Maryland bowler enjoys journey to 50 years at USBC Open Championships
April 21, 2023
RENO, Nev. – Shortly after making his debut at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in 1969, Dennis Wilson of Aberdeen, Maryland, knew the tournament was something special for him and became an event he looked forward to each year.
On Tuesday, the 72-year-old celebrated his 50th appearance at the event and received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin at the National Bowling Stadium to recognize his dedication to the tournament.
“I fell in love in 1969, and 50 years later, I’m married to it,” Wilson said. “After those first couple tournaments, I looked forward to the tournament every year.”
Wilson’s journey to Madison, Wisconsin, in 1969 included a quick tour of events across the Midwest before making his way to the USBC Open Championships.
“As a young bowler, I had some older bowlers see some kind of talent in me, and they asked me to join them,” Wilson said. “That inspired me right there. For that group, Madison was our last stop. We went to Cincinnati for the Hoinke (Classic), and from there to the Petersen Classic in Chicago. Our next stop was Milwaukee for Whitey Cox’s 20-game marathon tournament. From there, to Madison, Wisconsin. After I bowled, I fell in love with the tournament.”
As Wilson continued to make his annual appearance, he often found himself making his way to the event alongside bowlers from Aberdeen’s Harford Lanes. He eventually took over the role of coordinating teams from the 20-lane center for the Open Championships and had seven teams with him at the 2023 event.
He's planning for 10 teams to join him next year in Las Vegas at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
“I hear people talk about how they’ll never get to 50 or never get to this number (of years at the tournament),” said Wilson, a member of the Cecil Harford USBC Hall of Fame. “I said the same thing myself. It’s all about how dedicated you are, and you have to love the game … and maybe be a little crazy to do this for 50 years. When I was a competitive bowler I loved it, but I realize that you’re not going to be competitive forever. So, I became an ambassador to the game and try to keep other people interested and put them in there. I love when I can get new bowlers to come to the tournament.”
Wilson enjoyed getting to share in his milestone experience with his teammates and longtime friend Raetta Adkins, who made the trip to Reno to watch the festivities.
Traveling to and from the event always makes for some fun and interesting moments along the way, and Wilson noted how his trip to Jacksonville, Florida, for the 1988 event tied in to a not-so-memorable run for the Baltimore Orioles.
“I’m a big baseball fan and lived only 30 miles northeast of Baltimore, so the Orioles were my team,” Wilson said. “The Orioles had lost their first 21 games in a row. We were going past some waterfront shops and ran across a sports store with jerseys and hats and all that. They had a sign that said all Baltimore Orioles gear was 50% off. I thought that was so funny back then.”
In his 50th appearance, Wilson rolled sets of 462 in team and 437 in doubles to bring his career pinfall at the Open Championships to 82,232 (186.4 average).
He admitted to the nerves when it was time to walk down Center Aisle at the NBS for his presentation and official welcome to the 50-Year Club, and he hopes to add a couple more appearances to his overall total.
“I had butterflies,” Wilson said. “I love visiting the different cities, and I hope to hang in there for two more years to go to Baton Rouge again. I don’t think I’ll get to 60, but maybe 55.”
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
On Tuesday, the 72-year-old celebrated his 50th appearance at the event and received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin at the National Bowling Stadium to recognize his dedication to the tournament.
“I fell in love in 1969, and 50 years later, I’m married to it,” Wilson said. “After those first couple tournaments, I looked forward to the tournament every year.”
Wilson’s journey to Madison, Wisconsin, in 1969 included a quick tour of events across the Midwest before making his way to the USBC Open Championships.
“As a young bowler, I had some older bowlers see some kind of talent in me, and they asked me to join them,” Wilson said. “That inspired me right there. For that group, Madison was our last stop. We went to Cincinnati for the Hoinke (Classic), and from there to the Petersen Classic in Chicago. Our next stop was Milwaukee for Whitey Cox’s 20-game marathon tournament. From there, to Madison, Wisconsin. After I bowled, I fell in love with the tournament.”
As Wilson continued to make his annual appearance, he often found himself making his way to the event alongside bowlers from Aberdeen’s Harford Lanes. He eventually took over the role of coordinating teams from the 20-lane center for the Open Championships and had seven teams with him at the 2023 event.
He's planning for 10 teams to join him next year in Las Vegas at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
“I hear people talk about how they’ll never get to 50 or never get to this number (of years at the tournament),” said Wilson, a member of the Cecil Harford USBC Hall of Fame. “I said the same thing myself. It’s all about how dedicated you are, and you have to love the game … and maybe be a little crazy to do this for 50 years. When I was a competitive bowler I loved it, but I realize that you’re not going to be competitive forever. So, I became an ambassador to the game and try to keep other people interested and put them in there. I love when I can get new bowlers to come to the tournament.”
Wilson enjoyed getting to share in his milestone experience with his teammates and longtime friend Raetta Adkins, who made the trip to Reno to watch the festivities.
Traveling to and from the event always makes for some fun and interesting moments along the way, and Wilson noted how his trip to Jacksonville, Florida, for the 1988 event tied in to a not-so-memorable run for the Baltimore Orioles.
“I’m a big baseball fan and lived only 30 miles northeast of Baltimore, so the Orioles were my team,” Wilson said. “The Orioles had lost their first 21 games in a row. We were going past some waterfront shops and ran across a sports store with jerseys and hats and all that. They had a sign that said all Baltimore Orioles gear was 50% off. I thought that was so funny back then.”
In his 50th appearance, Wilson rolled sets of 462 in team and 437 in doubles to bring his career pinfall at the Open Championships to 82,232 (186.4 average).
He admitted to the nerves when it was time to walk down Center Aisle at the NBS for his presentation and official welcome to the 50-Year Club, and he hopes to add a couple more appearances to his overall total.
“I had butterflies,” Wilson said. “I love visiting the different cities, and I hope to hang in there for two more years to go to Baton Rouge again. I don’t think I’ll get to 60, but maybe 55.”
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.