E-dition No. 990 • Thursday, February 22, 2018
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
Opening of First Main Event in Delaware Nears
Main Event Entertainment is set to make its Delaware next to Christiana Mall in Wilmington on Tuesday, March 6.
The new 50,000-sq.-ft. center features 22 state-of-the-art bowling lanes with unique technology and luxury seating, laser tag, a gravity ropes course and zip line, billiards, shuffleboard and a games gallery featuring nearly 120 of the latest interactive and virtual video games.
To kick off the grand opening festivities, Main Event will host an invitation-only VIP event that will include facility tours, food, drinks and games on Sunday, March 4. During the event, Main Event will present a $2,500 check to the Delaware Autism Program at the Brennen School (http://www.metrokids.com/MetroKids/SpecialKids/SpecialKids/index.php/name/Brennen-School-Delaware-Autism-Program/listing/33142/).
When the venue officially opens its doors to the public on March 6, the celebration will continue with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and “lane-christening” ceremony at 11:30 a.m.
“We are excited to expand into Delaware and to introduce our one-of-a-kind brand to everyone in the Wilmington area,” said Darin Harper, Interim CEO and CFO of Main Event Entertainment. “There’s nothing like Main Event in Delaware, and we have found the perfect location in Wilmington for its debut. We’re extremely proud to be joining this great community and we can’t wait to show off our unique combination of food and fun when we open the doors to our new center on March 6.”
The Wilmington Main Event will be open Monday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Storm Appoints McLean New Technical Director
Chad McLean has been named the new Technical Director for Storm Products. His primary responsibilities include leading Storm’s product testing, weight block designs, and the USBC ball approval process. He will continue to manage the technical team, which creates solutions to customer requests.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity,” said McLean. “I’ve always participated in the ball testing and weight block development, but now I’ll be conducting the tests and assembling the results. That’s pretty exciting.”
The bowling journey started for McLean when he was just 3 years old. He would eventually join the PBA Tour, and competed on the regional circuit while managing his own pro shop. He quickly gained notoriety around the South for his outstanding drilling and layout recommendations.
After working as a pro shop operator for a few years, McLean attended a Storm Pro Shop seminar and met Steve Kloempken, who was the Technical Director at the time. He knew then that he wanted to be part of the technical team at Storm.
“When I met Steve, I thought it was so cool that he gets to travel around the world and talk about the products he creates,” McLean said. “Thinking about where I am now, it’s very surreal.”
McLean joined Storm as the Technical Customer Service Representative at Storm Headquarters in 2015, where he was responsible for facilitating warranty claims and assisting with ball testing. He was quickly promoted to Technical Manager, and his added responsibilities included international ball development, website updates, and writing technical articles about the product line.
“Since he started here three years ago, Chad has been a huge asset,” Kloempken, Vice President of Marketing, said. “This new title and the added responsibilities were not just given to him; he earned it. I’m confident that Chad will continue to grow and will keep pushing the envelope with technology.”
McLean continues to leave his mark on the sport through the bowlers he has helped, pro shop operators he has guided, technology he has directed, and the records he has crushed. He has been inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records seven times, most recently for the most bowling balls held simultaneously.
In his new role, he will be working closely with the R&D team, conducting ball tests and developing weight blocks. He’ll be responsible for the development of Storm catalog inline balls from logo ideation to ball colors and fragrances. He will also take care of the USBC ball approval process and all approval applications.
“I look forward to Chad assisting our team in continuing to develop the most innovative products in the industry,” said Boomershine, Storm’s Vice President of Sales and R&D.
More Sponsors Added for Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo
Turbo Bowling Accessories is inviting the next generation of bowling stars to hone their skills during Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo VIII this July in Fort Worth, Texas.
Bowlers from all over the United States and several foreign countries will descend on North Texas from July 8-11 to receive instruction from professional athletes, world-class coaches and industry experts. Session topics include equipment and arsenal choices, the physical game, spare shooting and the mental game.
The Collegiate Expo gives high school students the opportunity to interact with college coaches and learn more about the recruiting experience and scholarship opportunities.
Seminars also are offered for parents and coaches.
This year, long-time sponsor Dexter will sponsor the Coaches Round Table. Dexter Bowling President Tyler Jensen said the Expo is an incredible opportunity for all who attend. “Turbo does a tremendous job of conducting the Collegiate Expo,” he said. “The Round Table discussions will give us a chance to really get to know the coaches, and relate to the high school bowlers.”
