IBI January 2019 Issue

CONTENTS

VOL 27.1

8 SHORTS • Brewmaster’s Life in the Gutter • Urban Air moves into Illinois.

• An 18-wheeler begins its trek for bowling.

• Tall Pines in Paradise, CA, steps up.

• BVL gets support from a wide array of places.

22 COVER STORY ‘Something Better on the Streets of Bakersfield’ The BLVD, the newest fun spot, is no honky-tonk.

By Robert Sax

THE WORLD'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BUSINESS OF BOWLING

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Scott Frager frager@bowlingindustry.com Skype: scottfrager

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER David Garber garber@bowlingindustry.com

OFFICE MANAGER Patty Heath heath@bowlingindustry.com

CONTRIBUTORS Kay Anderson Patty Heath Evan Henerson Ben Jones Robert Sax

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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Fisher

32 PROFILE

By Patty Heath

FOBF (Friend of Bowling Forever) Bill Duff’s love of all things bowling shaped his career and his life.

fisher@bowlingindustry.com

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION Designworks www.dzynwrx.com (818) 735-9424

FOUNDER Allen Crown (1933-2002)

By Evan Henerson

P.O. Box 7350 Overland Park, KS 66207 (818) 789-2695(BOWL) Fax (818) 789-2812 info@bowlingindustry.com

14 CONSIDER THIS Past Present Future Show up in every single moment like you are meant to be there.

By Kay Anderson and Ben Jones

www.BowlingIndustry.com

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46 REMEMBER WHEN 1966 7-Up Where There’s Action!

By Patty Heath

16 FEATURE

40 Showcase

A Bit of Carney in Each of Us

41 Datebook

Two Bit Circus in Los Angeles pushes the boundaries of play and reinvents the FEC.

41 Classifieds

By Robert Sax 32

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HOTLINE: 818-789-2695 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One copy of International Bowling Industry is sent free to every bowling center, independently owned pro shop and collegiate bowling center in the U.S., and every military bowling center and pro shop worldwide. Publisher reserves the right to provide free subscriptions to those individuals who meet publication qualifications. Additional subscriptions may be purchased for delivery in the U.S. for $50 per year. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $65 per year, all other foreign subscriptions are $80 per year. All foreign subscriptions should be paid in U.S. funds using International Money Orders.

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Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2018, B2B Media, Inc. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the publisher’s permission.

MEMBER AND/OR SUPPORTER OF:

EXPANSIONS, OPENINGS & NEW BEGINNINGS

SHORTS

ANOTHER BIG BOX TRANSFORMATION With more than 103 locations in operation or under construction, Urban Air Adventure Park is expanding. Based in Texas, the company is in the process of renovating Sports Authority, a big box store that closed in 2014 in Fairview Heights, IL. While not yet announced which activities will be included, Urban Air locations have bowling, laser tag, go-karts, climbing walls, mini golf, bumper cars, arcades, obstacle courses, foam pits, dodgeball, and indoor sky diving. The Fairview Heights franchise is expected to open in May.

STARS AND STRIKES MOVES INTO SOUTH CAROLINA Georgia-based Stars and Strikes took advantage of an empty Kmart in Summerville, SC, to open a BEC. The 55,000square-foot center will house 24 bowling lanes, eight of which will be VIP lanes in the Main St. Lounge. The $7 million makeover will feature laneside service and comfort seating. In addition, there will be a 7,300-square-foot arcade and prize store, a multi-story laser tag arena, bumper cars, the 7/10 Grille restaurant, and a large full-service bar surrounded by big-screen TVs. Included in the entertainment options will be Escapology, an interactive amusement concept where participants use their powers of deduction to solve a mystery. Stars and Strikes’ other locations are in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.

CINERGY IS ON THE MOVE! Cinergy Entertainment, a chain of luxury cinema entertainment centers in Texas, is expanding beyond its borders. This time, they are developing location #5 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The $10 million project is scheduled to open late February. Coming off the heels of Cinergy’s Amarillo, TX, location, this 60,000-square-foot complex will have eight state-of-the-art movie theaters with recliner heated seats with swivel tables, a premium, chef-inspired dining menu with an extensive bar menu, plus 14 lanes of boutique bowling illuminated by massive screens projecting sporting events and music videos. Patrons can also challenge themselves with five immersive escape rooms and a game floor with over 90 interactive games, including Hologate VR and an XD 4-D Dark Ride, which combines a motion experience with 3-D graphics, and special effects.

Façade of Cinergy’s Amarillo, TX, location recently opened.

PROPRIETOR TO BREWMASTER Charlie Lanza of Waterbury, CT, has worn many hats: bowler, center operator (currently of Lakewood Lanes in Waterbury), and now brewmaster. With everything, bowling was at the core, and that is the same with his latest New England IPA (India Pale Ale). He set out to create his own exclusive brew for his center, and he christened it ‘Life in the Gutter.’ Now you could go to a lot of metaphors with that handle. However, it refers to his life running bowling centers and loving everything bowling.

‘Life in the Gutter’ evolved from a collaboration with Lanza and his sons

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and Brass Works Brewing Company, a local, well-known Connecticut brewery. A launch party was held in November with all attendees going home with a complimentary ‘Life in the Gutter’ beer glass.

Shirts with the logo were sold with all profits benefitting the Youth Campership fund, supporting local summer camp programs for children.

All in all, Lanza’s brew has won high praise. Currently, it is available exclusively at Lakewood Lanes and its bar and lounge, Sports Rock. Drop by and have glass…or two.

SHORTS

Supporting Bowling to Veterans Link ‘Crazy Fun for a Purpose’ Want to have fun, raise money for a good cause, and spare a lot of exertion?

Mike Cannington at HeadPinz in Ft Myers, FL, has just the ticket. In partnership with rock radio station 93X, HeadPinz hosted the second annual .05K Race to the Bar to benefit BVL, bowling’s own charity to help veterans. It is important to note .05K, not 5K. The “race” was held in the parking lot with more than 150 racers. Here is Cannington’s description: Runners simply lined up at one end of the lot… dashed/darted/sauntered/ walked/skipped the 51 yards, 164 feet, to the finish line, which was right adjacent to our bar, Nemo’s Sports Bar. The best news, we raised more than $2,000 towards our monthly BVL campaign.”

“Crazy Fun for a Purpose” is Cannington’s motto as director of marketing at Bowland Centers, and this event was a fun way to help local vets. This was just one of many events held at 6 local HeadPinz & Bowland Centers in the month of November. The final tally was $42,345.

