E-dition No. 1,055 • Monday, May 6, 2019
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
A Fond Farewell to BJI’s Own Tom Kouros
“He drafted his first book in longhand filling up dozens of legal pads,” writes Lyle Zikes in his “Pro Approach” column in the June issue of BJI. “What made its way onto typed pages, and eventually to printed and bound pages read by the country’s top bowlers and beginners alike, reflected not just his own voice and writing style but, most importantly, his prodigious knowledge of the sport developed through years of personal research and gifted analysis.
“There was no professional editor involved, no publisher to hype it, no organization funding it. Hardly anyone outside his immediate bowling community knew anything about him. Ultimately, what made it by far bowling’s best -selling and most influential instruction book was purely its content: People learned from it.
“The book was ‘Par Bowling,’ published in 1975. Its author, Tom Kouros, passed away on April 28 at his suburban Chicago home at the age of 92.
“For Kouros the book was a springboard to all sorts of things, including a monthly Bowlers Journal column that ran for some 35 years, the development of a bowling instructional course, a second excellent book (‘Par Bowling: The Challenge’ in 1993), notoriety as the coach of many PBA and PWBA pros, recognition as a bowling historian and, eventually, a spot in the USBC Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service in 2009.”
Bowlers Journal has lost one of its own, and as Kouros’s son, Craig, said in a Facebook post on April 28, “Today, the bowling industry lost a great one… He will be truly missed.”
Here are excerpts from Kouros’s USBC Hall of Fame bio on Bowl.com:
“He started his career in bowling as a pinboy in his native Chicago. He was named one of the best pinboys in the nation from 1939 to 1941. He was a member of DePaul University’s 1953 Midwest Intercollegiate Championship team and won 11 singles and doubles events from 1949-55.
“A long-tenured bowling proprietor… he is a past president and past secretary-treasurer of Chicago’s Northwest Bowling Proprietors Association.
“He’s conducted hundreds of clinics in the United States and in more than 20 countries worldwide. For several years, he served as technical adviser to the World Tenpin Bowling Association.
“Kouros was co-founder and past president of the Mid-America Bowling Writers… Among the honors he has received are the 2001 Flowers for the Living Award, Illinois Distinguished Service Award, 2002 International Coach of the Year Award (first recipient) by the World Bowling Writers and elected into the Illinois Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 2005.”
Services for Kouros will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Arlington Heights, Ill., to be followed by a reception at River Rand Bowl in Des Plaines, Ill.
All of us at Luby Publishing Inc. pass along our sincere condolences to the Kouros family.
Colangelo, Goergen, Lovgren Elected to USBC Board
Delegates elected three board members and voted on eight legislative proposals as the 2019 United States Bowling Congress Convention and Annual Meeting came to a close Thursday at The Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
The ballot for the USBC Board election had four candidates slated by the USBC Nominating Committee: Anthony Colangelo of Meridian, Idaho; Rich Foran of Billings, Mont.; Bo Goergen of Sanford, Mich.; and Lowell Lovgren of Kelso, Wash. Richard Ramsey of Byers, Texas, ran from the floor.
On the first ballot, Colangelo (637 votes), Goergen (629) and Lovgren (582) were elected, with Foran receiving 396 votes and Ramsey receiving 263. A candidate had to receive a majority of votes from the 972 eligible voters to be elected. The newly elected board members begin their three-year terms on Aug. 1.
Also joining the USBC Board starting with the 2019-20 season will be new USBC Hall of Fame member Chris Barnes, who was elected by Team USA athletes earlier this year. He replaces Bill O’Neill, who did not seek another term.
Chris Floyd and Aaron Yuratovich are joining the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee, which also returns current members Melissa McDaniel and Chrissie Kent.
In addition to the board elections, delegates voted on eight proposed amendments, with three related to league rules, one for tournament rules and four proposals for bylaws.
The 2019 USBC Convention also celebrated a special milestone, as it was the first convention at which every association was fully merged. USBC announced a new award to recognize and celebrate an outstanding local association. Skagit Valley USBC of Burlington, Wash., was selected for the inaugural USBC Association Excellence Award, which was presented to association president Lonny Olson.
The presentation of national awards, including the Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow Award to Mabel Cummins of Elburn, Ill., and the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award to Trace Nuss of Tampa, Fla., also took place Thursday.
USBC President Karl Kielich and USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy presented their annual reports, and delegates heard reports from the USBC Strategic Planning Committee and from International Bowling Campus Youth Development.
In 2020, the USBC Convention will return to The Orleans, with the event scheduled to run from April 27-30.
