thecommon Southern yellow pine.

The old wood finds Malone these days. He gets about one person a monthcontacting him about lanes they want to dispose of. If the proprietor is involvedin the transaction, Malone tries to honor the emotional connection to the lanesand make something from the wood for him, such as a bench or clock.

“I think there is a resonance,” Malone says about old lane wood. “Justabout everybody has some association with bowling. It added such adimension to the work I was doing, just to know that there was some, youknow, some depth to it.” ❖

Have you crafted anything from old bowling gear?Share your artistry on www.BowlingIndustry.com.

36 IBI August 2010

SHOWCASE

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SEPTEMBER17-19Wyoming Bowling Family Jamboree Sponsored byWyoming Bowling Council Sheridan Holiday Inn,Sheridan. Charlene Abbott, 307-324-3161 or kcab-bott@bresnan.net.

23Bowling Centers Association of Ohio executiveboard meeting Embassy Suites, Columbus. PatMarazzi, 937-433-8363 or pat@bowlohio.com.

OCTOBER3-5West Coast Bowling ConventionHarrah’s Harveys, South Lake Tahoe, NV. SandiThompson,925-485-1855. IBI is the official magazine of the con-vention.

11-13East Coast Bowling Centers ConventionTrump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ. BPAA, 888-649-5586.IBI is the official magazine of the convention.

19-20Texas-Oklahoma Idea ShareHilton, Arlington, TX. Karen Miller, 512-467-9331, tex-asbowlingcenters.org.

DECEMBER6Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin mid-winter retreatlocation TBA. Gary Hartel, bcaw@bowlwi.com.

SHOWCASE

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DATEBOOK

38 IBI August 2010

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39IBI August 2010

CLASSIFIEDSEQUIPMENT FOR SALE

NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment.Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

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Buy or Sell @www.bowlingyardsale.com; one-stopshopping for bowling equipment — fromlane packages to dust mops!

16 Brunswick Factory A-2s, 103-000 serialnumbers. Lots of extras. Removed & readyfor shipment. Also, 16 lanes Horizon/Omegamasking units w/ 2 foot upper graphics. Ron@ (605) 237-0288.

REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details(248) 375-2751.

FOR SALE: Used Smart pindecks with hoods& racks; Master units & AMF auto scoringpackages. Ken’s Bowling Equipment (641)414-1542.

40 IBI August 2010

CLASSIFIEDSEQUIPMENT FOR SALE

AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY: 22 AMFlanes, 82-70s, spare parts and QubicaConqueror scoring including back office and3 cash points. (410) 535-3560.

EQUIPMENT WANTED

LANE MACHINES WANTED. We willpurchase your KEGEL-built machine, anyage or condition. Phone (608) 764-1464.

CENTERS FOR SALE

UPSTATE NEW YORK: 8-lane center/commercial building built in 1992.Synthetic lanes, new automatic scoring,kitchen and room to expand! Reduced tosell @ $375,000. Call (315) 376-3611.

16-lane center in Southern Coloradomountains. Great condition. 18,000s/f building w/ restaurant & lounge.Paved parking 100 + vehicles.Established leagues & tournaments.$950,000 or make offer. Kipp (719) 852-0155.

CENTRAL WISCONSIN: 12 lanes, autoscoring, Anvilane synthetics, 82-70s. Greatfood sales. Yearly tournament. Attached,large 3 bedroom apartment w/ fireplace.$550K. (715) 223-8230.

EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA: 6-laneBrunswick center, bar & grill, drive-thruliquor store in small college town. Also, 3apartment buildings with 40 units, goodrental history. Call (701) 330-7757 or (701)430-1490.

SOUTHWEST KANSAS: well-maintained8-lane center, A-2s, full-service restaurant.Includes business and real estate. Nice,smaller community. Owner retiring.$212,000. Leave message (620) 397-5828.

WWW.FACEBOOKBOWLING.COM

41IBI August 2010

CLASSIFIEDSCENTERS FOR SALE

SOUTHERN INDIANA (close toIndianapolis): 18-lane Brunswick centerwith lounge, liquor license & movietheater on 4+ acres. Turnkey business.Owner retiring. Great investment! (765) 349-1312.

CENTRAL IDAHO: 8-lane center andrestaurant in central Idaho mountains.Small town. Only center within 60-mileradius. Brunswick A-2 machines;Anvilane lane beds; automatic scoring.(208) 879-4448.

SE WISCONSIN: 12-lane Brunswickcenter including building, real estate & 7acres. Raised dance floor, grill, pro shop,arcade, tanning room and more.Reasonably priced. Owner retiring.(920) 398-8023.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: 16-lanecenter w/ synthetic lanes, 82-70s, 19,000s/f building w/ lots of parking. Newlyremodeled bar & large kitchen. Ownerretiring. (530) 598-2133.

WWW.FACEBOOKBOWLING.COM

42 IBI August 2010

CLASSIFIEDSCENTERS FOR SALE

NEW YORK STATE: Thousand Islandregion. 8-lane Brunswick center w/ cosmicbowling, auto scoring. Established leagues+ many improvements. $309,000. Call Jill@ Lori Gervera Real Estate (315) 771-9302.

