3-PEAT: BCM SWEEPS WRITING AWARDS FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW

For the third consecutive year, Bowling Center Management has swept the awards in the Business category of the International Bowling Media Association Writing Competition.

BCM Editor Bob Johnson earned both the first-place and second-place awards in the 2023 competition. The winning story, “The Passing of an Industry Icon,” told the story of Storm Products founder Bill Chrisman and appeared in the November issue. The second-place story, “From Welfare Child to Proprietor of the Year,” appeared in the June issue and chronicled the career of New York center operator Doug Bohannon.

BCM contributing writer Johnny Campos claimed the third and final award in the Business category with his feature on the new Pinstack center in San Antonio, Texas. It appeared in the first issue of the year (January).

Johnson picked up another first-place award in the competition’s News division. “From the Ashes of 9-11” chronicled how the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, motivated proprietor John LaSpina to get involved with and eventually rise to chair the Bowlers to Veterans Link. It appeared in the November issue as part of BCM’s annual “Karma” section, featuring profiles of proprietors who do the right things for the right reasons.

Johnson also received a second-place award in the Feature Division for a profile of Mike Aulby upon Aulby’s election to the BPAA Hall of Fame. “Making History Again” appeared in the April issue.

A pair of editorials — “The Traits of the Best Bowls and Hospitals” (March, second place) and “What’s in a Name? To Guests, It’s Everything” (September, honorable mention) — brought Johnson’s award count for 2023 to six and his career total to 91, far more than any other bowling journalist.

BCM’s award total of seven outdistanced all of the competition combined, as Bowlers Journal International collected three awards and PBA.com garnered two.

“The awards are important because they demonstrate where the best business journalism is being practiced in bowling,” Johnson said. “I’m proud of our BCM team and the dedication they put into making sure the editorial in the magazine is informative, focused and useful.”