7 Inducted Into USBC Hall of Fame
By Terry Bigham, USBC Communications
The United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame officially added seven members Wednesday night when it held its induction ceremony of the 2019 class at The Orleans.
Chris Barnes Mika Koivuniemi and Kelly Kulick were inducted for Superior Performance, the late Jim St. John was added in the Veterans category, Larry Lichstein was inducted in the Pioneer division and, for Meritorious Service, the late John Davis and veteran bowling writer Bob Johnson joined the USBC Hall of Fame.
Barnes, 49, owns 19 PBA Tour titles, including three majors — the 2005 U.S. Open, 2006 PBA Tournament of Champions and 2011 PBA World Championship. He earned PBA Rookie of the Year honors is 1998 and was the 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year, making him one of five bowlers to have won both awards. He was elected to the PBA Hall of Fame in 2018. Barnes captured 22 gold medals as a 16-time member of Team USA, the most appearances on the team by any male bowler. He announced his retirement from the team earlier this year and was honored by USBC, along with longtime teammate Tommy Jones, during the USBC Convention on Wednesday afternoon.
Koivuniemi, 52, currently lives in the United Arab Emirates and has coached the UAE national team since 2015. He joined the PBA Tour at age 32, earning the first two of his 14 career PBA titles in major events — the 2000 USBC Masters and the 2001 U.S. Open — to earn the nickname “Major Mika.” Koivuniemi captured a third major at the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions and was a two-time PBA Player of the Year (2003-04, 2010-11). He was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Kulick, 42, made history in 2010 when she captured the PBA Tournament of Champions title, becoming the first woman to win a PBA Tour event. She captured PWBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2000 and won the first of her six major titles at the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open. She is a 15-time Team USA member and her international resumé includes a then-record performance in winning gold in singles at the 1999 World Bowling World Championships, the first of her 22 career gold medals.
St. John, who served in the Navy for nine years before turning to bowling full time, won six titles on the PBA Tour from 1963 through 1969 and captured a USBC Open Championships Classic Team title in 1964. He died on Jan. 11, 1987. His most dominating performance came at the 1963 World Invitational, one of the most prestigious tournaments in bowling, which took place in Chicago. St. John set 12 tournament records, tied two others, and posted the only 300 game over the course of the 11-day tournament. He successfully defended his title at the 1964 event.
Lichstein, 69, who was elected to the PBA Hall of Fame in 1996 in the Meritorious Service category, made his mark as the long-time director of player services for the PBA. He started his PBA career as a bowler in 1969, becoming the youngest PBA Rookie of the Year at the time of his selection, and won his lone PBA title at the San Jose Open in 1970. In May 1974, Lichstein changed career paths, and for more than 22 years would serve as the PBA Director of Player Services, where he equipped, fit, maintained and served up to 300 PBA Tour bowlers each week. He also owns two Open Championships titles, winning Classic All-Events in 1969 and Classic Team in 1970.
Davis, who passed away on Jan. 25, 2013, at age 64, started Kegel in 1981 on the heels of developing The Key Lane Cleaning Tool, which provided bowling centers a better and more economical way to clean lanes. With a goal of making “two lanes play the same,” he became a leading innovator and expert in the field of lane maintenance throughout a career that had a major impact in the sport. In addition to the lane machines, conditioners, cleaners and other items he developed, he opened the Kegel Training Center in 1997, moving it to its current location in Lake Wales, Fla., in 2003 to give bowlers and coaches the latest technological advances to take their knowledge to the next level. His last invention was the Kegel LaneMapper, which measures lane topography.
Johnson, 61, of Las Vegas, has been at the forefront of telling bowling’s stories for nearly five decades. He has been honored with 75 national writing awards for his work covering the sport and industry, and has served on the USBC Hall of Fame committee since its formation. In 2009, Johnson was selected as the Bowling Writers Association of America (now International Bowling Media Association) Luby Hall of Fame Award winner, and was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame earlier this year.
The USBC Hall of Fame was created in 2005 by merging the former American Bowling Congress and Women’s International Bowling Congress Halls of Fame.
With the induction of the seven-member class of 2019, there are 432 members of the USBC Hall of Fame — 223 in Superior Performance, 120 in Meritorious Service, 51 in Veterans, 22 in Pioneers and 16 in Outstanding USBC Performance.
For comments from the 2019 inductees, click here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/usbc-hall-of-fame-welcomes-seven-new-members/.