NW KANSAS: 12-lane center, AS-80s,Lane Shield, snack bar, pro shop, game &pool rooms. See pics andinfo @ www.visitcolby.com or contactCharles (785) 443-3477.

MICHIGAN: Brunswick 20 synthetic lanes,Qubica scoring, liquor lounge, full kitchen& outside deck. Needs experiencedoperator. Email: kaynorcorp@comcast.net.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS: 8-lane centerwith AMF 82-70s, full service restaurant,pro shop. Plus pool tables, Karaokemachine, DJ system. PRICED TO SELL.Includes RE. (217) 351-5152 ortoms-uvl@sbcglobal.net.

SOUTHWESTERN WYOMING: 12 lanes+ café & lounge, 2 acres w/ 5 bedroomhome. Full liquor & fireworks licenses.Outside Salt Lake City area. Dennis @Uinta Realty, Inc. (888) 804-4805 oruintarlt@allwest.net.

NE MINNESOTA: Food, Liquor &Bowling. Established 8 lanes between Mpls& Duluth w/ large bar, dining room,banquet area. Two large Stateemployment facilities nearby. High sixfigure gross. 3-bdrm home included.$1.2m. Call Bryan (218) 380-8089.www.majesticpine.com.

The leading source for real estate loans with low down payments

Ken Paton(503) 645-5630

www.kenpaton.comkpaton@kenpaton.com

We could not have gottenWe could not have gottenour loan without him.our loan without him.

Jean and Kent BrundJean and Kent BrundFreedom LanesFreedom Lanes

Duncan, OKDuncan, OK

ForFLORIDA CENTERS

CallDAVID DRISCOLL& ASSOCIATES

1-800-444-BOWLP.O. Box 189

Howey-in-the-Hills, FL 34737AN AFFILIATE OF

SANDY HANSELL & ASSOCIATES

FAX YOUR ORDER TO US AT:530-432-2933

Orange County Security Consultants10285 Ironclad Road, Rough & Ready, CA 95975

•Keys & ComboLocks for allTypes ofLockers.

•One weekturnaroundon mostorders.

•New locks -All types•Used locks1/2 priceof new

All keysdone bycode #.

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CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-700-4KEYINTʼL 530-432-1027

SOUTHERN NEVADA: 8-lane center.Only center in town of 15,000. 30minutes from Las Vegas. AMF 82-70s,newer Twelve Strike scoring. R/E leased.Will consider lease/option with qualifiedperson. REDUCED TO $175,000. CallSteve @ (702) 293-2368; emailljjaa1414@yahoo.com.

43IBI August 2010

CLASSIFIEDS

NE NEVADA: New 2001. 16 lanes, 19,200square feet, 1.68 acres paved, sound &lighting, lounge w/ gaming, arcade, fullservice snack bar & pro shop. Call (775)934-1539.

CENTERS FOR SALE

SW WISCONSIN: 10 lanes, newautomatic scoring/sound. Bar/grill. Greatleagues, local tournaments, excellentpinsetters. Supportive community. 2acres off main highway. $299,995. (608) 341-9056.

GEORGIA: busy 32-lane center, realestate included. Great location in one offastest growing counties in metro Atlanta.5 years new with all the amenities.Excellent numbers. Call (770) 356-8751.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: 16-lane centerREDUCED to $799,000 for quick sale.Synthetics, 82-70s, 19,000 s/f + parking.Newly remodeled bar, large kitchen. Ownerretiring. Will consider selling only equipmentor building. www.siskiyoulanes.com. (530)598-2133.

NORTHWEST LOUISIANA: 12-LANEBrunswick center. REDUCED TO SELLNOW! Includes auto scoring, glow bowling,pizza, large dining area & video poker. Goodincome. Long Lease. Great opportunity. CallMike (318) 578-0772.

NW INDIANA (Lake Michigan/NationalLake Shore area): Well-maintained 32-lane center, family owned & operatedsince 1997 with spacious nightclub loungeon 6.6 acres. Also billiards, arcade, proshop, full-service restaurant, establishedleagues, birthday party activity & MORE!Owner retiring. Reasonably priced. (219)921-4999.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: One ofthe top five places to move! Remodeled32-lane center. Good numbers. $3.1mgets it all. Fax qualified inquiries to (828)253-0362.

44 IBI August 2010

CLASSIFIEDS

(818) 789-2695

SELL YOUR CENTEROR EQUIPMENT

FAST!

CENTERS FOR SALE

SW IDAHO: 8-LANE CENTER w/fullservice, award winning restaurant, new lanes& scoring. $500,000 includes equipment &real estate. Nicely profitable. Call Ron @Arthur Berry & Co., (208) 639-6171.

WASHINGTON: 24-lane, high revenuecenter. Strong league program & openplay. Exceptional food/bar operation.Rental income from adjacent space. GSXpinsetters, Pro synthetic lanes, Touchworksscoring, Frameworx seating. Real estateincluded. Ken Paton (503) 645-5630.

