Sport Bowling helps California bowler find success at USBC Open Championships
June 13, 2010
RENO, Nev. - Paul Appling of Camarillo, Calif., enjoys the challenge of USBC Sport Bowling lane conditions because they help prepare him for events like the USBC Open Championships.
The 61-year-old right-hander has bowled in Sport and PBA Experience leagues for the last four years with the hope of improving his game, and he got the ultimate payoff for his hard work when he rolled the 26th perfect game of the 2010 Open Championships at the National Bowling Stadium on Saturday.
Appling started doubles with a 189 game before stringing together 12 consecutive strikes. He finished with 181 for a 670 series and teamed up with John Holliday of Ventura, Calif., for a 1,220 doubles effort. Steve Bohn of Norwood, Minn., and John Kreyer Jr. of Fridley, Minn., lead Regular Doubles with 1,514.
"This is the thrill of a lifetime, and one of those things I'll always have with me," said Appling, who made his seventh Open Championships appearance. "Every 300 is good, but to do it here, on such a tough condition, is even more special."
As the strikes started adding up Saturday, Appling did his best not to worry about what was happening on the scoreboard. In fact, he did such a good job staying focused, that he didn't even realize when he arrived at the 10th frame.
"I tried not to focus on the 300, and I got up for the 10th frame thinking it was still the ninth," Appling said. "I just wanted to throw the ball and let it do all the work. I was a little bit nervous, but I tried to take deep breaths and relax. I was ecstatic when the pins all went down, and I think that's when it hit me."
Appling's time on Sport conditions, patterns with varying oil distances and characteristics with at least a 3:1 ratio of oil on the inside boards versus the outside boards (compared to 10:1 on a typical house shot), has helped with his accuracy and shot making, which he first proved last season when he rolled a 299 game en route to an 833 series in his PBA Experience league at Corbin Bowl in Tarzana, Calif. The Open Championships has been Sport-certified since 2008.
"My first time at the Open Championships was a real experience, and my first set was pretty poor, so I knew I had to work on my game," said Appling, who bowls regularly at Harley's Camarillo Bowl, which is just two miles from his house. "Over the years, bowling on the Sport shots has really helped me. I started bowling 40 years ago when you had to be accurate and make better shots, so I really prefer the challenge of the Sport conditions."
Appling recently retired after spending 35 years as a letter carrier and another five working at a glass company, so he has more time to dedicate to bowling, which showed at the Open Championships this year.
His tournament debut came at the 2001 event, also at the Stadium, and his participation has been mostly limited to the events closer to the West Coast for a variety of reasons, one being that he is able to drive to the host city. Four of his seven appearances have been in Reno, a nine-hour drive from Camarillo, and he's looking forward to making the trip again next year.
Appling closed out his 2010 tournament campaign with 604 in singles and 572 in team for a 1,846 all-events total. His best performance on the championship lanes came at the 2006 event in Corpus Christi, Texas, when he rolled a 740 series in team on the way to a 1,938 all-events effort.
On Sunday morning, Jimmy Johnson of Cumming, Ga., made his own run at perfection but fell short as he closed things out with the ninth 299 game of this year's tournament.
The 37-year-old right-hander started singles with games of 190 and 166 and then strung together 11 consecutive strikes in the finale before a 10 pin ended his run.
Johnson's accomplishment was bittersweet because he was unable to share it with his father, who missed this year's event because of work obligations.
"It would've meant the world for my dad to be here," said Johnson, who bowls regularly at Brunswick Zone Roswell in Roswell, Ga., and made his seventh Open Championships appearance. "He's the one who taught me to bowl. He's seen the majority of my 300s (eight), but this would've been so special."
Johnson finished with 655 in singles, 591 in team and 586 in doubles for a career-high 1,832 all-events total. His previous best was 1,817 in Reno in 2007 and Albuquerque, N.M., in 2008.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.
The 61-year-old right-hander has bowled in Sport and PBA Experience leagues for the last four years with the hope of improving his game, and he got the ultimate payoff for his hard work when he rolled the 26th perfect game of the 2010 Open Championships at the National Bowling Stadium on Saturday.
Appling started doubles with a 189 game before stringing together 12 consecutive strikes. He finished with 181 for a 670 series and teamed up with John Holliday of Ventura, Calif., for a 1,220 doubles effort. Steve Bohn of Norwood, Minn., and John Kreyer Jr. of Fridley, Minn., lead Regular Doubles with 1,514.
"This is the thrill of a lifetime, and one of those things I'll always have with me," said Appling, who made his seventh Open Championships appearance. "Every 300 is good, but to do it here, on such a tough condition, is even more special."
As the strikes started adding up Saturday, Appling did his best not to worry about what was happening on the scoreboard. In fact, he did such a good job staying focused, that he didn't even realize when he arrived at the 10th frame.
"I tried not to focus on the 300, and I got up for the 10th frame thinking it was still the ninth," Appling said. "I just wanted to throw the ball and let it do all the work. I was a little bit nervous, but I tried to take deep breaths and relax. I was ecstatic when the pins all went down, and I think that's when it hit me."
Appling's time on Sport conditions, patterns with varying oil distances and characteristics with at least a 3:1 ratio of oil on the inside boards versus the outside boards (compared to 10:1 on a typical house shot), has helped with his accuracy and shot making, which he first proved last season when he rolled a 299 game en route to an 833 series in his PBA Experience league at Corbin Bowl in Tarzana, Calif. The Open Championships has been Sport-certified since 2008.
"My first time at the Open Championships was a real experience, and my first set was pretty poor, so I knew I had to work on my game," said Appling, who bowls regularly at Harley's Camarillo Bowl, which is just two miles from his house. "Over the years, bowling on the Sport shots has really helped me. I started bowling 40 years ago when you had to be accurate and make better shots, so I really prefer the challenge of the Sport conditions."
Appling recently retired after spending 35 years as a letter carrier and another five working at a glass company, so he has more time to dedicate to bowling, which showed at the Open Championships this year.
His tournament debut came at the 2001 event, also at the Stadium, and his participation has been mostly limited to the events closer to the West Coast for a variety of reasons, one being that he is able to drive to the host city. Four of his seven appearances have been in Reno, a nine-hour drive from Camarillo, and he's looking forward to making the trip again next year.
Appling closed out his 2010 tournament campaign with 604 in singles and 572 in team for a 1,846 all-events total. His best performance on the championship lanes came at the 2006 event in Corpus Christi, Texas, when he rolled a 740 series in team on the way to a 1,938 all-events effort.
On Sunday morning, Jimmy Johnson of Cumming, Ga., made his own run at perfection but fell short as he closed things out with the ninth 299 game of this year's tournament.
The 37-year-old right-hander started singles with games of 190 and 166 and then strung together 11 consecutive strikes in the finale before a 10 pin ended his run.
Johnson's accomplishment was bittersweet because he was unable to share it with his father, who missed this year's event because of work obligations.
"It would've meant the world for my dad to be here," said Johnson, who bowls regularly at Brunswick Zone Roswell in Roswell, Ga., and made his seventh Open Championships appearance. "He's the one who taught me to bowl. He's seen the majority of my 300s (eight), but this would've been so special."
Johnson finished with 655 in singles, 591 in team and 586 in doubles for a career-high 1,832 all-events total. His previous best was 1,817 in Reno in 2007 and Albuquerque, N.M., in 2008.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.