E-dition No. 950 Thursday, May 4, 2017
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
SMART Distributes $1 Million to Providers’ Funds
The Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins Corporation Board of Directors has announced it will make an income earnings distribution of $1 million to providers’ funds.
The distribution is for 2016 earnings. The SMART Board previously determined income distributions would take place each May.
Combined with the distribution of expired funds in 2016, the total distributed to providers within the past year is $3,913,923.
“We have been able to make significant distributions to providers over the past year, which will provide more opportunities for youth bowlers to earn scholarships,” SMART Corporation Board Chairman Wally Hall said. “The distribution from 2016 earnings is more than double what we have been able to provide the last few years, while we continue to maintain our conservative investment strategy.”
The SMART Board made a distribution of $1,881,597 from expired recipients in late 2016 and had a distribution of $1,032,326 from expired provider accounts. Under its terms and conditions, SMART can suspend or terminate a user’s account if a provider account becomes inactive, when a deposit or a funded list is not entered into the account during any five-year period. Activity does not include the return of expired funds from a recipient or earnings allocated to a provider from SMART.
More: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/smart-distributes-1-million-to-scholarship-providers-funds/.
PWBA’s 2018 Schedule to Feature 6 New Venues
Six new venues will be part of the 14-event schedule during the Professional Women’s Bowling Association’s 2018 season.
The 2018 PWBA Tour will begin April 26-28 in Las Vegas, and conclude with the 16-player, invitation-only PWBA Tour Championship from Aug. 29-Sept. 2.
Along with nine standard events, four major championships will be contested in 2018, including the USBC Queens, PWBA Players Championship, U.S. Women’s Open and PWBA Tour Championship.
New venues include the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.; Hall of Fame Silver Lanes, East Hartford, Conn.; Fern Valley Strike and Spare, Louisville, Ky.; AMF Boulevard Lanes, Edmond, Okla.; Cedarvale Lanes, Eagan, Minn.; and Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio.
Sites for the Las Vegas Open, U.S. Women’s Open, and PWBA Tour Championship will be announced later.
To view the schedule, click here: https://bcmmag.com/2017/05/04/pwbas-2018-schedule-includes-6-new-venues/.
Expanded Role for Brent Sims at Kegel
Kegel has announced the promotion of Brent Sims to Director of Coaching Technology.
With the recent addition of the Torch and SPECTO to Kegel’s product line and the company’s advancements in researching, developing and releasing new coaching tools, the need for a leader of this division presented itself. Sims had been working as Training Center Coordinator.
Sims has been coaching at the KTC since 2001 and also is a certified pro shop technician. He was recognized multiple times by Bowlers Journal International on the magazine’s list of Top 100 Coaches. Sims holds an MBA and Bachelor’s Degree from Webber International University.
In his new position, Sims will oversee marketing and technical support for current coaching tools, as well as aid in the development of new products to expand this line. He will still play a lead role in scheduling, planning, budgeting and coaching for the KTC.
To coincide with Sims’s promotion, the training center has expanded its staff with the addition of Tawni Vollmer, who will assist with daily operations.
QubicaAMF to Equip New Center Near Headquarters
QubicaAMF Worldwide has signed a contract to be the bowling equipment provider for River City Roll, the new upscale bowling facility to be built in the trendy Scott’s Addition area of Richmond, Va.
Former investment banker and Richmond local, Rob Long, is leading a team that includes former Jefferson Hotel restaurant director, Ben Eubanks. The developers plan to break ground on the $5 million facility in May, and it’s expected to open in early 2018.
“Given the renewed activity in the city of Richmond, and [with] entertainment spending on the rise, it all just made sense,” said Long. “We think bowling is the perfect fit, and will be the anchor for a very successful entertainment option in central Virginia.”
River City Roll will house 20 lanes of bowling, featuring the most innovative line of equipment from QubicaAMF, including the BES X Bowler Entertainment System, XLi EDGE Pinspotters and SPL Select Lanes.
Long and his team plan to theme each lane around well-known Richmond streets, offer high-end food and drinks combined with outside seating options, and feature live music and bar space equipped with televisions and stocked with beer from local breweries. River City Roll also will include private event spaces and lanes that can be sectioned off for large parties and corporate events.
