E-dition No. 1,085 • Friday, November 15, 2019
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
QubicaAMF World Cup Ready to Roll in Indonesia
QubicaAMF’s annual international showcase for bowling — the World Cup — will get under way on Sunday with the official practice session at Jakabaring Sport City in Palembang, Indonesia.
The 2019 field is expected to include 75 men and 62 women from 79 countries.
The tournament is important not only from a sporting perspective, but also because it brings attention to bowling in virtually all of the countries represented.
Participating for the United States will be Kelly Kulick and John Janiwicz, who earned the opportunity with wins at the 2019 USBC Team USA Trials, something they’d each done once before, though circumstances kept them from parlaying those victories into QubicaAMF World Cup appearances..
Their legacies include nearly a quarter of a century on Team USA, tens of thousands of miles traveled and more than 60 international medals. But despite all they’ve seen and accomplished, the two are about to embark on a journey that will allow them to do something for the first time — represent the United States at the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup.
“This tournament has always been on my bucket list, and I’m really looking forward to experiencing it for the first time,” said Janawicz, a nine-time member of Team USA. “Just to bowl is special, especially with all of the countries that are represented. To win would be incredible. The list of winners for both the men and women is like a who’s who of our sport.”
When Janawicz won the Team USA Trials for the first time in 2010, the win didn’t include an automatic chance to represent the team at the World Cup.
When Kulick won the title in 2000, it was a time when professionals were not able to compete for Team USA. She opted to join the Professional Women’s Bowling Association and had to give up the chance at hoisting the coveted World Cup trophy.
“Building relationships with people from other places and cultures is such a special bonus of the World Cup,” Kulick said. “Usually, Team USA events are team events, and your focus is on your teammates and collective goals. Bowling is a sport that unites the world, and this trip will include time for much more one-on-one interaction. Yes, we’ll all be competitors and athletes on the lanes, but I’m looking forward to making new friends off the lanes.”
To see the complete schedule for the 2019 World Cup, visit QubicaAMF.com.
Bowlero Corp. Adds $400,000 to PBA Tour Prize Funds
Building on this year’s strong inaugural season on FOX Sports and bolstered by the recent acquisition by Bowlero Corp., the Professional Bowlers Association has announced a $400,000 boost in prize money for the 2020 Go Bowling! PBA Tour on FOX Sports season.
Every event on the schedule will enjoy prize fund increases and two of the PBA’s most prestigious major championships, the PBA Tournament of Champions and PBA World Championship, will now award six-figure first-place prizes.
All roads lead toward the PBA Playoffs, with the season’s top 24 points earners clinching spots in the $320,000 event, which again will feature a $100,000 first prize.
Entries have opened for the full schedule of PBA on FOX events, which will all pay a 1-in-3 cash ratio (with the exception of the the animal pattern stages of World Series of Bowling XI). Revised competition formats and conditions await, including more dual-pattern events at both classic and new venues around the U.S.
Qualifying and match play rounds of the events will be livestreamed on FloBowling, with the finals on either FOX or FS1. Twenty-three telecasts on FOX or FS1 will be live, kicking off with the PBA Hall of Fame Classic on Jan. 19 on FS1.
Highlights of the broadcast schedule include three straight majors — including the U.S. Open for the first time on FOX during “Big February” — and five straight days of PBA WSOB XI coverage in March.
For a look at the prize funds for specific events, go to: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/pba-announces-400000-boost-to-prize-funds-for-2020-season/
Ace Mitchell Contributes $5,000 to Bowl4Life
During the 2019 trade show season, Ace Mitchell Bowler’s Mart raised nearly $2,500 for the Bowl4Life Scholarship Foundation, then matched the amount for a total donation of $5,000.
“We wanted to give back to the bowling community again this year and thought, ‘Why not support youth bowling, our future?’” said Nancy Grau, part owner of Ace Mitchell. “Kids that are receiving Bowl4Life scholarships are doing tremendous things in their communities, as well as for the sport of bowling. This is something we would love to support.”
Those who donated received an Ace Mitchell’s/Bowl4Life t-shirt and free spins on the Ace slot machine. Prizes ranged from novelties to bowling balls to account credit.
