THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 27, 1994 TAG: 9411240299
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 27 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Around The Alleyways
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
Perhaps the biggest untapped market in bowling is the 12-and-under group.
Most youth leagues are composed primarily of teenagers.
But more and more youngsters in the preschool and first-grade category are joining leagues, using a two-hand method to deliver the bowling ball in both tenpins and duckpins.
Bumper bowling has been added to provide better scoring but it has not proven to be very popular.
Now a company has developed Bowlingo and it's available as an addition to any bowling center.
It's a scaled down version of bowling - smaller, lighter balls and shorter lanes. And it doesn't even require bowling shoes.
CAPCOM, a company based in Santa Clara, Cal., is marketing Bowlingo. Those interested can write CAPCOM at 3303 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, 95054 for a free videotape.
They have an excellent advertisement, which goes like this:
Long, scary lanes. Big pins that are so far away. Heavy balls, tough just to pick up.
Not much to interest a 12-year-old.
Which is too bad.
So CAPCOM brings you Bowlingo. All the fun and challenge of full-size bowling, just scaled down.
New bowlers of the future can bowl today. Because you can put big bowling fun into a lot of little hands.
Center managers also might consider designating certain lanes for the toddlers and young bowlers in open play.
One recent visitor took some novice bowlers to a center and was placed on lanes next to serious bowlers.
``It was obvious we were bothering them and we were there just to have a good time. It spoiled our fun as well as their practice. We probably won't go back and bowl again,'' said the visitor.
Bowler of the Week honors go to the Ninja Power team in the Charles Peete Tenpin League at Pinboy's of Norfolk.
Ninja Power posted an area record for a five-bowler mixed team with a 1,300 game. Jim Whetzel fired a 300 game and Thomas Linton added 299. Rich Miller shot 267, Bill Jungbluth had 238 and Cynthia Linton notched 196.
Tenpin topics: Regina Whitehead had a 155 triplicate in the Saturday Classic Mixed League at Pinboy's of Chesapeake. . . . Still looking for that ever-elusive 300 game? Would you believe one league bowler has rolled 48? Mike Whalin, a lefthander in Cincinnati, is the national leader. . . . Unbelievably, there were 4,595 bowlers coverting the 7-10 split last season. And just about the same number (4,263) made the Big Four. . . . The latest to pick up the Big Four locally is Jason Leisnick, who converted in the Major/ Senior League at Pinboy's of Norfolk. . . . Gary Ussia is taking bows for a 711 series in the Cinclantflt Intramural League. . . . Mary Willis joined the Century Club with a 243 single in the Cosmopolitan League. She averages 137. . series in the Biss Buddies League. He averages 74. . . . Dot Dy racked up a 276 game in the Friday Screwballs League. . . . Another bowler just a pin off the coveted 300 was Kevin McGuire, who pounded out his 299 in the Monday Scratch Doubles League at Pinboy's of Chesapeake. . . . Debbie Rose had a women's season high of 631 in the Hers & His League at Plaza Bowl. . . . George Ensor is on a 700 tear and posted 731 in the Virginia Beach Commercial League. An honorable mention on the All-Metro team last year, he's aiming higher this season.
Duckpin data: Sandra Jenkins of Warrenton won the Virginia Ladies All-Stars tournament at Bowlarama. Eileen Cherry was runner-up and Christy Mattern finished third. Bill Linville won the Star-Am with Al Hooper second and T. W. Eatmon third. . . . Ronnie Ketchum barely missed the exclusive 500 Club with games of 170, 150 and 178 for 498 in the Industrial League. Ketchum filled a last-frame mark with six. He led his team, Ketchum's Glass, to the first-round championship in a position match. . . . Deepest sympathy to George Smith on the loss of his mother. . . . Troy Tippin, one of those who competes in both duckpin and tenpin leagues, was hospitalized from a bleeding ulcer. One day earlier he won a match in the Portsmouth Match Game Tournament. . . . Here's wishing a speedy return to the lanes for Bob Crosby, now undergoing treatment locally after a visit to Duke University Hospital. . . . Berlene Byrum barely missed a 400 series in the Monday Nite Ladies League when she battled to a 94 game after blasting out 159 and 143. . . . Jason McCready fired a 185 game en route to a 438 series in the Victory Youth League. In the same league 8-year-old Michael Frederick, who averages 76, rolled a 143. . . . Jeanette Duncan racked up a 160 game in the Monday Morning Mixed League but she couldn't brag about it because granddaughter Kendra Allen smacked a 163 in a 433 set in the youth league a day earlier. . . . Bill Wetherington and Ray Askew paired to win the first round in the Elimination Doubles League. by CNB