PBA Unveils 7-City, 9-Event Summer Tour
Much will be at stake when the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Summer Tour begins at the end of June.
Entry into an historic PBA event in China, a new FloBowling PBA ATX Invite special event, and the inaugural United States Bowling Congress Cup all rest in the balance when the seven-city, nine-event PBA Summer Tour begins June 28-30, in Lubbock, Texas.
The Summer Tour then moves to Houston for the Storm Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles in July, before the heart of the schedule in August with seven more title events, punctuated by the FloBowling PBA Summer Swing presented by the brands of Ebonite, in Aurora, Ill., Aug. 24-31.
All nine events will be streamed live from first ball to last by FloBowling. For subscription and schedule information visit www.flobowling.com.
“We’re excited about the 2019 PBA Summer Tour because it gives more PBA fans around the country a chance to see our top players compete up close,” PBA Tour CEO and Commissioner Tom Clark said. “The PBA Player Services truck and lane maintenance team will be at all of the stops. The geography involved and the calendar are strategic, and the bonus incentives for top performers are big.”
The 2019 PBA Summer Tour will have its own points list, with enticing and historic bonus incentives involving three inaugural competitions serving as top story lines throughout the Tour.
1. The inaugural USBC Cup will reward the top five players in PBA Summer Tour points with bonus cash prizes, including $20,000 to the points leader.
2. The inaugural FloBowling PBA ATX Invite will award berths into a special event for the top eight PBA Summer Tour points leaders at Dart Bowl in the hometown of FloSports, Austin, Texas, on Sept. 21. First prize in the FloBowling Invite will be $25,000 and all participants in the event will cash.
3. The inaugural PBA China Tiger Cup will award the top eight PBA Summer Tour points leaders with expenses-paid trips to Shanghai, Nov. 19-21, for a 16-player singles event including eight Chinese bowlers, and a separate USA vs. China team match. All players will cash in the PBA Tiger Cup singles event, which offers a $20,000 first prize, and in the team event the winning five-player team will divide $15,000.
The 2019 PBA Summer Tour events will be open to PBA non-members as well as members, but non-members will not be eligible for any of the special events or bonus prizes.
Points earned during the PBA Summer Tour also will count toward 2020 DHC PBA Japan Invitational and 2020 PBA Tour Finals eligibility, as well as figuring into consideration for the end-of-season Player and Rookie of the Year awards.
All Summer Tour tournaments except the Aurora Open will be Tier 3 events under the PBA’s Tier 1-2-3 points system. The Aurora Open will be a Tier 2 event.
For the complete schedule, click here: https://bcmmag.com/2019/05/06/pba-unveils-9-event-summer-tour-schedule/.
Details Finalized for Next Bowlero Elite Series Event
The Bowlero Elite Series is now accepting applications for its September tournament at Bowlero North Brunswick in New Jersey. Only Bowlero Corp. league bowlers are eligible to apply for a chance to compete against the world’s top professional bowlers for a total prize pool of more than $250,000.
The September tournament will feature 16 elite bowlers — eight professionals and eight amateurs — competing in a single-elimination bracket format. First- and second-place prizes of more than $100,000 and $65,000, respectively, will be on the line.
While Bowlero previously had discussed using a doubles format for the September BES event, the company told BJI that, “We decided to not do the doubles format that was previously mentioned.”
Bowlero Corp is seeking eight of its active league bowlers to compete in the second BES tournament. As was the case with the application process for the inaugural Bowlero Elite series, amateur finalists will be chosen based on skill and personality, the latter of which will be assessed through a short video candidates submit with their application. Bowlers not currently enrolled in a league can still sign up for one at their local Bowlero, Bowlmor, AMF or Brunswick Zone centers for a chance to qualify for the upcoming tournament. The application is now open and will officially close on June 12. Bowlers can apply by visiting bowleroeliteseries.com.
For more on the BES and the broadcast dates and times of the next two events, click here: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/applications-being-accepted-for-september-edition-of-bowlero-elite-series/.
Jury Awards $4.4 Million in Asbestos-Related Case
A California jury has awarded $4.4 million to the family of a former bowling center owner who died from mesothelioma in 2013.
Donald Vanni co-owned and operated Arcata Bowl for 29 years beginning in 1957, and for much of that time drilled bowling balls for customers. The jury found asbestos supplier Honeywell International Inc. responsible for Vanni’s sickness.
According to evidence presented in the trial, asbestos was used as a filler in plastic bowling balls decades ago, and Honeywell supplied the cancer-causing product in the form of discarded brake lining dust.