Vendors were extremely helpful as well, each stepping up to help. Donations of bowling balls and other large prizes were given to make the fundraiser such a success. Customers were excited to hear of the fundraiser, whether they were familiar with Bowl4 Life or just learning about all they do.
Although the goal was to raise money, spreading the word about Bowl4Life was equally important. Sam Grau, the 11-year-old son of Mike Grau helped raise $1,000 by approaching people, explaining what the Bowl4Life Foundation does, and bringing them over for a spin on the slot machine — all while learning what a scholarship is.
On Nov. 1, Nancy Grau and Ace Mitchell salesman and PBA Hall of Famer, Jason Couch, traveled to Gastonia S.C., to attend the Gary Miller Scholarship Tournament, and present a check to Bowl4Life.
After the presentation Deborah Gardner, Managing Director of B4L, said, “I am not at a loss for words often, but you managed to totally catch me off guard. Even at this moment, I find it hard to express our sincere gratitude for the generous $5,000 donation to Bowl4Life. This is a tremendous gift and confirms your belief in us and our mission.”
The Bowl4Life Foundation is a non-profit formed in 2013 by Chuck Gardner. The goal of the Bowl4Life Scholarship Foundation is to grow the sport of bowling by assisting people of all ages to improve their skill level and knowledge of the game. In addition, the foundation has awarded more than $70,000 in scholarships to youth bowlers. For information about the Bowl4Life Scholarship Foundation, visit bowl4life.com.
On the Bowling and Bocce Front…
* A bowling venue that combines also includes bocce and classic Italian cuisine is opening at the Newport on the Levee development in Newport, Ky. Rotolo Bowling Bocce Eatery is a rebranding of the former Axis Alley. Owners describe the venue as “a new spin on the traditional bowling experience. Rotolo means “to roll,” and the venue includes 16 bowling lanes, a full bocce court, billiards, Foosball and two full-service bars. It also offers a complete menu of Italian cuisine with shareable plates, savory flatbreads and pizzas, and pasta. There’s also an ice cream float bar. The 68-seat eatery includes indoor and patio seating, and is available for private parties and special events.
* On the same day Mark Wahlberg’s burger joint, Wahlburgers, opened in Frisco, Texas, another new business at The Star in Frisco launched less than 500 feet away. Trophy Park USA is an “eatertainment” venue with bowling, bocce and more. The 13,000-sq.-ft. space includes private gaming booths, and its local owners hope to one day expand the brand . “Eatertainment” venues like Trophy Park USA have steadily popped up in walkable areas of North Texas. Recent examples include Punch Bowl Social in Deep Ellum and Fort Worth, Hero in Victory Park, and Sidecar Social in Addison. Main Event and Dave & Busters have been serving the food-games-fun niche there for many more years.
* Pinstripes, the company that first combined bowling, bocce and upscale dining as a business concept, has signed a lease at The Plaza Coral Gables, a major mixed-use project under construction in Coral Gables, Fla. The venue is taking 30,000 square feet on two stories at the project. Agave Holdings, a group that includes the family behind the Jose Cuervo spirits business, is the developer. The Coral Gables location will have an outdoor patio, 12 bowling lanes, six indoor and outdoor bocce courts, a restaurant, wine cellar and event space that accommodates up to 1,000 guests. Pinstripes also plans to open an outpost at the Esplanade at Aventura project next summer.
* Pinstripes also has announced plans for a spring 2021 opening at the International Plaza in Tampa, Fla. “We’re excited to be a part of Taubman’s expansion of International Plaza, and to anchor its evolution into a leading-edge dining and entertainment destination,” said Pinstripes CEO Dale Schwartz. Added William Taubman, Chief Operating Officer of Taubman Properties: “Pinstripes is a perfect fit for our expansion project and a great new anchor for International Plaza. Adding Pinstripes and Cinemex to our premier collection of retail, entertainment and dining further solidifies the center as the dominant destination for shoppers on Florida’s gulf coast.”
Nominations Being Accepted for PWBA Hall of Fame
Nominations now are being accepted for the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Hall of Fame class of 2020.
The 2020 PWBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held in May in conjunction with the USBC Queens. Details will be announced later.