PEOPLEWATCHING Game manufacturer LAI Games has hired Paul Jennings as operations manager.

Jennings will oversee and direct the activities of employees engaged in providing all product delivery and support services based out of the company’s Dallas office. With over 25 years of experience in out-of-home entertainment, his career includes positions Paul Jennings with Discovery Zone, Chuck E. Cheese’s, Sega GameWorks, and most recently Dave and Busters.

IBPSIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Three candidates were elected to serve a three-year term beginning January 1. Cliff Barnes is the owner of BowlersMart. He is a Certified Bronze Coach and former product specialist and pro shop technician for Ebonite International. Jason Guest is a Certified Bronze Coach and an IBPSIA Certified Technician. He has been in the pro shop business since 1997. Peter Somoff, owner of Somoff’s Pro Shop in Tacoma, WA, is also a Storm Bowling Products International Technical Representative for Europe and Africa. He is also a Certified Gold Coach, IBPSIA Advanced Technician, and HOTS Instructor who has taught all over the globe. Current members Daniel Puerto and Jackie Wyckoff were also reelected.

Kegel founder John David, who passed away on Jan. 25, 2013, has been elected to the USBC Hall of Fame, class of 2019.

Included with Davis in this year’s selections were Jim St. John, Bob Johnson, and Larry Lichstein.

John Davis

BVL gets support from a ‘Big Brother’ Sometimes support comes in the most interesting ways. For those of you who follow the television show Big Brother, the name Tyler Crispen will be familiar. He was the runner up on Season 20 and was also voted ‘America’s Favorite Player’ on the show. Actually, he is a hometown kid from Rossford, OH. While on a trip home, Crispen revisited Interstate Lanes where he used to bowl. To make it even more memorable for him and the town, he did a meet-and-greet at the center and raised money for Bowlers Veterans Link.

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SAY at Lucky Strike, NYC Paul Rudd once again hosted the annual All-Star Bowling Benefit for the Stuttering Association for the Young (SAY) in November. The event was held at Lucky Strike in New York City. SAY is a non-profit that offers programs that address the physical, social, and emotional impact of stuttering: Camp SAY; Confident Voices after-school and weekend programs; speech therapy; and support groups.

GOODWILL CENTRAL

SHORTS As always, bowling stands tall in being a successful venue for charities and community activities.

Whether saving rhinos, cheetahs, or puppies; or raising awareness for diseases and homelessness; or just trying to help one member of a community in distress, bowling centers across the country do their share.

Delphos Recreational Center, Delphos, OH: The 8th annual Bowling for the Boyz was held to support and raise funds for testicular cancer research at James Cancer Hospital.

Hampton Lanes, Northampton, PA: Support the Veterans & Their Furry Friends, a benefit to fundraise for the training of service dogs.

Bowlero, Fresno, CA, and Fulton Alley Lanes, New Orleans: each center was the site of Strikes For Kids charity bowling classics presented

by Dollar Days. The events will benefit Strikes For Kids Backpack Giveaway programs.

Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley, Green Bay, WI: Green Bay Packers players, coaches, and alumni bowled for Packers Give Back Celebrity Bowling Event, offering scholarships for returning adult students.

Village Bowl, Wichita Falls, TX: Spare Your Family and Strike Out Mental Illness, which aids the Taft Counseling Center.

Kings Burlington, Burlington, MA: fundraiser for Adopt-a-Class and Dottie Yeadon, a public school bus driver undergoing breast cancer.

The American Association of Zoo Keepers and its local chapters raising money to Save the Rhinos: Circle Bowl, Baton Rouge, LA; Alley Cats, Dallas, TX; Transit Lanes, Buffalo, NY; and the National Bowling Stadium, Reno, NV. Boonton Lanes, Boonton, NJ, hosted a Bowlers to Veterans Link event which raised $2,000.

The first-ever Bowling for Recovery event was held at Westview Lanes, Wilson, NC, to help those recovering from drug or alcohol addictions.

Audrey Amberg, who runs a daycare business in Ontario, Canada, was supported by her community at Stellar Lanes in Newmarket in her fight against cancer. $9,000 was raised.

The 7th annual Bowling for Birthdays was held at Bowlmor Lanes in Santa Monica, CA. The goal was to raise funds to help create birthday parties for homeless and foster youth.

In 2018, the First Weber Realtors of Fitchburg, WI, provided 21,600 meals from funds raised at its annual Share Your Holidays. This year it was held at Ten Pin Alley.

Dodger Bowl, Dodgerville, WI, was the venue for the 3rd annual Kourtney Krantz Fundraising Event for Epilepsy. Proceeds help send kids to camp.

A Precious Organizations’ second annual Family Bowling FUNdraiser, which raises awareness of sickle cell anemia, was held at Bowl Haven Lanes, Alton, IL. The organization helps develop awareness and support for sickle cell anemia.

What is your center doing? Email Patty Heath at heath@bowlingindustry.com.

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TALL PINES: THE CENTER OF THE CONFLAGRATION For no other reason than possibly luck, Tall Pines bowling center in Paradise, CA, was saved from the conflagration that consumed

California Army National Guard use the bowling center parking lot to begin searching for victims.

Photo Credit: John Locher/AP

the town in November. Its parking lot became the staging ground for first responders, including the California National Guard, police officers, volunteers, cadaver

A sense of the devastation that consumed Paradise.

dog units, and anthropologists who specialize in human remains. It was also the emergency operations center where World Central Kitchen set up an emergency commissary kitchen where the organization helped serve about 700 meals each night.

SHORTS

ß BITS & PIECES ß ß ß Creative Works & Scale-1 Portal introduce Voxel™ At IAAPA in November, Creative Works and Scale-1 Portal launched Voxel™, a mixed reality attraction for all ages. Voxel™ does not require headsets or controllers. The platform uses the latest 3-D depth cameras and projection technology to create an immersive game experience; players use body movement to interact with the digital projections.

Players also wear 3-D glasses to bring the digital world to life.

“Voxel™ merges the real world with the virtual one to create a unique game experience unlike anything else in the market,” commented Armando Lanuti, president of Creative Works.

GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND The Donahue family of Madison, WI, has maintained a Thanksgiving tradition for 48 years. While the turkey bakes, the family hits the lanes at Schwoegler’s Park Towne Lanes and shares in some friendly competition. However, this year the center and town suffered a lot of

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QubicaAMF awarded 2018 IAAPA Brass Ring for Best New Product QubicaAMF was awarded the Brass Ring Award for the best new product at IAAPA last November with its HyperBowling. At the heart of HyperBowling is an innovative, all new bumper system built for everyone and meant to be used as part of the game. It includes a set of four new bowling games. The lights on the bumpers create moving targets that players aim to hit or avoid. “HyperBowling goes above and beyond to extend the bowling population, to reach the younger generations, to increase their spending, frequency of visits and ultimately center revenue,” shared Pat Ciniello, CEO of QubicaAMF. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hasbro & Kilburn Live hit the FEC Circuit Toy giant Hasbro has formed a licensing agreement with Kilburn Live to create, build, and operate Hasbro-themed, indoor family entertainment centers across the U.S. and Canada. The new division will be headed by Charlie Keegan, former CEO of Main Event Entertainment.

Brands announced for inclusion in the centers are My Little Pony, Monopoly, Mr. Potato Head, GI Joe, Clue, Battleship, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Trivial Pursuit, and Chutes and Ladders, plus others.

damage by historic flooding in August.

Schwoegler’s was closed for an overhaul. Rob Bloxham, field representative at the center, shared that it had been a rough time, but the center and staff wanted to make sure the Donahues could continue their long-standing Thanksgiving tradition and opened the center.

“It means a lot to us to have that support from families like the Donahues,” said Bloxham.

Tradition, family, and good friends. It’s priceless.

PBA & PWBA STARS TRAVEL CROSS COUNTRY ON AN 18-WHEELER

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Studio 41b partners with YDreams In partnership with YDreams Global Technologies Inc., Studio 41b is moving into the VR market. The two companies will be collaborating on integrating and distributing a turnkey, free-roam, room-scale, multi-user, interactive VR experience for FECs and VR arcade centers. Studio 41b will act as a preferred reseller in the U.S. for the Arkave VR platform. The partnership will also extend to the production capabilities in building and installing Arkave VR arenas. Doug Wilkerson, CEO of Studio 41b, shared, “We look forward to helping Arkave VR move into the U.S. FEC market.”

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This 18-wheeled semi-trailer, which will travel more than 65,000 miles transporting bowling equipment for the men’s and women’s professional tours, will spotlight Australian tenpin bowling star Jason Belmonte, along with his fellow PBA stars E.J. Tackett and Dom Barrett on one panel and PWBA stars Shannon O’Keefe, Daria Pajak, and Liz Johnson on the other.

CONSIDER THIS

Show up in every single moment like you are meant to be there.

By Ben Jones and Kay Anderson

W

e’ve all been there: worrying about what might happen next, and because of that, you really don’t enjoy what’s happening now. We miss the experience of the moment. This is not intended to mean that you shouldn’t plan for future events. To the contrary, good and effective planning helps to free your mind to be more relaxed and receptive to the moment.

Our society wasn’t built to be present. We are raised to be milestone driven, and we pick this up from our parents — they watch and anticipate when, as infants, we go from crawling, to walking, to words.

Then we have our own series of future-think milestones: school age, double-digits, teens, driving, graduation, voting, college, drinking, careers, marriage, kids, and beyond. And, in the past 20 years, technology has pushed the present further into the future. With each technological advance, we anticipate the next trend or must-have cool device.

Perhaps the following description is you or someone you know: at work you drift to thoughts

about the weekend; on the weekend you count the days until vacation time; on vacation you anticipate your return to work, visualizing the pile building on your desk and in your inbox. In the context of business, being present means to show up every day with a positive attitude; being up beat and placing your energy and focus on your team or alternatively a customer. With each passing milestone, with each intrusive thought, we are pushed out of the moment. When we do finally stop to breathe, to enjoy the present, it is by conscious awareness and often for measure. If for measure, we quickly pass through and then ascend to the next rung. This and more are what we’ve discovered as we interact with new technologies and a youthful workforce facing the rapid and blurring pace of change.

Social media grabs us, and, with a few words or with one picture, we cast our experience onto another, assuming that they too want to be in our moment and by doing so we alter their present, and effectively take their moment away. We are told technology connects us. Does it or are we becoming together and alone? Are we losing our memory or our ability to remember moments? We are old-school and place human connection above technology connections. Yes, these two coexist, but we hope that more people start to error on the side of humanity and choose a hand-held hand versus a hand-held device.

Being present or in the moment, no matter how you reference the concept, the implied meaning is to focus on where you are now; what you are doing now; and who you are with now. In life and in relationships, concentrating on being in the moment relaxes your mind and spirit for more crystallized thought and a freeing ability to enjoy and appreciate yourself and those around you. ❖

Ben Jones is an industry enthusiast. He shares his perspectives each month through Boomer Blog and invites your feedback. He may be reached at boomerblog2@gmail.com.

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Kay Anderson has spent much of her career providing financing solutions to small business owners to help convert dreams into reality. She has a keen interest in working with colleagues to develop exceptional communication and people skills.

FEATURE

By Robert Sax

I

n a 50,000-square-foot former warehouse on the funky fringe of downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District, Two Bit Circus is reinventing the FEC. It’s not easy to describe this wacky mash-up of technology and tomfoolery; the founders variably call it a “micro-amusement park,” a “new kind of community center,” and a “movie theatre for interactives.”

However they describe it, the talented clowns who are creating it are serious about giving the world a new way to play.

Forget what you think you know about FECs; Two Bit Circus is a whole other kind of social play space where you can enjoy a cocktail made by a “mechanical mixologist” while playing whimsical and original arcade games like Button Wall and Wiffle Waffle. There’s also virtual reality, augmented reality, interactive theatre, and story (not escape) rooms.

Two Bit Circus is the creation of long-time friends and business partners Brent Bushnell and Eric Gradman. Bushnell, CEO and “roustabout,” is an engineer and the son of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese founder Nolan Bushnell.

Gradman, the chief technology officer and “mad inventor,” has a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Southern California.

They share a love of circuses, carnivals, clowns, technology, video games, and pretty much all things interactive and entertaining.

Bushnell and Gradman met more than a decade ago at Mindshare, a monthly “nerd club” for engineers and designers run by their friend Douglas

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Campbell in downtown Los Angeles. “Eric and I started making interactive art and having fun together,” recalls Bushnell. “It really challenged us to come up with lots of new things that we could put in front of people, and people liked it so we kept making more stuff.”

With day jobs and a monthly deadline, they couldn’t make things too complicated. “We had to be able to build it in a month and then test it,”

Two Bit Circus creators Brent Bushnell and Eric Gradman

FEATURE people all working together.” He says Two Bit Circus is suitable for all ages but recommends it for those aged eight years and up. On weekends after 9:00 p.m. guests must be over 21 years old.

