On the Lanes with Aaron Smith
February 10, 2010
In the coming months, we'll talk with some of the best-known bowlers at the USBC Open Championships and get their thoughts on their time at the tournament and what it takes to succeed on the championship lanes.
This week, we heard from Aaron Smith, the newest member of the tournament's media relations team.
The 25-year-old right-hander joined USBC as a media relations specialist with the USBC Women's Championships in 2009 and now will expand on that role. Although he won't compete in this year's Open Championships until May 3 and 4, he'll be working hard behind the scenes at both the Open Championships and the 2010 Women's Championships in El Paso, Texas, until then.
HOMETOWN: Highland, Ind.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCES: 2010 will be my fifth appearance
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLES: 0
BOWLING BALL WEIGHT: 15
FAVORITE BRAND OF BOWLING BALLS: No preference
ONE all-time favorite host city: Reno, Nev.
TWO best Open Championships memories: My first Open Championships experience in 2004 and interviewing Olympia Beer during the 2009 event on the 35th anniversary of their team title.
THREE keys to success at the Open Championships: Spare shooting, communication among teammates and ability to breakdown the pattern.
FOURgettable Open Championships moment: My spare shooting at the 2004 event.
FIVE bowlers in history on your Open Championships fantasy all-star team: Joe Norris, Bill Lillard, Norm Duke, Dick Weber and Mike Aulby
SIX bowling balls currently in your Open Championships arsenal: Zone Classic (2), Black Widow, Blue Dot
SEVEN cities you'd like to see the Open Championships go to/return to: Chicago, Memphis, Las Vegas, Corpus Christi, Indianapolis, Knoxville and Reno
EIGHT favorite bowling balls ever: Zone Classic, Cuda/C 2000, X-Factor Vertigo, Black Widow, Cell, Blazing Inferno, Red Wolf, Beast
NINE other current/eligible bowlers you would choose to join you on your ideal pair of companion teams at the Open Championships: Kevin Mikalouski, Mike Miloshoff, Tom Zeller, Tim Croy, John Cleve, Don Draia, Ed Olszewski, Chris Jackson and Eric Pierson
TEN seconds or less, who is your favorite bowler of all-time?: Joe Norris
ELEVEN strikes in a row to start a game at the Open Championships, what's going through your head?: Just make a quality shot.
TWELVE years from now, where do you hope to be in your bowling career?: I hope to still be competitive on the lanes with an ultimate goal of a title at the Open Championships. I suppose I'll actually have to shoot more than 1,706 to accomplish that, though.
This week, we heard from Aaron Smith, the newest member of the tournament's media relations team.
The 25-year-old right-hander joined USBC as a media relations specialist with the USBC Women's Championships in 2009 and now will expand on that role. Although he won't compete in this year's Open Championships until May 3 and 4, he'll be working hard behind the scenes at both the Open Championships and the 2010 Women's Championships in El Paso, Texas, until then.
HOMETOWN: Highland, Ind.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCES: 2010 will be my fifth appearance
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLES: 0
BOWLING BALL WEIGHT: 15
FAVORITE BRAND OF BOWLING BALLS: No preference
ONE all-time favorite host city: Reno, Nev.
TWO best Open Championships memories: My first Open Championships experience in 2004 and interviewing Olympia Beer during the 2009 event on the 35th anniversary of their team title.
THREE keys to success at the Open Championships: Spare shooting, communication among teammates and ability to breakdown the pattern.
FOURgettable Open Championships moment: My spare shooting at the 2004 event.
FIVE bowlers in history on your Open Championships fantasy all-star team: Joe Norris, Bill Lillard, Norm Duke, Dick Weber and Mike Aulby
SIX bowling balls currently in your Open Championships arsenal: Zone Classic (2), Black Widow, Blue Dot
SEVEN cities you'd like to see the Open Championships go to/return to: Chicago, Memphis, Las Vegas, Corpus Christi, Indianapolis, Knoxville and Reno
EIGHT favorite bowling balls ever: Zone Classic, Cuda/C 2000, X-Factor Vertigo, Black Widow, Cell, Blazing Inferno, Red Wolf, Beast
NINE other current/eligible bowlers you would choose to join you on your ideal pair of companion teams at the Open Championships: Kevin Mikalouski, Mike Miloshoff, Tom Zeller, Tim Croy, John Cleve, Don Draia, Ed Olszewski, Chris Jackson and Eric Pierson
TEN seconds or less, who is your favorite bowler of all-time?: Joe Norris
ELEVEN strikes in a row to start a game at the Open Championships, what's going through your head?: Just make a quality shot.
TWELVE years from now, where do you hope to be in your bowling career?: I hope to still be competitive on the lanes with an ultimate goal of a title at the Open Championships. I suppose I'll actually have to shoot more than 1,706 to accomplish that, though.