The Foundation / Foundation Games / Tournaments

Foundation Games I

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:09:27 GMT

Foundation Games I

July 2000 PBA Southern Regional ( At Kegel )

1. Pete Dohan, Tampa, Florida
2. Joe Fulner, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
3. Jim Lewis, Waldorf, Maryland

Sebring, Florida: The Foundation is a group of dedicated bowling enthusiasts who are determined to make the Sport Of Bowling what it was intended to be: a challenge. It has been determined by those who know the most about the problems, that a bowler should be challenged in the following manner:

A. Accuracy. B. Power. C. Repeatability. D. Versatility.

With "those" priorities in mind, The Foundation has administered a series of events called: The Foundation Games. A total of five (5) "prototype" tournaments have been held, all with some degree of success. The word of these experiments has gotten around, with interest being shown on the National and International bowling scene.

Harry O'Neale, long-time PBA Southern Regional Director, contacted The Foundation about the possibility of running a Foundation Games tournament in his Region. Mr. John Davis, President of Kegel and Foundation Co-Founder, welcomed the idea and sponsored the event at The Kegel Bowling Center on July 14-16, 2001.

A field of 54-bowlers competed in the inaugural event. Bowlers could use any type of bowling balls that they wanted, as long as they were previously approved by the PBA. However, the lane conditions were 3-different patterns. Therefore, the choice of equipment was extremely important. There were 3-squads of qualifying. One squad faced a 50-foot pattern with 23.6 mL of oil. The next squad bowled on a 40-foot pattern with 11.3 mL of oil. The 3rd pattern was very short (30-feet), with 6.3 mL.

When the dust settled, Pete Dohan emerged as champion, earning $2500.00. Second place went to Joe Fullner who earned $1300.00. Third place was Jim Lewis who earned $900.00. In addition to the cash prizes, Medals were also awarded, with 1 st place receiving Gold; 2 nd place receiving Silver, and 3rd place receiving Bronze. Dohan is now recognized as the first "Official" Foundation Games champion and will be invited to compete in the International Foundation Games Championship to be held at a later date.

Foundation Games II

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:08:40 GMT

Foundation Games II

September 2000 PWBA National ( At Kegel )

1. Lisa Bishop, Belleville, Michigan
2. Cara Honeychurch, Australia
3. Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nevada

HOW IT BEGAN

The Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA), and The Kegel Company officials met in the summer (2000) to discuss the possibility of a major, nationally televised tournament to be hosted at The Kegel Training Center, in Florida.

Sponsorship of the event was to be The Kegel Company, with The Foundation Games to be the major theme of this unique event. There had been one previous "official" Foundation Games tournament involving the PBA Southern Region. The official name of this tournament would be: "The Greater Sebring PWBA Foundation Games II".

Several unique ideas (and "firsts") for this tournament were to be in place. First, the format would be entirely different than ever before used. The format would call for the lady pro's to bowl on 3-different and distinct oil patterns for 3-days. The 3-patterns would be: A. Short distance and low volume. B. Medium distance and medium volume. C. Long distance and heavy volume. (Note: The amounts of oil used and distances were similar to the amounts used in the '70's, '80's and '90's). Each day the oiling pattern would be different. Secondly, John Davis would host a clinic prior to bowling on that particular pattern to give the ladies some insight as to what they could expect. His clinics were enlightening, technical and forthright. All questions posed by the ladies were answered. Third, the ladies would have an opportunity to practice extensively on each condition, prior to bowling in the competition. This allowed them to adjust their equipment and get acquainted with each pattern. Prior to coming to Sebring, the PWBA chose which patterns were to be bowled on, and in what order they would be used. The main reasoning behind this idea was based upon challenging the pro's and finding out who possessed: Repeatability (shot-making ability), Versatility, Accuracy and Power.

Once 18-games of qualifying was over, the field was cut to the top 24-finalist (scorers). The top-24 would then bowl three, 8-game blocks (in two days) on the exact same 3-patterns that were used in the original qualifying. No match-play was used and no bonus pins were allotted (also a "first"), as total pins would be the only determining factor as who would advance to the TV finals. The TV finals also produced many "firsts", which will be detailed later in this review.

PWBA officials; Wyatt Slaughter, Darlene Priscilla and Gus Falgien worked wonderfully together with the Staff at Kegel, as nothing but praise was heaped upon each other at the conclusion of the event. Hopes are that THIS can (should) be done again, and done soon.

TV Show

The 4-finalist for the nationally televised TV show, all had totally different styles. Cara Honeychurch, a gifted left-hander, was the leading qualifier and led for the last 3-rounds. She took the lead on day #4 with a great block of 1962 on the "short" pattern, and never looked back. Wendy Macpherson, a smooth stroking right-hander, was the leader after day #2 based on her great performance on the "medium" pattern. Lisa Bishop, another right-hander, qualified #3 based on her continued improvement on all of the patterns as the week wore on. Michelle Feldman, took the lead on day #3 with a superb performance on the "long" pattern. The powerful righty rolled 820 on her final 3-games of the night.