Jensen added that the Collegiate Expo is a chance for Dexter to share the importance of footwear in the sport of bowling. “Our shoes are for everybody,” he said. “The key for us is to make sure bowlers are in the proper shoe, with the proper fit, style and slide for top performance.”
Turbo also announced that Ballard’s Bowling Academy and XBowling are the newest sponsors for the eighth edition of Collegiate Expo.
Owned and operated by long-time Turbo Staff member and Regional Sales Manager, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and PBA Hall of Famer Del Ballard Jr., the Academy’s presence will enhance an already strong list of participating coaches.
“Collegiate Expo is such a perfect fit for us,” said Dorin-Ballard, a USBC and PWBA Hall of Famer. “We see such a need for education, especially on the youth level. So we’re happy to be involved in such a great event.”
Sports Challenge Network’s XBowling allows bowlers to use league scores to compete in daily and weekly contests, all from their smartphones.
Logo Infusion will again act as presenting sponsor for the 6-Game Audition Tournament, which gives students an opportunity to perform in front of a captive audience of coaches for scholarship prizes.
“Events like the Collegiate Expo simply aren’t possible without industry support,” said Lori Mraz, President of Turbo Bowling Accessories. “We’re honored that the greatest brands in bowling have joined us, and are firmly committed to developing youth athletes in our sport.”
Other sponsors of the Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo the Bowl4Life Foundation, Bowlers Journal, the Bowlers to Veterans Link, Bowlingball.com, Brunswick, Classic Products, Columbia 300, DV8, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, Kegel, KidsBowlFree, KR Strikeforce, Logo Infusion, Motiv, On the Ball Bowling, Professional Bowlers Association, Roto Grip, Storm, Track, Turbo, Metro Detroit USBC and UCanBowl2.
Students attending Collegiate Expo VIII should be enrolled in high school grades 10-12 for the 2017-18 school year, or be a 2018 graduate. A minimum entering average for boys of 190 and girls of 175 is suggested for greatest recruiting consideration. Registration is limited to the first 210 paid students. The deadline to register is April 30. For more information and to register online, visit www.TurboGrips.com
4 Lanes Planned for Chicago Office Building
Just a few blocks from Bowlers Journal International’s headquarters in downtown Chicago, an office building is undergoing a $19.6 million renovation that includes four bowling lanes in the basement.
New owners purchased the building last year for $61 million, and are renovating the 390,000 square feet of space to include new retail space, a yoga room, a fitness center and a tenant lounge. The lounge, to be located on the 15th floor, will open to the outdoors in warmer months.
An artist’s rendering of the bowling space includes modern sofas and tables in the bowlers area, along with vintage above-lane ball returns. You can see the rendering here: https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/2/16/17016350/loop-office-bowling-construction-sterling-bay.
Briefly…
* Michael Azcarate is a five-time PBA Regional champion who lives and teaches math to middle schoolers just a few miles away from Stoneman Douglas High School, site of the school shooting that broke America’s heart on Feb. 14. He spoke with BJI Editor Gianmarc Manzione about how difficult this event has been for his community and for him as a father of six and as a local teacher, how he has been talking about it with his 11 and 12-year-old students, what he hopes will come out of this latest in a bleak string of similar acts of violence in America’s schools, and much more. You can listen to this edition of the BJI Podcast here:
http://www.bowlersjournal.com/bji-podcast-pba-regional-champs-stoneman-douglas-high-school-story/.
* The USBC has just released “The Bowling Technology Study — An Examination and Discussion on Technology’s Impact in the Sport of Bowling.” It’s a compilation of the results of research, surveys and focus groups conducted over a period of more than two years. To read more about it, click here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/usbc-releases-research-study-on-bowling-technology/.
* On the eve of the finals of the Go Bowling! PBA 60th Anniversary Classic finals at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, a crowd of more than 300 PBA fans and industry leaders gathered for the PBA 60th Anniversary Celebration Dinner to recognize the PBA’s three newest Hall of Famers — Chris Barnes, Ron Mohr and the late Don Mitchell — along with its 2017 award winners. The PBA also officially began a year-long celebration of 60 years of professional bowling at its finest. Read more about the event here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/new-hall-of-famers-award-winners-honored-during-pbas-60th-anniversary-celebration/.
* The guest this week on Phantom Radio is Larry Suhrbier, former laneman at the fabled Showboat Bowling Center in Las Vegas. To listen to the conversation, go to: https://kegel.squarespace.com/phantomblog/2018/2/21/larry-suhrbrier-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, and “Like” Bowling Center Management and Bowlers Journal International on Facebook. BJI Cyber Reports are now archived at bcmmag.com.
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