Much More than Three Rings

Club 01, the interactive theater for live, multi-player trivia games and contests.

says Bushnell. “That forced us to try lots of new stuff and, frankly, lots of the attractions in Two Bit Circus were things we made as early as 2008.”

Word of their unusual creations spread, brands came calling, and soon they were doing projects for Warner Bros, Dave & Buster’s, and other major companies. After creating and producing more than 100 interactive events, Bushnell and Gradman went the full carny with STEAM Carnival, a science and technology-based travelling show that toured for two years.

But the effort required to support a 120,000-square-foot carnival was tremendous, and, in 2016, they decided to put down roots. “We finished doing the one in San Francisco and we were like, ‘Oh my god! We got 5,000 people a day, all this [media] coverage, but we can never do that again.

That was so much work,’” recalls Bushnell.

Two Bit Circus’s grand scheme is to create a space where people can have fun together in groups in real time. “Our core [goal] here is you’re either reconnecting with old friends or making new ones,” says Bushnell, “so a lot of the games are for two to ten or even a hundred

Gearmo del Pouro is overseen by professional mixologist Michael Serwich.

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Two Bit Circus is divided into multiple “arenas” dedicated to different activities. Recently Bushnell led a group of visitors on a tour of the space right before it opened in September 2018. The first arena is the Midway, a wide promenade with big booths featuring games based on classic carnival mechanics involving rolling, swinging, and tossing things but augmented with projectors, sensors, and other electronics.

Remember the game where you throw a dart and try to pop a balloon? Big Top Balloon Pop lets you throw a ball at a soft video screen filled with rows of colored targets with tracking cameras in them. When you hit a target you change its color; get three in a

Button Wall is an original game created by owners Bushnell and Gradman.

row and the targets pop. Bushnell calls it a cross between the balloon game and Candy Crush.

Across the Midway is Demolition Zone where two players each swing a physical wrecking ball towards a virtual skyscraper. The goal is to destroy more of the building than your opponent without hurting any of the construction workers. Other games include Last Ball Standing and Rail Race.

A short stroll from the Midway is a complex of story rooms, a term Bushnell prefers to escape room. “What happens if the story’s not about escaping the room,” explains Bushnell, “and you want to do something like floating down a haunted bayou or navigating a space ship through the galaxy?” Both of these adventures are available, along with a mine shaft that leads to an Aztec temple under Los Angeles if you can figure out how much dynamite is needed to open the secret passage.

The story rooms are professionally themed, painted, and built with an eye for details that heighten the adventure. Computers

FEATURE

It’s Showtime and You’re the Show The most unusual experience at Two Bit Circus may well be Club 01, an interactive social club in a separate room that seats 100 guests. It looks like a theatre or comedy club with a stage and multiple tables, but each table features two touchscreens that are tied into a custom gaming platform that can automatically sort customers into teams. A live host can then engage them in live interactive entertainment, ranging from mock game shows to immersive theatre to esports.

power the games, some of which utilize VR headsets. But there are also real levers to pull, wheels to turn, and carts to push, recalling childhood adventures in the recreation room or backyard, except with way cooler sets and props. All games and story rooms have been thoroughly playtested by Two Bit Circus’s own beta group that has been together for several years.

Fans of virtual reality will find a variety of experiences and formats at Two Bit Circus. The VR Cabanas are private rooms that feature a choice of VR games run on the Springboard gaming platform. Small groups of friends or family can have a private party and enjoy food and bottle service while playing games that range from introductory to hard-core level.

There are also open-play VR and AR games, ranging from a room-scale, multi-player Hologate VR arena to single-player games.

“One of the coolest games we have in here is Battlezone,” says chief creative officer Nancy Bennett. “It’s been made especially for Two Bit Circus through an exclusive arrangement with the creators of the classic Atari tank warfare cabinet game.” Instead of standing up, however, the Two Bit Circus Nancy Bennett version puts the player in a modified D-Box motion effects seat with a joystick to control the game action. “You can go back in time and play that arcade console game,” says Bennett, “but this is virtual insanity. It’s so rivetingly real in its detail, and it’s four-player, and it’s a blast.”

Beyond the VR arena is the Arcane Arcade, and it lives up to its moniker. No Big Bass Wheel or Ticket Time here; instead, guests can play a variety of custom-built cabinet and table games for two or more players. Super Thunder Bloxx, for example, is an infinite play game that requires players to contort and pose their body in order to hit or avoid good and bad blocks on a constantly moving block wall. Button Wall is a mashup of Twister and Whack-a-Mole, where you use your arms, legs, and head to press glowing buttons on a vertical display faster than your opponent.

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Gradman demonstrated several games, beginning with a horse-racing game powered by answers to trivia questions that pushes digital horses across a screen based on a team’s correct answers. Another is a wine-tasting game in which players taste an actual flight of wines and try to describe the colors, bouquet and flavors of each. As with other attractions at Two Bit Circus, Club 01 is engineered to get groups of people playing together in real time and space.

Playing with Their Food (and Beverage) The Boxcar Cafe is the place for customers to take a break and have a bite to eat. It promises carny fare, reimagined, which includes new twists on, or alternatives to, classic circus treats. Executive Chef Scott Smith comes from a classic restaurant background and is enjoying Brent Bushnell’s challenge to reinvent carnival food while making it healthier. “I’m taking

FEATURE

things that are traditional carnival food, breaking them down, making them healthier, but still very palatable and very recognizable to most people.”

The menu offers many vegan and vegetarian choices along with lighter takes on traditional meat-based items. Much of the menu is designed around individual items you can eat while walking through the center and playing games. But there are shareable items as well, and big picnic tables where hungry guests can sit down and share those dishes. Some of the more imaginative menu items are deconstructed mole snack mix, a vegan corn dog, chocolate-dipped bacon, and adobo chicken flatbread.

There is also an original snack called a hand pie, a baked cup of dough filled with such foodie combinations as California prosciutto cotto and Italian Locatelli cheese with house-made melon habanero sauce or organic broccoli and local vegan cheddar “cheese” in a light vegan house-made gravy.

Beer and soft drinks are served at the Boxcar Café. There is also an imaginative cocktails menu including the Fire Juggler, Clown Car and Weird Science, which can be enjoyed at the Carousel bar-in-the-round in the center of the complex. In another corner, a Rube Goldbergian-robotic bartender named Gearmo del Pouro offers several cocktails that come in a souvenir cup that resembles a tin can. Guests can eat and drink while taking in the amazing sites at a comfy, second-floor balcony lounge that overlooks the Midway.