The stage was now set for this historic telecast, four experienced players with 4-different styles. Based on their qualifying positions, Honeychurch and Macpherson would be able to select the "pattern" to bowl their particular matches on. This unique twist from the norm, allowed the announcers; Jan Schmidt, Lisa Wagner and special guest Richard Shockley, to create more conversation about the strategies of those selections.

The show opened with an explanation of the amounts of oil that were used in the event. A black light was used to demonstrate those amounts which were displayed in a calibrated cylinder; the exact ones used by the lane crew to verify the process used. Also featured was the use of C.A.T.S. (which was developed by ABC/WIBC) and the Kegel Digital Coach. These technical aids allowed commentary on how well (or poorly) each of the finalist were performing. These invaluable tools revealed several technical aspects of player execution that the naked eye can NOT see, such as; ball velocity, location, launch angle, entry angle, rev-rate, etc. Obviously, these tools were a great addition to the telecast, as viewers were treated to accurate analysis on each and every shot.

In match #1, Wendy chose the "medium" pattern (which was expected), due to her performance on it during the 2nd day. She also liked "it" in round #5 as she averaged 225.

In actuality, Wendy bowled great on all 3-conditions throughout the week, never being below 3rd place after any round. However, this was a different day. She was troubled by a swollen thumb and had a lot of difficulty getting out of the ball. Feldman also had trouble, never getting lined-up in the one-game match. Bishop won the see-saw match by doubling in the 9th and 10th and ending up with a very respectable 214.

Honeychurch chose to bowl the championship match on the "short" pattern, which was also expected based on her performances in round #1 and round #4. However, her choice also backfired as Bishop came out smoking. Lisa finished with a brilliant 257 to become the 2nd Foundation Games champion. Cara never did get lined up and ended up with 193.

The closing was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, with the top-3 standing on Olympic type podiums, holding flowers, and with Foundation medals around their necks. Based on immediate feedback from bowlers, fans, web chat-rooms and forums, the show was a huge success. ESPN executives were pleased with the added technology used, and hopefully it won't be long until we see this again.

Foundation Games III

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:07:55 GMT

Foundation Games III

May 2001 PBA Midwest Regional ( At Bowl-A-Vard )

1. Steve Jaros, Bolingbrook, Illinois
2. Pete Weber, St. Ann, Missouri
3. Brad Snell, Mt. Prospect, Illinois

Steve Jaros Wins In Madison, Wisconsin

The PBA Midwest Region, and Bowl-A-Vard Lanes in Madison, Wi., hosted the 3 rd Foundation Games tournament on the weekend of May 4-6, 2001. Emerging victorious was PBA veteran, Steve Jaros. This was his 22nd Regional title and he earned $2200.00, along with an all-expense trip to the finals of the International Foundation Games Championships to be held at a later date.

The concept of The Foundation Games is to provide a tournament format AND lane conditions that will allow for predictable ball reaction and credible scoring, with the hopes that those players making the best shots will rise to the top. This particular event showed that The Foundation "concept" worked, as joining Jaros in the top-5 positions were; Pete Weber, Brad Snell and David Traber. Their combined resumes included 32 PBA National titles and 85 PBA Regional titles. Based on those statistics, this was the strongest "top-4's" in the history of the PBA Regional program - which has included over 3000 events.

The format featured the entire field of 76-participants, all bowling on the same squad. They bowled on 3-separate and distinctly different lane conditions which were very demanding. The 3-different patterns were short (32 feet), medium (38 feet), and long (44 feet). The volumes of oil increased with each distance which featured mandatory shot-making. The ratio of oil (2-1), was very similar to what the ABC has determined to be; Sport Level Bowling. Most "house conditions" are in the 5-1 "ratio" range.

Bowl-A-Vard lanes is a beautiful 40-lane center with synthetic lanes. When Regional Director John Weber first approached them about the idea, they welcomed it. General Manager, Bill Pounders, Jr., said, "We would love to host this event. I think that the Pro's should be challenged. It should be very interesting." Owner Don Bussan and his entire staff did a great job and were all very cooperative. They even went as far as building a huge wooden stand for the awards presentation which consisted of Medals for the top-3 finalist. Jaros received Gold, Weber received Silver and Snell was presented with Bronze. The platform was finished off with material of those same colors making that presentation very classy.

The entire field started on Saturday morning, bowling 4-games on the short pattern. They took a break for about 2-hours while the crew cleaned and re-oiled for the next squad. Jon Binger, the lead tech from Kegel, headed the crew which consisted of Head Mechanic Mike Gannon, Jim O'reilly from Bob's Business, Rory Holland from Madison, along with Len Nicholson from The Foundation. That next squad bowled 4-more games on the medium pattern. The crew went back out and prepared the lanes once again for the final squad - that being the long pattern. The 3-patterns put a premium on versatility, which The Foundation feels is important in determining who the best bowlers really are.