Nomination forms are available at PWBA.com and will be accepted through Jan. 1. The categories and eligibility criteria for each category are:
* Performance — A minimum of 10 PWBA Tour titles or a minimum of five PWBA Tour titles that include two majors. The nominee must be at least 50 years of age as of Jan. 1, 2020.
* Ambassador — At least one PWBA Tour title and has made major contributions as an industry veteran or someone who has had a pioneering impact on the PWBA Tour’s growth or influence. Minimum age is 50 as of Jan. 1, 2020.
* Meritorious/Builder — Advanced the PWBA as an organization, promoted the PWBA Tour through media, and must show a minimum of five years of support.
The PWBA Hall of Fame committee will review and vote on all submitted nominees. The committee is comprised of PWBA Hall of Fame members, bowling media members, and appointed board of directors members from the USBC and the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America.
In 2019, the PWBA Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 16 years. Leanne Hulsenberg and Wendy Macpherson were inducted in the Performance category and Donna Conners joined the PWBA Hall of Fame in the Meritorious Service/Builder category.
Donna Adamek, Patty Costello, Dorothy Fothergill, Mildred Ignizio, Marion Ladewig and Betty Morris in the Performance category; LaVerne Carter, Helen Duval and Shirley Garms in Pioneer, and Georgia Veatch in the Builder category comprised the inaugural PWBA Hall of Fame class in 1995.
Through 2019, there are 38 members in the PWBA Hall of Fame — 21 in Performance, 11 in Pioneer and six in Builder.
For more information on the PWBA Hall of Fame and for nomination forms, visit PWBA.com/HallofFame.
Business Briefs…
* Go Bowling’s title sponsorship of the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International will continue. It is a multiyear extension, with exact details on the length not announced. The 2020 Go Bowling at The Glen is scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 13-16. Go Bowling sponsored the race in 2018 and again this year. “We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Go Bowling here at WGI,” said WGI President Michael Printup. “To have their brand associated with the most exciting race weekend on the NASCAR calendar has been amazing. We look forward to this extended partnership, working together to unite the community of bowling and motorsports fans.” More: https://www.stargazette.com/story/sports/motor/nascar/2019/10/29/watkins-glen-international-and-go-bowling-extend-sponsorship-deal/2498325001/.
* The transition of a former Brunswick Zone into a Bowlero-branded entertainment center has been completed in Glendale, Ariz. Read more here: https://yourvalley.net/glendale-independent/stories/bowlero-bowling-alley-opens-its-doors-in-glendale,113186.
* The struggle to save Pali Lanes in Kailua, Hawaii, continues. At present, the operating lease runs out on Jan. 3, and plans call for management to continue to operate the facility on a month-to-month basis thereafter. That situation prompted two leagues not to renew their contracts, and forced center operators to cut back operating hours.
* Mallwitz’s Island Lanes was named “Best Bowling Alley” in the Best of Buffalo initiative overseen by WIVB-TV. Five members of the Mallwitz family work at the center, which has been in operation for nearly 40 years.
* When you call Beach Bowl in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., this is the message on the machine: “Welcome to Beach Bowl, where the good times have stopped rolling. We have closed our doors. Thank you for your years of patronage.” The family that ran the center said the closure was the result of legal issues with the building’s owner.
* Variety devoted substantial space to the PBA and its deal with FOX Sports on Nov. 2. You can check out the piece here: https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/fox-sports-bowling-tv-1203390959/.
Other News You Can Use…
* A reminder about the GoFundMe campaign that has been set up for former PWBA star Michelle Feldman, who recently suffered a major stroke. According to the GoFundMe page that was initiated for her, Feldman has major sensory and ocular issues that are devastating, requiring major therapies and doctor appointments. Now a bowling proprietor, she has hosted hundreds of fundraisers, and “freely gives the bar/kitchen/main hall to whoever needs it for medical benefits.” As the GoFundMe page notes, “Now it’s her turn. Here’s a link the page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/strike-for-michele-feldman.
* As the trivia contest continues, the guest this week on Phantom Radio is Darren Andretta. To listen in, go to: https://kegel.squarespace.com/phantomblog/2019/11/12/darren-andretta-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. Please remember that the Cyber Report is a B-to-B publication and not intended for consumers.
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