Serious About Business It seems like all fun and games at Two Bit Circus, but like any FEC or amusement park, it’s also a real business that wants to grow. There’s a lot of intellectual property to be exploited, from individual games to the complex software and hardware platform that makes this modern carnival run smoothly. That’s where Kim Schaefer comes in.

Schaefer is the former CEO of Great Wolf Resorts, the largest operator of indoor waterpark resorts. As president of Two Bit Circus, Schaefer is responsible for the care and feeding of what could become an international chain of microamusement parks. She first worked with Bushnell Kim Schaefer on Great Forest Challenge, an early story room

concept that he and Gradman built for the Seattle location of Great Wolf Lodge. When Two Bit Circus’s founders were ready for a permanent attraction, they enticed Schaefer into running away to Los Angeles to join their circus.

Schaefer sees a lot of potential in Two Bit Circus’s software and hardware and intellectual property. “I think one of the things for me is that we have a platform that is going to allow us to scale as quickly as we want.” She is also impressed with the Los Angeles creative scene, which offers a deep pool of talented artists and technicians with roots in the film studios and major amusement parks like Disney. “Whether it’s through the big studios, through filmmakers here, or whether it’s through indie developers that we find at USC, UCLA, or somewhere round the world, we can layer that [creativity] in,” she says.

Talking to members of the huge team moving around the space tweaking every aspect of Two Bit Circus, it’s clear that with their combined skills they can probably design and build anything.

A number of outside investors also share Schaefer’s enthusiasm. In 2017, Two Bit Circus raised $15 million in a funding round led by Jazz Venture Partners, according to VentureBeat.com.

That was followed in 2018 by a strategic investment from CJ CGV, South Korea’s largest entertainment and theatrical exhibition company and a major operator of theatres in Korea, China, Vietnam, and other Asian markets.

There’s no telling where Two Bit Circus will go. Bigger names have tried out alternative amusement centers to limited success, including Disney’s DisneyQuest indoor attraction and Cedar Fair’s Star Trek: The Experience.

But along with its wacky ideas, original games, and carny spirit, Two Bit Circus is on a mission. As its bold manifesto states: “You were born knowing how to have fun. You got busy and might have forgotten. We’re here to help you remember.”

They mean it. ❖

Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.

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COVER STORY

THE BLVD, THE NEWEST FUN SPOT, IS NO HONKY-TONK.

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COVER STORY

M

By Robert Sax

any Californians and music fans know Bakersfield as a hard-working town built on mining, oil, and farming, and famous as the home of country music legends Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and the “Bakersfield Sound” of the 1950s and 1960s.

In their 1988 number one hit record “Streets of Bakersfield,” Dwight Yoakum and Owens sang, “Trying to find me something better, here on the streets of Bakersfield.” Today, just up the road from the late Owens’ famous Crystal Palace nightclub, native son David Bynum has launched what he feels is “something better” in entertainment for Bakersfield. It’s a contemporary FEC called The BLVD and it’s no honky-tonk. “[Country music] is a great touchstone for our community, but there’s a large portion of our community that’s not interested in country music,” says Bynum. “And even if you said, hey, I love country music … it’s not like there’s ten places to go to. I mean, there’s the Crystal Palace where you can usually catch a good concert and there’s a couple of other places that have live bands, but more often than not it’s not country.”

Bynum says that when he was growing up, the complaint about Bakersfield was “there’s nothing to do,” especially for families with young children. “In Bakersfield, you tend to start a family a little bit younger, you don’t live in Bakersfield in your 20s for the nightlife,” says Bynum, a young father himself. “You live here because your family is here. People spend their dollars on their children or on spending time with their family.” That’s why he set out to create an experience that he felt Bakersfield’s families needed and didn’t have.

An attorney by profession, Bynum’s initial foray into family entertainment was Rush Air Sports, a 40,000square-foot trampoline park with recreational climbing and soft play areas. “Rush was my first experience with the entertainment business,” says Bynum, “It really gave me the first taste in entertainment experiences, especially in Bakersfield.” He opened it in November 2014 and ran it for three years before selling it to another operator; it’s still in business across the parking lot from The BLVD. While running Rush Air Sports, Bynum saw that trampoline parks did a really good job of entertaining people up to about age 16, after which there was a steep fall off in usage. “I was kind of searching for the answer

to what can we do to entertain people that doesn’t leave parents sitting on the sidelines?” says Bynum, “So how do you do that? How do you entertain adults and yet have something for the kids? I kind of need something that does it all.” He imagined it as a familyfriendly place that becomes more adult-oriented as the day goes on.

Bynum found his answer in the bowling-based FEC concept. “It has been exactly what I was looking for

Owner, David Bynum (left) with mom Mary, dad Greg, and brother Don.

before I even knew I was looking for it,” he says. He credits an early meeting with Brunswick, his capital equipment supplier, with ultimately convincing him to go the bowling route. He had a suitable location, a 45,000-square-foot former big box store, but he had to figure out if the FEC model would work in Bakersfield before approaching investors.

Fortunately Brunswick introduced Bynum to FEC/restaurant consultants Trifecta Management Group, who did a feasibility study for him. Mike Auger, managing partner of Trifecta, directed the study. What surprised him the most was how big the potential market was. As a Southern Californian, Auger knew where Bakersfield was but not much else. “I’ve driven by it and through it, but I didn’t know that it had over 850,000 people in Owner David Bynum IBI

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COVER STORY with 14 lanes in the main play area and another eight lanes in a boutique VIP section with its own bar. All the openplay lanes feature state-of-the-art equipment from Brunswick and are equipped with HDTVs and 15-inch projection screens in the masking units.

The boutique area has all those bowling goodies plus sofa seating and a lounge area with sports on TV, billiard tables, and plenty of space to socialize.

The BLVD also has a host of popular attractions for those looking for something besides bowling. There’s an indoor ropes course and a two-story laser tag arena with Bakersfield theming, its metropolitan statistical area (MSA),”says Auger. (The United States Census defines an MSA as “a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area.”) This meant that The BLVD had a lot of potential customers nearby.

There also wasn’t much local competition in the bowling category. “There were a couple of AMF centers, kind of circa 1970, more traditional bowling centers in the market,” says Auger. “And there was another concept called Firehouse several miles away.” He and Bynum saw Firehouse, a sports bar with bowling, billiards and arcade games, as going after a different market segment.

Supported by the feasibility study and a business plan, Bynum was able to raise investment from a group of about 30 investors, most of them locals who knew Bakersfield and agreed that it needed a place like The BLVD. About nine months later The BLVD was ready, at a cost of $8.9 million.