At the completion of those 12-games of qualifying, the field was cut to the top-12 finalist. It took a score of plus 56 to qualify for the finals (a 204 average), and a score of minus 24 (a 198 average) for 24th place, which was low in the money. Jaros was the qualifying leader with plus 331, averaging just over 227 for those first 12-games. Snell was the leader after the first round with a score of plus 109, also a 227 avg. The top 12-finalist returned on Sunday for the match-play finals which consisted of 12-more games.

Day 2

The lane crew put out all 3-patterns that were used on Saturday during qualifying. The 12-finalist would now be bowling 12-games of "head-to-head" match-play competition. They would be bowling one-game against each of the other 11-finalist, with the final game being a position round match. That would allow each finalist one last opportunity to move up to the all-important step-ladder finals.

Match-play was very exciting as the players would move after each game to a different pair to bowl a different player. After a few games, it became evident that the cream was rising to the top. However, the battle for the 5th spot was up for grabs throughout the day. Newcomer to the Region, Rich Blake from Chicago, put on a gritty performance and nailed down that 5th spot for the "show".

Another twist to this Foundation Games format added strategy for the top-5. The highest qualifier would get to choose the pair of lanes (the lane condition) that he preferred to bowl his opponent on in the step-ladder finals. This choice would seemingly give him the advantage that he had earned by being the higher qualifier of the two players. Over the years on the Tour, the tournament leader has only won 40% of the time, as they all bowl on the same pair of lanes for the TV Show. The leader would have to bowl the player that had just won the previous match, and some feel that "that" just isn't fair.

Match number one featured Traber against Blake. Traber, being the higher qualifier, wanted the short pattern and chose lanes 3 and 4, where the more experienced veteran easily won the match, 211-164. In the next match, Weber who had been practicing while waiting-in-the-wings, also chose the short pattern. This came as a shock to most onlookers, but Weber told the crowd that he preferred lanes 5 and 6 because he had rolled a 250-game on that pair earlier in the day. Weber prevailed with a 246-191 win. In the semi-final game, the talented Snell had the choice of lanes and marched Weber to a different pair, that being the medium pattern. It was a close and exciting match all the way until the ninth-frame when Snell left a solid 10-pin, which is highly unusual for a lefty. Weber then threw a double in the 10th frame to lock-out Snell.

This set-up the much anticipated Championship game from the two most prolific champions in the Midwest Region. Jaros also chose the medium pattern, but on a different pair from the one that Weber had just won his previous match on. Jaros jumped out to the lead with a 4-bagger, but a pocket 7-10 split reduced his lead through 8-frames. Weber could have tied it up with a double, but a solid 10-pin thwarted his chances. Jaros then finished with 3-strikes and a 9-count for a 234-212 victory.

During the awards presentation, Jaros stated, "This was fun, I'd like to see them do this on the Tour." He definitely committed to being at the International Foundation Games Championships. Weber also said that he would be there, saying, "This was great, all tournaments should be like this one." Foundation Member Dave Traber was disappointed about finishing fourth and not receiving a Medal, stating, "I really wanted to be eligible for those Championships. I hope we do this again, so I will get another chance." He then presented The Foundation with a generous donation and thanked us for what we do.

Here was only one complaint registered by one of the bowlers, who said, "This isn't fair. There should be only one condition, and if you don't bowl good on it, you should go home. Three-conditions gives too many players a chance."

Those types of complaints are the ones that lanemen like to hear.

Foundation Games IV

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:06:54 GMT

Foundation Games IV

July 2001 PBA Midwest Regional ( At Parktowne )

1. Jason Queen, Decatur, Illinois
2. Pete Weber, St. Ann, Missouri
3. Steve Jaros, Bolingbrook, Illinois

Madison, Wisconsin: Jason Queen finally got the "monkey off of his back", and proved to everyone that he could beat the very best with his thrilling victory in Foundation Games IV. Others know of his talent, but until you win a PBA title, you are never completely sure. Any self doubt that he may have had is now totally erased as he marched past two of the world's best on his way to victory.

Queen, from Decatur, Illinois, said, "I finally did it. I've had eight (8) 2nd place finishes in the PBA. This was very, very special." The "monkey off his back", was in regard to those runner-up finishes, in which six (6) of those were at the hands of Pete Weber, who he finally defeated for this prestigious Foundation Games title.

A former ABC Masters champion (in 1997), Queen has now secured a spot in the International Foundation Games Championship to be held in the Netherlands at a later date. The Foundation Games are designed to bring credibility back to the Sport of bowling by utilizing multiple conditions. In this particular event, two (2) distinctly different oiling patterns were used; a short pattern to 32-feet; and a long pattern to 41-feet. This concept puts emphasis on two (2) "break-points" that the bowlers need to contend with. By having more than one pattern to compete on, the bowlers need to be aware of four (4) disciplines which require: versatility, shot-making, power and accuracy. These, along with: equipment knowledge and mental prowess are essential in making up a players total preparation.