“I would like to congratulate Rob and his investors,” said Jay Buhl, Senior Vice President and General Manager of QubicaAMF Worldwide. “This is an exciting project. We ship products around the world every year. We are thrilled to be able to showcase our latest products in a local venue, and work with a local investor to help them bring their project to life.
“Boutique bowling centers are being built across the country, and Scott’s Addition is the perfect location for Richmond’s first. We are proud to be involved with this venture.”
QubicaAMF has been manufacturing bowling equipment for more than 75 years, with its headquarters in the Richmond area since 1988. Employing more than 500 people globally, the company maintains a large R&D team, a 300,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in Richmond, a 100,000-sq.-ft. bowling pin manufacturing facility in Lowville, N.Y., and its European headquarters and manufacturing and software development facility in Bologna, Italy.
More: https://bcmmag.com/2017/05/02/qubicaamf-to-equip-new-center-near-virginia-plant/.
Turbo Expo Will Raffle CDB Jersey from Logo Infusion
Turbo has added a special on-site raffle, thanks to event sponsor Logo Infusion, which will be used to fund additional scholarships as part of this year’s Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo, which will be conducted at Game of Wickliffe in Wickliffe, Ohio, July 11-13.
Along with being the official jersey of the Collegiate Expo, Logo Infusion will provide a signed replica jersey of USBC Hall of Famer and Team Turbo staff member, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, professionally framed in a shadow box. All proceeds from the $5 raffle tickets will be designated for the six-game Audition Tournament, held at the end of the Expo.
“Logo Infusion has been a tremendous supporter of our event the past few years,” said Turbo President, Lori Mraz. “They were very gracious coming up with the idea for the raffle last year, raising over $500, which we awarded back in tournament scholarships.”
The Audition Tournament is the culmination of two full days of on-lane and classroom instruction with some of the best coaches and professional athletes in the sport. Turbo’s team of certified coaches and pros includes PBA and PWBA champions, hall of famers and USBC-certified coaches.
“The raffle proceeds allow us to reward more players in the event,” said Mraz. “While the scholarships offered from the six-game tournament aren’t a primary focus of the Expo, they are added incentive for students competing in our showcase audition event.”
Noted Ken Keegan, President of Logo Infusion: “We are honored to be part of such a well-run event focused on some of the most talented junior bowlers in the country. We hope to continue our relationship with Turbo long into the future.”
Keegan added that he believes the raffle definitely will be bigger this year.
“This will be a collector’s item for one of the greatest female bowlers of all time,” he said. “With Carolyn representing both Turbo and Logo Infusion around the country at numerous bowling events each year, it is fitting that we present one of her jerseys at the Collegiate Expo.”
Logo Infusion provides jerseys for both students and coaches at the Expo. The jersey designs vary based on grade level, so each player’s year of college eligibility is readily apparent to college coaches in attendance.
“Our students love the jerseys they receive as part of their registration,” said Mraz. “They must wear them during the Audition Tournament, and the sea of color is really quite an impressive showing.”
More: https://bcmmag.com/2017/05/03/collegiate-expo-will-raffle-cdb-jersey-provided-by-logo-infusion/.
Hockey Team Wins With an Assist from Chicagoland BPA
The Chicago Wolves can thank Bill Duff, Executive Director of the Chicagoland Bowling Proprietors Association, for their first-round victory in the American Hockey League playoffs.
In a roundabout sort of way.
It happened like this: The Wolves’ President, Mike Gordon, has worked with Duff on a variety of cooperative promotions, and asked Duff if he could get in touch with Pete Weber, who is well-known to a few of the Wolves’ players through videos of Weber they have watched, including PDW’s infamous U.S. Open trophy-drop and his “Who do you think you are?” rant after winning the 2012 U.S. Open.
Weber’s fierce spirit caught on with the team, so Gordon wondered if Weber would deliver a surprise inspirational message to the Wolves to help amp them up for their playoff run.
