Surdich on Bowling: A little notoriety from SoCal

The California Bowling News featured my column on the 2016 USBC Open Championships, lending Southern California exposure to some of our bowlers’ accomplishments.

Edward Huddleston of Atwater rolled a 658 for second place in singles in the Classified division. He missed an “eagle” by three pins. Ohioan Chet Wigal rolled a 661 for first place. Chad Murphy, executive director of the USBC, informed me an “eagle” signifies a champion. How about that Ed?

This was our fourth article published in the California Bowling News. One was about Rich Custer, who rolled his 899 series at Yosemite Lanes in Modesto. Bonnie and Wayne Garber rolled their 300 games at Yosemite Lanes on different pairs on the same night. The other was Katie Diedrich and Cody Hamilton winning the 500 Club’s Scotch Doubles.

The California Bowling News is a great bowling newspaper. It hasn’t covered much of the San Joaquin Valley, until now.

Leagues need players – Don’t forget there is still plenty of room in all leagues at Bellevue Bowl. The senior league on Tuesday was looking for men older than 55 and women older than 50. The Commercial Classic on Wednesday night needs a few bowlers to fill teams. Contact the bowl at 209-358-6444 and ask for Tommy Cardoza or Patty Harrell.

New carpet being installed – Bellevue Bowl is installing new carpet on the concourse area. Jim Cardoza, manager of the snack bar and lounge, told me it has been 12 years since carpet was last installed.

“The old carpet started getting ripples in it, and we were afraid that some might trip over them and get hurt,” he said.

The new carpet sparkles with multicolored bowling pins and balls of different colors. It gets your attention when you walk into the center. Could Settees be next?

Maintain your ball – As you prepare for your league, don’t forget to clean your ball for the long haul of 33 weeks. You need to get the oil and dust out of your cover stock with an oil removal system to give your ball a chance to work. I can get you one before the season starts. Call me at 209-777-1111.

Did you know? – According to the USBC Rule 102f, the secretary of a league is required to give each team captain or member a detailed financial statement, showing all income received on behalf of the league and an accounting of all money disbursed, including point money. The financial statement must also show prizes distributed and list when and to whom they were awarded.

So, if you did not receive a financial statement from your league secretary at the end of your league, request one.

Remember when – According to the Merced/Atwater Bowling News in February-March 1978, in 1977, there were 8,640 bowling centers with 147,237 lanes and about 65 million bowlers in the U.S. ... In 1977, the American Bowling Congress is comprised of 4.6 million men who bowl in leagues and tournaments. The Women’s International Bowling Congress has a membership of about 4 million.

This story was originally published September 7, 2016 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Surdich on Bowling: A little notoriety from SoCal."