A full field of 90-players competed in the event. Host Proprietor Dan Schwoegler was impressed with the event stating, "This was the fifth (5th ) PBA Regional that I have hosted, and it was the first one that was sold-out. I look forward to hosting another one next year." He was praised by Foundation Officials for hosting this unique event that did NOT put emphasis on scoring. It took a qualifying score of plus 14 to make the cut (16th place for 10-games), and a score of minus 37 for 30th place, low in the money.

Queen was steady throughout the entire tournament. After the first 5-games (on the short pattern) he was in 3rd place with a score of: plus 130. He trailed First Round leader Jeff Smith by 60-pins and Mike Thill in 2nd place by a mere 17-pins. The lanes were then cleaned and re-oiled with the long pattern. Smith held onto his lead, but Michael Nape had now moved into the 2nd spot with a total of plus 119. Queen still held onto 3rd place going into the Match-Play Finals which were to be held the next day.

The Finals on Sunday were also unique. Half of the lanes were oiled with the short pattern, and the other half were long. Based on where you qualified, you bowled a 16-team league schedule and would often go from the short to the long pattern which required the ultimate in concentration.

During Finals play, Queen was once again up for the challenge amassing a record of 12-wins and only 4-defeats. And, once again, going into the step-ladder Finals, Jason found himself in 3rd -place. He was to face the winner of the 1st match between the talented, newcomer Ron Scheucher and experienced, veteran Bob Hileman who qualified in the 4th and 5th positions. Hileman won that first match 223-193.

Queen bowled his highest game of the tournament against Hileman, rolling 257 to Bob's 213. This set-up the semi-final match against 3-time PBA Tour Champion, Steve Jaros. Ironically, Jaros won the most recent Foundation Games tournament, also held in Madison (at a different bowling center in May). In a see-saw match, Queen edged Jaros in a low scoring nail-biter, 197-185.

Now it was the PBA Hall Of Famer and the bridesmaid. Weber got to choose the pair because he was the leading qualifier. Weber had manhandled the field in Match-Play with an outstanding record of 13-wins and only 3-losses. He told Jason that he would have to bowl him on a pair that he had shot 270 on earlier in the day. Queen appeared confident, but so did the great Weber. This was also going to be a battle of best friends, as these two often room together on Tour and other bowling related trips.

Weber never really got lined up and finished with 190, some 25 pins below his tournament average. Queen rolled a beautiful 225-game to garner the victory. The always fiery Weber, was the first to hug and congratulate his close friend and newest PBA Champion. Though disappointed, and never being happy with a 2nd place finish, Weber was a true sportsman in defeat. Queen was noticeably excited and relieved with his victory. A tear was noticed in his eye as the 1st Place Foundation Gold Medal was put around his neck. Also noticed, was the monkey that used to be on his back. IT was gone.

Asked how he felt about his victory, Queen summed it up by saying, "Now I know what it feels like to win a Major." That it what "this" is meant to feel like. Congratulations Jason !!!!

************************************************************************************

FOUNDATION TOURNAMENT NOTES: Congratulations also goes out to Bruce Forsland for his victory in the Senior's portion of this same week-end tournament. Even though the Seniors did not bowl on the same conditions as the Juniors, it was a meaningful victory for Bruce. He is a Foundation Member and we are very proud of him and his victory. Plans are being made by Director John Weber for a Foundation Games for the Seniors in the Midwestern Region. The crowds were good all weekend and most of them stayed around for the awards presentations. Weber received the Foundation Games Silver Medal for his 2nd Place finish and Jaros received a Bronze Medal for finishing in third. It was Weber's 2nd Silver Medal. Queen now joins 3-other Foundation Games Champions: Pete Dohan, Lisa Bishop and Steve Jaros. The next Foundation Games tournament will be held in the Central (HQ.) Region on the weekend of August 10-12 at Bowl One in Detroit.

Regional Director, Dan Ottman expects a full field for the event. He tells us that his players have been asking to have one as soon as possible. Randy Hart will assist The Foundation with his lane maintenance expertise. Plans are underway to have a Seminar featuring Lane Maintenance prior to the tournament in an attempt to further educate Proprietors, Lane Personnel, Fans, Etc;. A full report on the Tournament and the Seminar will be featured in the September Cornerstone.

The Foundation Games are expanding in popularity and we are currently actively looking for sponsors. Anyone interested in helping, please give us a call or e-mail us here at The Foundation. Your cooperation is appreciated. "If not us, who? If not now, when?"

Foundation Games V

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:06:04 GMT

Foundation Games V

September 2001 PWBA National Sebring, FL ( At Kegel )

1. Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, New York
2. Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nevada
3. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, N. Richland Hills, Texas

Sebring, Florida: The Professional Women's Bowler's Association (PWBA), embarked upon The Kegel Training Center for the 3rd consecutive year to compete in a tournament that they knew would be a stern test. In 1999, Kendra (Cameron) Gaines was victorious on a tough pro condition. Last year (2000), the lady Pro's bowled in a unique new format called; The Foundation Games, in which they were challenged with 3-distinctly different lane conditions, and Lisa Bishop won that prestigious title. This year, two conditions (a long pattern to 41', and a short pattern to 32') were used. In one of the most exciting events ever seen by this reporter, Liz Johnson became the newest of the Foundation Games champions.