Duff sent a text message to Weber, who was competing at Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine, and Weber was eager to help – in part because the Wolves are the “AAA level” affiliate of the NHL St. Louis Blues, Weber’s hometown hockey team.
Assisted by PBA’s Xtra Frame crew, Weber’s message was shown to the Wolves prior to their first Calder Cup playoffs game vs. the Charlotte Checkers. To view Weber’s message, go to: https://bcmmag.com/2017/05/03/hockey-team-wins-with-assist-from-pdw-and-duff/.
For the record, the Wolves lost their first playoff game against Charlotte, but roared back to win the best-of-five series, 3-2, to advance to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs.
Lots of Live Streaming Coming Up on Xtra Frame
Xtra Frame coverage of both the PBA50 Tour and the PWBA Tour continues through May, heading toward the resumption of PBA Tour competition at the end of the month.
Following this week’s coverage of the Race City Open Presented by Columbia 300 from Mooresville, N.C., which was won by Norm Duke, the senior circuit travels to Farmingdale Lanes in Farmingdale, N.Y., for the PBA50 Johnny Petraglia BVL Open Presented by Brunswick, May 7-9, before heading to Indianapolis for the 2017 season’s first major, the PBA50 Tour Players Championship at Woodland Bowl, May 14-16.
The 2017 PWBA Tour continues with the Storm Sacramento Open from Steve Cook’s Fireside Lanes in Sacramento, Calif., Friday and Saturday, followed by the Fountain Valley Open from Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif., May 12-13. The PWBA’s first major of the season, the USBC Queens, is set for May 18-23 in Baton Rouge, La.
PBA Tour competition resumes with the PBA XF Wilmington Open from Ten Pin Alley in Wilmington, N.C., May 27-29, followed by the PBA XF Jonesboro Open from Jonesboro Bowling Center in Jonesboro, Ark., June 3-4. Both are PBA XF Storm Cup events and both will be covered live, exclusively on Xtra Frame, from first ball to last.
Xtra Frame subscription packages are available for three days, 30 days and a full year. To sign up, visit xtraframe.tv for details.
For a full report on Duke’s victory, go to: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/second-place-is-not-an-option-for-norm-duke-wins-pba50-title/.
Veterans to Benefit from PBA50 Tournament
The PBA50 Tour travels to Farmingdale, N.Y., for the fourth stop of the 2017 season when Farmingdale Lanes hosts the 2017 Johnny Petraglia BVL Open Presented by Brunswick May 6-9.
The tournament is named after the PBA legend and Vietnam veteran who has won 14 PBA Tour and eight PBA50 Tour titles. The 70-year-old Hall of Famer will be competing in this year’s tournament, which is a significant fundraising event for BVL.
In two previous years, the event has raised more than $100,000 for the BVL (Bowlers to Veterans Link) Fund, which provides veterans and active-duty personnel with recreational and therapeutic programs and services to improve their quality of life.
The tournament will kick off with a special “Clash of Legends” event Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern that will feature Petraglia and Weber in addition to fellow Hall of Famers Walter Ray Williams Jr., Parker Bohn III and Amleto Monacelli. Each bowler will compete on one of five teams that will represent each military branch (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard).
Petraglia was the subject of BJI Editor Gianmarc Manzione’s award-winning feature, “Tale of Two Tours,” which appeared in the August 2016 issue of BJI. The story dealt with Petraglia’s tour of duty in Vietnam, which changed his life in many ways. In case you missed it, click here: http://www.bowlingmedia.org/Portals/0/Documents/WritingCompetition/2017/2.pdf.
For more on the tournament and this weekend’s activities, go to: http://farmingdalelanes.com/PBA-PRO-TOURNAMENT.
Billy Hardwick Memorial Will Go ‘Old School’
The upcoming PBA Xtra Frame Billy Hardwick Memorial, scheduled for June 23-25 at the Memphis, Tenn., bowling center formerly owned by the late PBA Hall of Famer, will honor Hardwick in more than name only.
The tournament will be contested using the kind of limited-technology bowling balls the 18-time PBA Tour champion used when he became the PBA’s first “Triple Crown” winner in the late 1960s.