“Honeywell refused to take responsibility here, and we held them accountable,” Waters Kraus & Paul co-founder Peter Kraus, who represented the family, told SILive. “I am so happy for the Vanni family.”
Full story: https://www.silive.com/sports/2019/04/bowling-ball-suit-nets-family-of-dead-bowling-alley-owner-44-million.html.
Allegiant Changes Name of New FECs
Allegiant’s family entertainment centers — featured in the March issue of BCM — mark two major milestones this week: a new name and a new location.
Allegiant Nonstop, formerly G4 Complete Entertainment (G4CE), launched last year as a pilot program aimed at enhancing and expanding Allegiant’s affordable leisure entertainment options for its customers. The name change comes as the company opens its second location in Warren, Mich. The grand opening took place on April 26 and featured prize giveaways as well as special pricing on games and food.
Allegiant has long been known for its unique business model of transporting leisure travelers from underserved markets to premier vacation destinations. Customers can also book hotel rooms and rental cars when purchasing their airfare.
The addition of Allegiant Nonstop to its portfolio is yet another way Allegiant is growing as a full-service travel company, said Maurice J. Gallagher Jr., the company’s Chairman and CEO. With plans to expand into new markets, a name change was needed to better align the family entertainment centers with the Allegiant brand.
“Our goal is to serve the leisure traveler,” Gallagher said. “Allegiant Nonstop allows us to give our customers more options for affordable fun with the whole family in mind, whether they’re visiting a new city or taking a staycation.”
The first Allegiant Nonstop location opened in 2018 in Clearfield, Utah (Ogden air service area), adding 150 full and part-time jobs to the community. The new Warren location is expected to create more than 150 new jobs.
The initiative capitalizes on space formerly occupied by “big box” retail outlets, bringing innovative redesign to neighborhoods currently lacking diverse options for family entertainment. A third Allegiant Nonstop is scheduled to open later this year in Fort Wayne, Ind. The company is currently evaluating other locations for potential future growth.
For more information about Allegiant Nonstop, visit palynonstop.com.
Celebrity Pro-Am Added to WSBPA Jackpot Classic
The 24th annual Washington State BPA Jackpot Classic Tournament will be taking place June 4-6, 2019 at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
New this year is a 9-Pin No-Tap Celebrity Pro-Am featuring Storm stars Kyle
Troup, Leanne Hulsenberg and Kyle Troup. The pro trio will roll one frame on each pair of lanes with the 125 participants. Their pinfall will be added to each bowler’s three-game no-tap total as “bonus pins.”
Norm Duke will return as the featured celebrity speaker at the annual awards party on Thursday, June 6.
Since its inception in 1995, the Jackpot Classic has awarded more than $1.6 million in cash as prize money, and has generated in excess of $3.75 million in league linage fees. The 25th annual Gala Anniversary edition returns to Las Vegas June 2-4, 2020. For details, contact Greg Olsen at greg.olsen@wsbpa.org. or 206-762-6752.
Other News You Can Use…
* Jeremy Milito said he had bowled on lanes 1-2 at the Farmingdale Bowling Center about five times this season and not had much success. But, bowling on the pair again late last month, the 26-year-old left-hander from Patchogue, N.Y., told himself he would try a different game plan. It worked to perfection as he became the 35th bowler to roll a 900 series, connecting for 36 consecutive strikes during the Epic Edge Trios league. More: https://bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622332850.
* Reigning PWBA Player of the Year Shannon O’Keefe collected her first title of 2019 and ninth career victory Saturday at the PWBA Twin Cities Open. O’Keefe relied on her spare game throughout the week at Cedarvale Lanes in Eagan, Minn., to earn the top seed for Saturday’s stepladder finals. She converted a 4-pin and delivered a strike in her final frame to secure a 189-182 win over England’s Verity Crawley. Report: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/shannon-okeefe-wins-twin-cities-open-for-ninth-career-pwba-title/.
* After a 279 title-match tie, Joel Carlson defeated PBA Hall of Famer Ron Mohr in a one-ball rolloff, 10-8, to win the PBA50 Hamilton Lanes & Entertainment Center Open Presented by Columbia 300 in Trenton, N.J., for his first title on the PBA50 Tour. Report: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/joel-carlson-wins-thriller-in-trenton-for-first-career-pba50-tour-title/.
* This week on Phantom Radio, veteran California bowling proprietor Jim Wangeman returns for another visit. To listen to the conversation, click here: https://kegel.squarespace.com/phantomblog/2019/4/29/jim-wangeman-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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