Qualifying

The ladies started the week off by bowling 9-games on the short pattern, which was much more stringent than the ABC/WIBC Sport Bowling parameters of a 2-to-1 ratio. The ratio's of oil from the center of the lane to the outsides in this event were in the 1.6 - 1.7 range, for both the short and the long patterns.

Liz Johnson led the first round with 1936 (a 215.11 average), followed by Anne Marie Duggan with 1880; Kim Terrell, 1878; and Lucy Sandelin and Marianne DiRupo tied with 1863.

Round two saw Johnson maintain her lead on the long pattern with a sparkling performance of 2082 in which she increased her average to 223.22, for a grand total of 4018. Moving into 2nd place was Carolyn Dorin-Ballard with a total of 3886. Moving up to 3rd place was Anne Marie Duggan with 3872, followed closely by Wendy Macpherson with 3856. Upon completion of this round, the field was cut to the top-24 for the match-play finals. Match-play was to be 4-rounds of 6-games each on both patterns.

Match Play

Match-play in this event was also unique, as bonus pins were not awarded to the contestants. Total pins would be the determining factor as to who would advance. Johnson maintained her lead through these 6-games (24-total games) and wound up with a total of 5249, for an overall average of 218.71. Dorin-Ballard remained in 2nd place, just 42-pins behind. Macpherson moved up to 3rd place with 5190, and Duggan was firmly seeded in the 4th position with 5159. Just 90-pins separated the top 4-finalist. Ironically, these top 4-stars would be in the top-4 positions throughout 5 of the 6-rounds of competition. Between them, they have amassed 55-titles on the PWBA Tour, a tribute to their overall versatility.

After the next round of match-play (30-games) Dorin-Ballard took over the lead with a total of 6520, a 217.33 average. Macpherson moved to 2nd with 6482; Johnson slipped to 3 rd with 6441; and Duggan was in 4 th with 6439. At this point, only 81-pins separated these talented lady Professionals.

After the 3rd round of match-play (36-games), Johnson roared back to the top with a grand total of 7858, a 218.28 average. Macpherson was now in 2nd with 7750; Dorin-Ballard slipped to 3rd with 7698 and Duggan remained in 4th with 7680. It was evident that these four exceptional players would make the telecast, but "who" would qualify in "what" position was still a mystery with one more round to go.

The 4th and final round of match-play (a grueling total of 42-games), saw Johnson hold onto her lead and be the leading qualifier with a grand total of 9150. Her average of 217.86 across the house on 2-different patterns was extremely impressive. She had now placed herself in that enviable position of "waiting-in-the-wings" to bowl just one-game for the title. And, she had the right to choose what pattern she would bowl that championship match on. Macpherson was in 2nd with 9067, a 215.88 average and would bowl in the 1st match on television. By qualifying in the 2 nd position, Macpherson earned the right to choose the pattern for the 1 st match. Qualifying 3 rd was Dorin-Ballard with 8938, and the hottest player on the PWBA this year, averaging a very admirable 212.81. In 4th place for the coveted "show" was Duggan, just 33-pins behind Dorin-Ballard and sporting a 212.02 average.

TV Show

The next day, The Kegel Training Center was turned into a "TV Studio" by the ESPN crew. Bleachers were set-up, camera's were positioned, the announcers booth was assembled, lights were hung, and the beautiful facility was further decorated for the "Show". Fortunately, it was a taped broadcast which turned out to be a blessing, as a torrential downpour with more than 2-inches of rain falling, created some serious audio problems for the ESPN staff. Interviews were taped and the lanes were conditioned for the 1 st match between Macpherson (who chose the "long" pattern), Dorin-Ballard and Duggan.

This was one of the most exciting matches imaginable. It was a see-saw battle all the way until the 10th frame. Dorin-Ballard needed to strike out in the 10th to shut out Duggan and force Macpherson to double. She got the first 2-strikes, but then only got 7-pins on her fill-ball to end up with a 201-game. Now, Macpherson needed "strike-spare" to close out the match. She got the first strike, then left a solid 8-pin. Unbelievably, she missed it and ended up with 202, beating Dorin-Ballard by a pin, but Duggan still had a chance to strike-out for a 202-202 tie. Duggan failed to strike out, finishing in 3rd place and earning $2,500.00. Dorin-Ballard pocketed $3,000.00 and a Bronze Medal for her 3 rd place finish.