The Hardwick Memorial, which will be live-streamed on Xtra Frame, will be open to a field of 80 bowlers. All players must use approved polyester bowling balls manufactured by a PBA Product Registered company. A list of approved bowling balls can be found on pba.com (https://www.pba.com/Tournaments/Details/2331), and includes the PBA Skill Ball 2.0 which is used in Teen Masters competition.
The tournament will offer a $10,000 first prize and a PBA Tour title, if the winner is a PBA member. It will not be part of the PBA Xtra Frame Storm Cup series because of its equipment limitations.
Future of AMF Parkway Lanes in Doubt
Last year, BowlmorAMF said it was marketing AMF Parkway Lanes in Allentown, Pa., for a sale/lease-back deal. Now, however, the company has decided to put the 25-year-old center up for auction – but without its bowling equipment, furnishings or liquor license.
According to Allentown’s 69 News, the auction is scheduled to start June 5 and end June 7, with a starting bid of $650,000.
Observers say that by not including the bowling equipment or liquor license in the offering, it could signal the end of the business as a bowling center.
But on Tuesday, the following was posted on the center’s Facebook page:
“There [have] been a lot of questions about AMF Parkway Lanes over the last 24 hours. Yes, we are open for business as usual. Yes, there is a listing on a website stating that the business will be auctioned off on June 7th. This does not necessarily mean that the building will stop operating as a bowling center. In fact, there are investors inquiring about the property and they would want to make improvements to Parkway Lanes and keep it a bowling center not operating under the AMF corporation. If the building does not sell at auction we will continue to operate as AMF Parkway Lanes. Please feel free to message this page with any questions.”
AMF acquired the Parkway Lanes property in 1998. The center then became part of BowlmorAMF in 2013.
Stay tuned…
Briefly…
* Application forms are now available for Bowlers Journal International’s 33rd annual Bowling Center Architecture & Design Awards. Those who have been involved in the building or renovation of a bowling center, bowling-based family entertainment center or a bowling “boutique” that was completed after Aug. 1, 2016 are invited to enter. The entry deadline is Sept. 1, and you can access an entry form here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/BJI_DesignAward_Form_2017.pdf.
* The Kegel Training Center in Lake Wales, Fla., has been conducting summer camps for years – but until now, always for bowlers. This summer, to complement its bowler camp program, the KTC will host its first Coaches Workshop, with a curriculum to help coaches diagnose and fix the most destructive bowling errors. There will be a combination of classroom and on-lane instruction, and each attendee will receive a workbook from the class, a Kegel jersey and lunch each day. The dates are July 28-30, and the cost is $425 per person. For further information, visit kegeltrainingcenter.com.
* Speaking of BowlmorAMF, there’s nothing new to report on the multiple complaints that the company bases hiring and firing, in part, on the age and physical appearance of people. BJI Editor Gianmarc Manzione has spoken to a spokesperson for BowlmorAMF and the attorney for plaintiffs in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filings against the company, and you can read their comments here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/bowlmor-amf-facing-multitude-of-discrimination-complaints-alleging-company-hires-and-fires-based-on-physical-appearance-age/.
* It’s becoming more and more common for bowling-based businesses to garner publicity not in the sports section of a newspaper, but rather in the food section. Mustang Alley’s was one of the first independent bowling boutiques to come on the scene, and as the facility nears its 10th anniversary, it received this nice review in the Baltimore Sun: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/bs-ae-mustang-alleys-review-20170503-story.html. Will someone please save us one of those baked-to-order chocolate chip cookies for dessert?
* Destiny USA bills itself as “New York’s largest destination of its kind with over 250 places to shop, dine and play, visited by 26 million guests every year.” For three years and two months, one of the entertainment options was a 55,000-sq.-ft., bowling-based facility called Revolutions. But that venue, located on the third floor of the mall’s “Canyon” area, failed to catch on, and now it’s being remodeled and “reimagined.” A project of Trifecta Management Group, the facility will henceforth be known as All-Star Alley & Tavern, featuring an immersive sports concept with Americana cuisine, 24 lanes of bowling and live music. A job fair is set for next Tuesday, and the venue is scheduled to open later this month. More: http://www.syracuse.com/destiny-usa/index.ssf/2017/05/upscale_bowling_alley_to_return_to_destiny_usa.html.