Auger describes The BLVD as the first of its kind on that scale in the area. At its core are lanes of bowling, 26

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including oil derricks, local street signs, and the iconic Bakersfield sign that welcomes visitors driving into town.

Rounding out the fun is an arcade with more than 60 video and redemption games and a prize center.

For those who prefer fresh air bowling, there are bocce courts in the

COVER STORY

outdoor beer garden, which offers draft beer and local micro brews. Several of those micro-brews are from the Temblor micro-brewery next door, which is run by Bynum’s brother Don. There’s also a selection of cocktails and mocktails like the Misty Martini, Border Mule and The BLVD Fizz that are more Hollywood than honkytonk. Topping off the extensive drinks list are the signature BLVD Bowls which are mammoth cocktails designed for sharing and served in a glass bowl garnished with popsicles.

Food also gets first-class treatment at The BLVD, starting with its executive chef Briann Avila, who learned her craft at top restaurants in Las Vegas. “Briann has been fortunate enough to work under world-renowned chefs and in some of the most prestigious kitchens in Las Vegas,” says Auger.

The diverse menu at The BLVD features gastro pub-style, farm-to-table cuisine, from shared-plate items ranging from ahi tuna poke stack to chicken piadini and roasted brussels sprouts, and larger entrée choices like classic burgers, hearth-baked pizzas and Cajun chicken pasta.

Bynum says business has been great since the opening in April 2018, and

part of that success is due to Trifecta Management’s operations expertise. “I think of myself more as an entrepreneur and a business developer,“ he says, “I knew a trampoline park was easier to tackle than something with the restaurant component, the bowling machinery, the arcade, and laser tag. Trifecta had done our feasibility study and they became a natural operations [partner].”

Mike Auger confirms that the Bakersfield public is enthusiastic about its new place to play. “Based upon our experience and the volume and the feedback and comments we’re getting from the guests, this is definitely something that the marketplace has been wanting,” says Auger. It’s drawing a good mix of customers at various times of day, from families to young adults to sports fans. “Sports viewing has really taken off with the NFL season.

The various attractions – bowling, the arcade, a laser tag and ropes course – are all doing very, very well,” says Auger.

So if you find yourself on the streets of Bakersfield looking for great fun and entertainment, go check out The BLVD. You may not hear any honky-tonk songs, but you will still have a good ol’ time. ❖

Robert Sax is a writer and PR consultant in Los Angeles. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, the home of five-pin bowling.

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PROFILE

FOBF (FRIEND OF BOWLING FOREVER) Bill Duff’s love of all things bowling shaped his career and his life.

By Evan Henerson

F

or four years starting in the mid-1980s, Bill Duff managed a 72-lane bowling center in Harwood Heights, Illinois. When he speaks of his tenure at Holiday Bowl, where 3,000 visitors would come through each week, Duff does so with undeniable fondness.

“We had over 80 leagues each week. There was so much action. I loved that place,” recalled Duff, who is now in his 22nd year as the executive director of the Illinois State and Chicagoland Bowling Proprietors Associations. “If that center was still there, I would probably still be the manager.”

Centers like the one Duff describes are practically nonexistent in 2018. The industry has changed greatly since Duff first started working at centers in his native Ohio during high school and college. Times may change and industry trends evolve, but Duff’s passion for the sport is still going strong.

He spent eight years as assistant executive director to Patrick Bosco before taking over as executive director after Bosco retired. Every bit an industry lifer, Duff still finds the job invigorating, even after nearly 30 years in the same place.

Indeed, given the fact that his love for the sport, which began when he was in third grade, and the fact that Duff has twice during his career worked for centers with the name ‘Holiday’ in their titles, seems somehow fitting.

“Every day the job presents a different challenge,” Duff said.

“I may be in the office for one or two days. I may be out in the field, whether for membership services, for a board of directors meeting, or running a tournament for our members-all sorts of different things, including putting on sponsored events and educational seminars for our members. There’re a lot of balls in the air, but that makes every day that much different.”

Approximately 183 centers are members of the state BPA 32

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Duff, who still loves the sport of bowling, works a big tournament in August of 2018.

with an additional 50 in Chicagoland, making Illinois one of the largest BPAs in the country. During the years that he has been at the job, Duff has seen the industry evolve and multiple centers fall away. Some have changed to become family entertainment centers. Others have shuttered entirely as land values have forced closures and redevelopment. Where once the association’s membership totaled 6,000 lane beds, that Duff, on the far left, with Carolyn Dorin Ballard, Jason Couch and Lyle Zikes at Beat the Champs in December, 2003.

PROFILE

Duff, left, with his daughter and ISBPA president Ed Figlewski in 1998.

number is now around 5,000. The number of centers in Chicago proper, once as high as 60, has dwindled to 17.

“We have seen the competitive part of bowling erode,” he said. “I remember when proprietors were fighting over lane condition demands.

We’ve gone through so many changes, and I think that has a lot to do with competitive bowling and societal trends. Things have changed that have affected the demands on people’s time. They’re not willing to give up 35 weeks out of the year anymore.”

Duff speaks with pride over his association’s efforts to stimulate interest in the sport in younger bowlers. In-school bowling programs at the middle and high school levels have helped increase participation, and the association’s scholarship program is flourishing. Since the program started in 1990, the association has given out more than $2 million in scholarship funds to 3,500 students.

Students who stay in the program receive the scholarship money once they graduate. The association also hosts two youth tournaments per year that pay out additional money. Thanks in large measure to the contributions of sponsor Kegel, the Kegel ISBPA Midwest Collegiate Classic has grown to become a USBC Tier One event. High school bowlers routinely attend the event to give them a sense of what may await them when they get to the college level.

“From a proprietor standpoint, what we’re trying to do is retain youth bowlers, which is really tough when they get to high school and they’ve got jobs and other activities,” Duff said.

When he uses the word “we,” Duff is speaking not just on behalf of Illinois but of his fellow state BPA members and executives. The collective goal, he says, is to fill the lanes of the member centers and help them stay profitable. If someone develops an idea for ways that this goal can be achieved, it’s in the interest of all members to share it, according to Duff.

“I think grass roots participation is the key, and a lot of states aren’t getting that,” he said. “In the old days, we used to have centers fight among themselves for customers. Those kinds of things change. What I see now is a much more cohesive camaraderie. Our proprietors are willing to share with each other, understanding that they’re all in it together.”