Now the stage was set for the championship match. Johnson chose the "short" pattern and the crew, led by PWBA lane-man Gus Falgien, cleaned and re-oiled the lanes. Johnson started slow, suffering back-to-back open frames after a gutter ball in frame #3, and trailed by 29-pins after just 4-frames. Reigning Bowler Of The Year, Macpherson seemed to have the match in hand until the 8th frame when she opened in both the 8th and 9th. Johnson then clutched it out by throwing 3-consecutive strikes in frames 9-11 to win the title, 183-181. Johnson won $9,000.00, a Gold Medal, a beautiful trophy and an all-expense trip to the International Foundation Games Championships to be held in 2003. Macpherson earned $4,800.00 for her 2nd place finish, and her 2nd consecutive Silver Medal in this event.

Plans are being made for next year's tournament, as ESPN and the PWBA have verbally committed to this outstanding tournament once again. And, you can bet, that Wendy will be back next year to get that 2nd place "monkey-off-her-back" and replace "it" with that elusive Foundation Games Gold Medal around her neck.

Foundation Games VI

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:04:21 GMT

Foundation Games VI

August 2001 PBA Central Regional Detroit, MI ( At Bowl One )

1. David Traber, Bull Valley, Illinois
2. Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, New York
3. Kurt Pilon, Warren, Michigan

Troy, Michigan: David Traber proved to everyone how good that he really is by performing in the clutch in the most recent Foundation Games tournament at historic Bowl One Lanes, the former home of two U.S. Open championships. The talented Traber from Bull Valley, Illinois needed to win 2-matches in the step-ladder finals, and that he did.

In qualifying (the day before), Traber tossed the first ever "perfect game" (300) in Foundation Games history. This unique format features 2-separate and distinctly different oil patterns to challenge the players; one being short to 32-feet, and the other going to 41-feet. The hard-throwing right-hander accomplished the feat on the short pattern in his last game of that 5-game block. He was playing the extreme outside angle and just drilled the 2-board on each and every shot. Upon completion of the perfecto , 12 to 15 players rushed over to congratulate him on his awesome accomplishment. The crowd cheered and gave him a standing "O", as they had previously been informed of the strict Foundation Games standards regarding the lane conditions, which are even more stringent than the ABC/WIBC sport bowling rules.

The purpose of these tournaments is to bring integrity and credibility back to the sport of bowling. Once "that" is accomplished, we are hopeful that commercial sponsors will once again climb aboard to increase the much needed prize funds for the top athletes in our sport.

The entire field of 74-pro's started on Saturday with the short pattern. Young Chris Sand, skilled beyond his years, led the field with a 5-game total of: 1143, a 228-average. Ironically, Sand came out of the Junior Program at Bowl One. His plans include competing on Pro-Bowlers Tour in September with The Greatest Bowlers In The World. If this performance was any indication of his talents, we will be seeing him again.

The lanes were then cleaned and re-oiled with the long pattern, and the field bowled 5-more games. Taking the lead was former Touring Player and one-time national champion, Jack Jurek. He came all the way from New York to compete in this prestigious event. He proceeded to knock down 1134-pins to add to his earlier total of 1086 and became the qualifying leader, averaging an impressive 224 for the 10-games.

On Sunday, the top-12 advanced to 12-more games of head-to-head match-play competition on both the short and the long patterns. Half of the lanes were dressed with the short, and the other half were the long. Based on the position that you qualified, it was the luck of the draw who you faced where and when during the finals round. After 11-games (every finalist bowling each other once), a position round was held. In this scenario, qualifier #1 bowled #2, #3 faced #4, #5 bowled #6 and so forth and so on, down the line. When this game was over, the field was then cut to the top-5 for the step-ladder finals. Jurek remained in first, Traber was second, Mike Eaton, Jr. was third, Joe Ciccone was fourth and Kurt Pilon was fifth. Match #1 featured Ciccone against Pilon, and the crowd was in for another thrill. Pilon, like Sand grew up bowling at Bowl One, and appeared to be the crowd favorite. Ciccone, the higher qualifier, picked the pair.

Ciccone decided to bowl on the long pattern and it turned out to be a huge mistake as Pilon rolled the 2nd 300-game of the tournament in a remarkable performance. Ciccone finished 5th and received $800.00.

In match #2, Eaton moved the red-hot Pilon over to a short pattern, but he too was unsuccessful as Pilon rolled 235 to the young Eaton's 172. Eaton (also a Tour player), earned $900.00 for his efforts.

Match #3 was to be a classic duel with the 2-players who rolled the only 300-games in the tournament. Traber, the higher qualifier of the two had the choice of patterns (and lanes) to bowl the match on. To the surprise of everyone, he indicated that he would bowl Pilon on the same pair that Pilon had just bowled on. In a high scoring affair, Traber won the match: 268-258. Pilon collected $1000.00 for 3rd place.

Tournament leader Jurek wanted no part of Traber on that short pattern, so he selected the long one on lanes 15 & 16. For most of the game it was a see-saw battle with Traber finally edging Jurek out with a score of 226-200. Jurek received a check for $1300.00 for being runner-up. Traber, a 4-time PBA Tour champion, pocketed $2500.00 and his 14th Regional Championship. Proprietor, Ron Wenglikowski, also added a bonus of $300.00 for the 300-game that Traber rolled. Regional Director, Dan Ottman then gave a check for $300.00 to Pilon for his honor score.