* The Shops at South Town in Sandy, Utah, will get a new Round 1 Bowling and Amusement location, part of a multi-million-dollar renovation project at the mall. Round 1 will occupy 50,000 square feet on two levels. No opening date was announced, other than to indicate it would be in 2018. More: http://fox13now.com/2017/05/02/round-1-bowling-coming-to-sandys-the-shops-at-south-town/. Round 1 also will be opening a new location at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville, N.Y. You can read more about that project here: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/27/boutique-bowling-alley-coming-to-greater.html.
* Highland Park Bowl, considered the oldest bowling alley in Los Angeles, was restored by 1933 Group and Murrey International last year with spectacular results. Tuesday, it was featured on Southern California’s top-rated morning program (the KTLA-5 Morning News), with reporter Gayle Anderson filing several reports from the venue. This Saturday, Highland Park Bowl will feature an evening of music, burlesque and a reenactment of its former pharmacy-bootleg practice, featuring a specialty prescription cocktail menu, as it harkens to its 1927 Prohibition heyday. The center was featured in the June 2016 issues of Bowlers Journal International and Bowling Center Management. You can view excerpts from KTLA’s reports here: http://ktla.com/2017/05/02/l-a-s-oldest-bowling-alley-highland-park-bowl/.
* A Honda Accord rammed into a bowling center wall… and the car won. The auto was being driven by a 65-year-old woman, who escaped injury in the crash. However, structural damage was caused to Majestic Lanes in Perth Amboy, N.J., which had to close for several days so repairs could be made. In a Facebook post, the center described the aftermath as “a crazy two days so far,” including meetings with an insurance adjuster, a structural engineer, a contractor and a plumber.
* After a run of nearly four decades, Milan Lanes in Milan, Ill., located near the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa, has shut down. The final day of business was April 30. According to General Manager Alan Schopper, the owner of the building that houses the center wants to find a different use for the structure. The lanes and other equipment will be put up for auction. The center had been a PBA Regional tournament host.
* Greater Cincinnati is getting a new bowling boutique at the Scene75 Entertainment Center in Miami Township. The Pin Deck will feature 12 regulation lanes in a lounge setting, along with TVs, billiard tables, a giant Foosball table that accommodates eight players, and more. To read more, and view an artist’s rendering, go to: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/27/boutique-bowling-alley-coming-to-greater.html.
* Robert B. Marshall IV, the owner of Hartford Lanes in Aberdeen, Md., died on April 26 of lung cancer. He was 60. Marshall was best known for expanding an already successful youth bowling program at the center. He served as President of the Eastern Maryland Junior Bowling Association (now the Cecil-Hartford USBC Youth Association), as well as the Maryland State Bowling Proprietors Association. Read more about Marshall here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/bs-md-ob-robert-marshall-20170502-story.html.
Other News You Can Use…
* Brandi Branka made the first PWBA Tour event of 2017 memorable by capturing the No. 2 seed for the championship round of the QubicaAMF PWBA Sonoma County Open. She will be joined on the TV show by a pair of Colombian standouts, No. 1 Rocio Restrepo and No. 4 Maria Jose Rodriguez, along with Shannon Pluhowsky, who went winless in five championship-round appearances in 2016. The TV finals of the tournament will be taped on May 23 during the USBC Queens, and is scheduled to air June 6 on CBS Sports Network. More: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/branka-to-make-tv-debut-in-qubicaamf-pwba-sonoma-county-open-finals/.
* The guest this week on Phantom Radio is PBA and USBC Hall of Famer, and frequent Xtra Frame commentator, Marshall Holman. It’s the first of a three-part series, and deals with Holman’s early life, his broadcaster-father, his love of golf and much more. To listen to the interview, go to: http://www.kegel.net/phantomblog/2017/5/3/marshall-holman-phantom-radio.
* CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson at bjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visit bcmmag.com or bowlersjournal.com. BJI Cyber Reports are now archived at bcmmag.com.
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