According to longtime friend and industry colleague Ken Prokopec, Duff walks the walk. Prokopec, who ran Broadview Bowl in the Chicago suburbs, has known Duff both as a proprietor member and as a fellow state executive director during Prokopec’s eight-year tenure at the Michigan BPA. 34

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“He’s very professional, very reliable, always willing to share and help other association directors,” Prokopec said of Duff. “He doesn’t come across as a know-it-all. If he ran a successful tournament, he’d help someone else out who wanted to run the same tournament to make sure they had everything they needed and understood everything.”

Duff was still in elementary school when he first fell in love with bowling. After first bowling during a 3rd grade birthday party, he found a youth league, and later bowled his way through his teen and college years, working at centers in his native Ohio. At Holiday Lanes, Inc. in Columbus Ohio (no relation to the Harewood Heights Holiday Lanes), Duff emptied ashtrays and sharpened pencils for the telescore machines. He earned $3.35 an hour but said the perks of the job had a greater value than his paycheck.

“Bowling was a quarter a game, and if I got there an hour and a half before I had to work, before I clocked in, I could get six games in,” Duff recalled. “I’d rationalize that in the first half hour of work, I would have paid for it.”

He earned a degree in communications from Ohio State University. Out of college, he worked briefly at The Post newspaper in Athens, Ohio, before turning back to bowling, this time with an eye toward moving into center management. While working at Laurie Nichols’ Algonquin Lanes in the late 1980s, Duff began attending bowling proprietorship association meetings and realized his path might lead him in that direction. A position was opening up at the Illinois BPA where Duff would serve under then-executive director Patrick Bosco.

“I loved doing things on a local community level, but I had an opportunity to maybe make a little bit larger impact on the sport,” he said of the move, “and I never looked back.”

The sport has helped his life in other ways as well.

Duff met his wife, Jacki, at one of the centers where he worked. Their daughter, Kayleigh, bowled in high school and bowling helped finance her education at Grand View University. “All the [friends] she’s made bowling throughout high school, as well as college, those will be people she will be friends with forever,” Duff said. ❖

Evan Henerson is a features and lifestyle journalist who lives in Los Angeles. His work has appeared in TV Guide, American Theatre, Orange Coast and the Los Angeles Daily News where he was a staff writer and critic for nine years.

SHOWCASE ON-LANE ORDERING

New Center Consulting Inc., based in Rochester Hills, MI, recently introduced TouchScore 3 Scoring’s newest feature, On Lane. This latest addition allows customers to order food and beverage using the Keypad/Lower Monitor Tablet’s easy to follow screens. Once keyed in, the order shows up in the Orders menu tab, and notifies the center of the order. When ready, messages can either be sent to the lane to notify the customers their items are ready to be picked up or staff can take the order to the lane. Simple. Easy to use. An effective way to better serve bowlers in any center. For more information, contact Glenn Hartshorn at (248) 375-2751.

LIGHTING EFFECTS

QubicaAMF’s CenterPunch deck lighting is the only pin deck lighting system on the market controlled through a bowling management system—fully integrated with Conqueror Pro. When combined with the BES X Bowler Entertainment System, the lighting responds to on-lane events such as strikes, spares, and gutter balls, delivering a more impactful guest experience—and real value for you. Elements include: easy ‘point and click’ tool; create light shows in minutes; build a custom light show library; schedule shows for certain days and times; and run different light shows on different lanes. Welcome to the future of bowling center lighting effects. Welcome to CenterPunch. Visit QubicaAMF.com/CenterPunch to learn more.

APPS IN THE CLOUD

Add Brunswick’s Sync to the list of leading-edge applications that run in the cloud. Sync stores its marketing tools and your customer databases on a server, feeding data at lightning speed via an internet connection. Benefits include: more seamless integration between system functions/modes; the added security of protecting vital customer data from loss due to catastrophic events at your center (e.g. fire/flooding); and accessing data and marketing tools from anywhere at any time. Sync is all-new to its core, freeing it from constraints imposed by older marketing tools from anywhere at any time. Visit brunswickbowling.com.

DREAMWORKS’ TROLLS

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Now you have a real choice in websites! eBowl.biz has partnered with an expert website developer to deliver affordable websites that will make your center more visible and drive traffic. These websites are mobile optimized with advanced SEO, SSL security, Google indexed calendar, Selfie Machine, and more. Take your online presence to the next level with a BowlRx website!

Get the details at www.BowlRx.com or call (541) 5490999 for an online demo.

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Bay Tek’s Tower of Tickets, a proven redemption game, is now available as an officially licensed DreamWorks Trolls version. Players time the release of the moving arm to skillfully knock the targets off the rotating playfield and onto the RFID scoring platform. The ones with the tufts of DreamWorks Trolls hair on them are worth big points. This new version comes with additional features besides the popular licensed artwork. The marquee can be powered via a ceiling power drop or from the standard floor outlet below, for added flexibility. Order now or get more information by contacting Bay Tek Games, (920) 822-3951, sales@baytekgames.com, or contact a Bay Tek Games distributor.

DATEBOOK BPAA One-Day Management Boot Camps Available to state associations & multi-unit centers

Ben Jones: be@jonesdetroit.com George Smith: geosmith4756@gmail.com

Contact Kelly Bednar (817) 385-8462 Kelly@bpaa.com

JANUARY 2019

JUNE

FEBRUARY

2-7 2019 USBC Team USA Trials U.S. Amateur Championships Gold Coast Bowling Center Las Vegas

MARCH

10-12 LaserTAG360 Creative Works www.lasertag360.com sales@thewoweffect.com

4-6 LaserTAG360 Creative Works www.lasertag360.com sales@thewoweffect.com

23-27 BPAA Bowl Expo Paris Hotel and Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV Bpaa.com/bowlexpo

MARCH

OCTOBER

5-7 F2FEC EXPERIENCE The Broadmoor Colorado Springs, CO Rick Iceberg: rick@F2conference.com

TOURNAMENTS FOR 2019

JANUARY

APRIL 29 – MAY 2 USBC Convention The Orleans Las Vegas Bowl.com/conventions

27-29 IAAPA FEC Summit Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort Austin, TX Iaapa.org/events-education/events

PLAN NOW -

7-9 LaserTAG360 Creative Works www.lasertag360.com sales@thewoweffect.com

9 – JUNE 29 Open Championships South Point Bowling Plaza Las Vegas Registration: bowl.com/USBC.Registration

APRIL 20 – JUNE 29 Women’s Championships Northrock Lanes Wichita, KS Registration: bowl.com/USBC.Registration