Closing ceremonies saw the usual Foundation Games Medal presentation to these top-3 finalist. Pilon won Bronze, Jurek was awarded Silver, and Traber captured the Gold. Asked if the Championship Match was a lot a pressure, Traber said, "No, I just wanted to be in the top-3 so that I could go to the Netherlands to be in the International Foundation Games Championships. I fell a little short in the last Foundation tournament that I bowled in. It wasn't going to happen again." That tournament will be at a later date, possibly next year.

These events are designed to challenge the players on a variety of patterns and distances. The feeling is that versatility is what separates the great bowlers from the very good ones. It puts emphasis on shot-making, power and accuracy. It also makes ball choices and mental preparedness very important as well as knowledge and patience. It took a score of plus 65 to make the 12-man finals field, and a score of minus 57 for 25th place, low-in-the-money.

There are a lot of people who worked very hard to make the tournament the success that it was. Dan Ottman brought the idea to Proprietor Ron Wenglikowski. To both staffs (Ottman's Regional staff and Ron's Bowl One staff), a BIG thank you to them. To all of the players who participated and helped The Foundation to gain more information and data, we thank you. To the entire staff at Kegel for the hours and hours of research that goes into these tournaments, especially John Forst and Larry Vezina.

The next Foundation Games will be with the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA). It is scheduled for the first week in September 2001, at the Kegel Training Center in Sebring, Florida. It will be the 2nd year in-a-row that the lady professionals will take part in a Foundation Games event. Lisa Bishop will be defending her title. Other winners of Foundation Games tournaments are: Steve Jaros, Jason Queen, and Pete Dohan.

Foundation Games VII

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:02:44 GMT

Foundation Games VII

October 2001 PBA Northwest Regional Keizer, OR ( At Town and Country )

1. Hugh Miller, Centralia, Washington
2. Bob Davidson, Seattle, Washington
3. David Husted, Milwaukie, Oregon

KEIZER , OREGON: Further proof that The Foundation Games "concept" was once again fortified and evident, as the "cream" once again rose to the top in Foundation Games VII at Town and Country Lanes this past weekend. Hugh Miller, Bob Davidson and David Husted (not necessarily in that order) are recognized by all in the Northwest Region as their 3-top players. So, what happened? They finished in the top-3, with Miller savoring this hard fought victory. Shawn Copeland, who actually had the high average in the event at 218, finished in 4th place. Dennis Bailey, a 20-year PBA veteran, finished in 5th position. Bailey, had led the 1st round (short pattern), the 2nd round (long pattern) and the 1st round of match play on the final day, before being overtaken in the final few games by his talented foes.

Day One: Friday October 26, 2001. Pre-Tournament Meeting and Practice Session.

At 9:00am , Foundation official Len Nicholson met with General Manager John Preston, Head Mechanic Billy (2 and 1/2) Bowman, PBA Northwest Director Gary Mage and Northwest lane man and Tournament Director, Bruce Russell to go over all of the details regarding the lane conditions for this unique event. The patterns to be used were developed by James Richenburg and Jon Binger from Kegel. There were to be 2-patterns used: short and long. This "multiple-condition" concept would be once again put in place in an attempt to challenge the players and test their versatility, as it has in all previous Foundation Games tournaments. The patterns would be put out for the practice session which would be held from 1:00pm-3:00pm that afternoon. Boyd Puckett from the local ABC association would bring in the Pick-Up Device and the Lane Reader to verify the different conditions, as these patterns were to properly fall-in-line with the ABC Sport Bowling parameters.

Day Two: Saturday October 27, 2001. First Day Of Qualifying.

At 5:30am , the above mentioned crew arrived at the bowling center. The lanes were thoroughly stripped and oiled, using the short pattern which was to a distance of 32 feet, using 24.24mL of oil. The field of 46-contestants then rolled their 1st , 5-games of the 10-game qualifier. Twenty lanes were used, thus the bowlers would bowl on each pair once throughout the qualifying, thus further ensuring as much equity as possible. At the end of these first 5-games, Bailey was the leader at +160; 2nd: Blaise Bedolla,+151; 3rd: Dan Orazio, +147; 4th: Husted, +128; 5th: Miller,+91; 6th: Nick Powell, +75. Only 53-pins separated the next 10-players, as 16th place was a score of: +22. A two-hour break was taken by the players so the "lane-crew" could clean the lanes and put down the "long-pattern". After bowling tapes were taken and the lane machine was re-programmed with the second pattern. The "long" pattern was to a distance of 41-feet and the volume was slightly higher at: 25.72 mL. The bowlers came back from lunch and bowled their 2 nd , 5-game block of qualifying. The scoring pace on this longer pattern was slightly higher, which was expected as the players were able to use more aggressive equipment.