CENTRAL ALABAMA: Recently remodeled,split house w/24 synthetic lanes (16 & 8) in28,000 s/f building in shopping center;Brunswick A2s & 2000 seating; AccuScorePlus; VIA returns & storage tables; systemsfor Cosmic; established leagues; snack bar,pro shop & game/pool table area. Nearestcompetition 28 miles w/ colleges & Hondafactory within minutes. Need to sell due tohealth. Reasonably priced. (435) 705-0420.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Turnkeybusiness. 12-lane center, Brunswick A-2s,Frameworx scoring, full bar and restaurant.Good league base with large tournament.Contact Bruce @ (715) 614-7779.

SERVICES AVAILABLE(570) 346-5559

Michael P. Davies (321) 254-7849291 Sandy Run, Melbourne, FL 32940

on the web: bowlingscorer.com email: mike@bowlingscorer.com

AS80/90 • BOARD REPAIR • FrameworxSERVICE CALLS WORLDWIDE • PRE-SHIPS • WE SELL

NEW KEYPADS • FRONT DESK LCD MONITORS

Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring BallRepair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. 800-255-6436 or Jayhawkbowling.com.

BUILD YOUR PARTY BUSINESS –Affordably reach people celebrating birthdayswithin the neighborhood of your bowlingcenter. (818) 241-3042 orlarrysiegel@charter.net.

SELLING, BUYING or FINANCING aCenter? RC Partners can help–we are notbrokers. (616) 374-5651; www.sell104.com.

45IBI August 2010

CLASSIFIEDS

BUY SELL

AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENTCOMPLETE PACKAGES

WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY

Danny & Daryl TuckerDanny & Daryl TuckerTucker Bowling Equipment Co. Bowling Parts, Inc.609 N.E. 3rd St. P.O. Box 801Tulia, Texas 79088 Tulia, Texas 79088Call (806) 995-4018 Call (806) 995-3635Fax (806) 995-4767 Email - bpitx@texasonline.net

www.bowlingpartsandequipment.com

AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC boardrepair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fastturnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service

5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695)

Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon)E-mail: wb8yjf@earthlink.net

Visit us on the WEB!http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/

2021 Bridge StreetJessup, PA 18434570-489-8623www.minigolfinc.com

MINIATURE GOLF COURSESIndoor/Outdoor. ImmediateInstallation. $5,900.00 & up.

PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70S.S. & M.P. MACHINES

Save $$ on Chassis & P.C. BoardExchange & Repair!

A reasonable alternative forChassis and P.C. Board Exchanges

MIKE BARRETTCall for Price List

Tel: (714) 871-7843 • Fax: (714) 522-0576

WWW.FACEBOOKBOWLING.COM

POSITION WANTED

Check this out! 30 new leagues, scoresof new parties & fundraisers. Yes, I cando all that plus more. Looking for aBrunswick center in Midwest area.Manage to own. Call Matt (507) 696-1151or Andy (507A) 527-1551.

Brunswick “A” mechanic, 12+ yearsexperience, AS-80/AS-90 scoring systemexpertise. Former owner/GM. Willing torelocate. Contact me at (308) 380-8594.

INSURANCE SERVICES

30+ YEARS INSURING BOWLINGCENTERS – Ohio, Illinois & Michigan.Property & Liability; Liquor Liability, WorkersComp, Health & Personal. Call Scott Bennett(248) 408-0200, Scott@Bowl-mail.com; MarkDantzer, CIC (888) 343-2667,Mark@DieboldInsurance.com; or KevinElliott.

TRAINING

BRUNSWICK PINSETTER TRAININGCOURSE – Colorado Springs, Colorado.12-day sessions including hotelaccommodations. Call for schedule.RMGPinsetter@gmail.com; myspace –rmgpinsetter.com; (719) 432-5052 or (719)671-7167. Fax (866) 353-5010.

82-30 TRAINING CLASSES. For moreinfo call (513) 594-7791 or email:Mathis_8@msn.com.

MECHANIC WANTED

HEAD MECHANIC – AMF 82-70s—inLexington, Kentucky. Call Dennis (502)722-9314.

(818) 789-2695

SELL YOURCENTER

OR EQPT.

FAST!

IBI August 201046

REMEMBER WHEN

omebody once said of the early-Boomers – those born in the first fewyears after WW2 – that they will be

young on the day they die. This Pepsi adfrom an undisclosed year early in the ’60sshows why.

People coming of age then were thebiggest slice of the U.S. population. From civilrights marches and couples living togetherwithout benefit of clergy, to fighting andprotesting the Vietnam war, they were

changing America. Growing up more affluent than any U.S. generation before them, they also

had money to spend. Their dances, clothes, music and changing tastes fascinatedeverybody – marketers included.

People talked of a “youth culture.”It was everything to be young.Bowling was peaking, too. 1962-63 was the very top of the curve for the

industry, with ABC/WIBC certifying 163,323 lanes in 11,476 bowling emporiums.BPAA claimed 5,643 centers with 105,662 lane beds. The slow, steady declinebegan the following year – even as the Boomers were turning into the springof their adulthood. ❖

S1960s