JULY 13 – 20 Junior Gold Championships Detroit, MI, area Bowl.com/JuniorGold

CLASSIFIEDS

AMF and some BRUNSWICK PC board repair/exchange. 6-month warranty, fast turnaround. Call or write: WB8YJF Service 5586 Babbitt Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054 Toll Free: 888-902-BOWL (2695) Ph./Fax: (614) 855-3022 (Jon) E-mail: wb8yjf@sbcglobal.net Visit us on the WEB! http://home.earthlink.net/~wb8yjf/

LOCKER KEYS FAST! All Keys done by code # Locks and Master Keys E-mail: huff@inreach.com TOLL FREE

1-800-700-4539 IBI

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CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Equipment for Sale: 16 converted A-2 pinsetters; 16 lanes, overlayed w/ Brunswick Anvilane; 16 lanes of gutters with pull-up bumpers; 16 ASK scorers w/ Evolution conversion; Large inventory of pinsetter parts; Brunswick/Kegel Kustodian lane machine; 4 Brunswick Gold Crown, 9’ standard pool tables.

Equipment currently in use.

Available May 1, 2019.

Contact Gary at fiestabowl955@gmail.com or fax (815) 842-4159.

PRO SHOP TRAINING. Classes always forming. Jayhawk Bowling Supply (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

FOR SALE: 24 Brunswick seating: swing &swivel, oval, and 18 swing&swivel, pear, glow; Steltronic & Qubica automatic scoring.

Email for details; 24 synthetic lanes foulline forward, includes deck; reconditioned Lustre Kings; ZOT ball kickers; Kegel Kustodian; Bumper/gutter and capping; and 16-lane package, includes A2s, Steltronic auto scoring w/ 42” flatscreens, Brunswick synthetic panels, auto bumper system, also Laser Runner laser tag, fantastic condition. Will take out and move to your location.

Knotritellc@gmail.com.

MASSACHUSETTS: 6-lane Duckpin business ONLY for sale in historic North Chelmsford.

Automatic pinsetters & many spare parts.

Owner retiring. (978) 808-7029.

NEW & USED Pro Shop Equipment.

Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

REPAIR & EXCHANGE. Call for details (248) 375-2751.

12 AMF COMPLETE BOWLING LANES FOR SALE. Excellent condition. 82-70 pinsetters; AMF synthetic lanes + all scoring, gutters, ball returns, etc.

MIKE (954) 224-4655.

EQUIPMENT WANTED LANE MACHINES WANTED. We will purchase your KEGEL-built machine, any age or condition. Call (608) 764-1464.

POSITION WANTED Certified Brunswick mechanic versed on all American and Japanese serial machines and ZOT conversions. Seeking part time or full time in the Denver and central Colorado area. Will furnish all tools and equipment.

Very experienced; with excellent references.

Call (303) 948-8770 or (720) 527-4287.

WWW.TEXTBOWLING.COM 42

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SERVICES AVAILABLE Drill Bit Sharpening and Measuring Ball Repair. Jayhawk Bowling Supply. (800) 255-6436 or jayhawkbowling.com.

3

EASY WAYS

to place your Classified Ad in International Bowling Industry Magazine

CENTERS FOR SALE

CENTRAL IDAHO: Busy, updated, 8-lane (synthetic) center: electronic scorekeeping, league play & 50-seat restaurant with drive thru. Easy highway access. Assumable loan.

Call (775) 720-2726 for more details.

OHIO: Well-established 42-lane center: Brunswick A-2 jetbacks; AS 90 scoring w/all upgrades; new upper flat screens. Includes restaurant, snack bar, nursery, liquor license.

42,000 s/f bldg. on 5.46 acres in the city.

COMPLETE TURNKEY OPERATION. Contact Allan Anderson, (740) 503-0452.

Call (818) 789-2695

NEBRASKA: 16-lane center in a nice town, Ogallala. Remodeled bar and kitchen. Asking 250K. Contact Jacob. cornhuskerlanesNE@gmail.com.

NE IOWA: 8-lane, upgraded center on 1.1 acres. Includes: 82-30 Golden Edition pinsetters, AccuScore Plus with Purrfect Desk; new flat screen monitors & carpet.

Also, kitchen, snack bar, lounge, game room, lockers, & ball drilling equipment.

TURNKEY sale. roncyndi@hotmail.com or (641) 485-1752.

Fax (818) 789-2812

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE u 20 Lane Package 82-90 XLi Edge Pinspotters u Full Qubica/AMF SPL lanes package with extras u BESX Qubica scoring system with a 10 station Micros POS system interfaced u Advanced audio and video package u

For more info call 843-367-4490

E-mail

SERVICE

your ad to:

info@bowlingindustry.com

CLASSIFIEDS

WWW.TEXTBOWLING.COM

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CLASSIFIEDS

BEST DARN DEAL ON THE MIDWAY!!!!!

For your average sized center, I can bring 2,000 open bowlers over 5 months.

I have dozens of topnotch references.

Kevin Malick since 1991 Bigk2u@yahoo.com |(863) 602-4850 Leave an email address for more info

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CLASSIFIEDS

PROPRIETORS WITH AMF 82-70 S.S. & M.P. MACHINES Save $$ on Chassis & P.C. Board Exchange & Repair!

A reasonable alternative for Chassis and P.C. Board Exchanges MIKE BARRETT Call for Price List

Tel: (714) 871-7843 • Fax: (714) 522-0576

AMF • BRUNSWICK EQUIPMENT COMPLETE PACKAGES WORLDʼS LARGEST NEW – USED SPARE PARTS INVENTORY ALL AMF BUMPER PARTS, XS Q-BUMP, DURABOWL AND GEN II IN STOCK

SEL L

BUY

Danny & Daryl Tucker Tucker Bowling Equipment Co. 609 N.E. 3rd St. Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-4018 Fax (806) 995-4767

Bowling Parts, Inc. P.O. Box 801 Tulia, Texas 79088 Call (806) 995-3635 Email - daryl@tuckerbowling.com

www.tuckerbowling.com

SELL YOUR CENTER

(818) 789-2695

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REMEMBER WHEN

1966 A

flip hairdo, jeans, socks, a casual pull-over, and do-it-yourself scoring. Annnd...the year was...1966!

Bowling was a gas! The chicks dug it, so, be there or be square.

Somehow 60s’ slang and the 7-Up action don’t quite mesh. It’s almost the 1960s with a 50s filter. Good, clean, allAmerican fun. That being said, bowling always worked. 7-Up knew it and used it a lot in their advertising during those halcyon years for bowling. ❖ - Patty Heath

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