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B WLING |
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In 1959 I joined a junior league that bowled at Luxury Lanes. I bought a book: "How To Bowl" and practiced what it said to do but I wasn't very good because I couldn't throw a hook and in fact the ball would do the opposite.
But I had fun and even when I went to De I stayed on. It meant that I was always late, having to bus from downtown. But I would bowl my "first" game when we finished.
I was captain a few times. I used to drive Olson crazy, because I always bowled better outside of league. His father would give me a lift home, usually after we had a Coke at the counter while he would down a beer or two.
In 1959 my team came in 2nd. Gary Olson, Gary Gaustad and Lyle Peterson. In 1960 my original team was John Mortenson, Gary Olson and Lyle Peterson. I switched to Pin Blasters that came in last (Mustain and Kasten). On July 23 I moved up to a 16 pound ball and my whole life I just didn't have the muscles to use it properly. In 1961 I had an average of 121, a high game of 171 and high series of 455. My team was the "Timber Tumblers" (Gary Olson, Tim Fahlin, Dave Hunstedt and Rick Campion) and we came in last place. This was the year of the "Aqua" pin. If the blue pin was in the one spot and you got a strike you earned a free game. We had prizegiving at Prom Ballroom in St Paul. In 1965 I had my all time high series: 211, 211 and 204 for 626 at Southtown Lanes. In 1969 I had second best high series at Coffman Union (Uni of MN): 570. In 1974 Gail and bowled at St Asaph in Christchurch, NZ. It was built in WWII by American soldiers. The pins were attached to wires! The balls were chipped and cracked and lanes very uneven. Hence our low scores (see score sheet at right). |
 1961  1960 
 17 Jan |
| 20 alleys I have bowled: see them at lists. | ||
| Professional Bowling | I would watch Don Carter tip-toe up to the line with his arm all screwed up to gently put the ball into the groove. And yes, like most who saw him bowl, I did try his technique. But the best was Dick Webber. Through the years lefties seemed to do better and there was a theory that there fewer southpaws so that side of the lane wasn't as grooved or damaged as the right side. | |
| Semi-Professional | DIck Mustain, who was on my team is an excellent bowler getting many 300 games under his belt. Tom Sullivan,a totally non-athlete who I went to Uni with also bowls in professional tournamemts. | |
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