Bailey was the qualifying leader at: +229 (a 222.90-average). Craig Tuholski was 2nd: +191; Tony Dixon, 3rd: +173; Bedolla, 4th: +163; Husted and Davidson were tied for 5th , at: +150. Just 79-pins separated the top-5 players. The cut (16th place) was at: +63.

Day Three: Sunday October 28, 2001. Finals Day.

The lane crew arrived at 5:30am to strip the lanes. Half of the house was oiled with the "short" pattern and the other half was dressed with the "long" pattern. Sixteen lanes would be used for the 16-bowlers. Match play would be a 16-team league schedule with the bowlers bowling each of the other finalist once, and the last match (#16) being a "position" round match. Throughout the entire 16-games of finals competition, less than 100-pins separated the top-5, making it very exciting throughout.

Once the top-5 were decided, The Foundation format dictated that the highest qualifier could choose the pair that he wanted for his step-ladder finals match. Match #1 saw Copeland choose the long pattern to play against Bailey. Copeland won that match: 225-215. When asked how he liked this tournament, Bailey was quick to reply, "This really rewarded ball choices, proper hand and body position and shot-making. I really liked it." Match #2 was between Copeland and #3 qualifier Husted. Husted marched Shawn to the low-end of the house and the "short" pattern. Husted, a PBA Hall Of Famer and youngest player to ever earn over a million dollars on Tour, won the match easily, 268-205.

This set up a tremendous rematch between the two most prolific champions in the Northwest Region. Both had amassed 22-Regional titles. Both have won on the National Tour (Husted 14-times and Miller 6-times). Both had been in the title match the previous year in this same bowling center, with Husted prevailing the last time in sudden-death overtime. Miller had the choice of lanes and selected the "short" pattern. The match see-sawed back and forth early on, until Miller tripled in the 6 th , 7th and 8th frames. Miller could have put Husted away with a mark in the 10th , but left the almost impossible, 4-6-7-10 split. Husted needed a double to win, but left a 10-pin to lose, 196-192. Disappointment showed in Husteds' face as he knew that he didn't "catch" all of it on his last shot. Conversely Miller, inhaled a sigh of relief by defeating the great Husted for the first time in quite a while.

Fourteen-time Regional Champion Davidson, now had the choice and decided to bowl against Miller on the "long" pattern. Being the tournament leader (and also the defending National Resident Pro Champion, which he had won in Reno last year), Davidson knew that he would be in for a tough match against the veteran Miller. And, he was, as Miller won the final match: 214-202.

Closing ceremonies were the traditional Foundation "style" with the top-3 being presented medals while standing on Gold, Silver and Bronze Olympic style podiums and the promise of a trip to the International Foundation Games Championships to be held in 2003. Mage presented the checks and thanked Town and Country Lanes for their wonderful hospitality. Proprietor Don Lebold and General Manager John Preston (who did his usual great job), once again committed to having another Foundation Games tournament next year. All in all, this was as close to being a perfect tournament as you can have.

Foundation Games VIII

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:01:51 GMT

Foundation Games VIII

November 2001 FIQ-WTBA American Zone Championships
( Buenos Aires, Argentina )

Men's Division
1. Dino Castillo (USA)
2. Shannon Buchan (USA)
3. Alejandro Cruz (USA)

Women's Division
1. Diandra Hyman (USA)
2. Lucy Sandelin (USA)
3. Alicia Marcano (USA)

The Foundation are bowling people that are dedicated to the "Sport" of Bowling. This unique assemblage of enthusiasts was started in 1997 by John Davis when he called together a quorum of experienced lanemen to discuss the problems the world was facing with lane conditioning. The group has now grown to well over 1000, who are now helping us to solve the problems.

From that original meeting and subsequent research, tournaments called: The Foundation Games were born. These "special" tournaments are administered under the strictest of guidelines and also utilize sport-level , multiple lane conditions. This concept puts emphasis on a player's versatility and tends to produce results that are socially accepted to most all competing bowlers.

Foundation Games VIII was a very special event whereby the tournament was incorporated into the FIQ-WTBA American Zone Championships. A field of 217 men and women from 22-countries competed in this major, international event. Countries that participated were: Antilles Hollanders, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, USA, Guatemala, Isles Virgins, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Tournament Officials consisted of John Davis, Hazel McLeary, Kevin Dornberger, Reuben Ghiragossian, Nestor Ibañez and Roberto Diamante. Each of the officials "wore" many hats throughout the week-long competition and put-in countless hours processing entries, cleaning and conditioning lanes, roll calls and doing all of the things that need to be done for an event of this magnitude. The staff at Alto Bowling Avellaneda assisted wherever and whenever needed. The 24-lane facility was a beehive of activity, as you might imagine.

Each of the participants bowled several events, including; singles, doubles, trios, team and all-events before advancing to the all-important Masters competition. A cut to the top-4 was made in both the men's and women's divisions. Medals were awarded to both the men and women in every event, which shared equal importance to the competitors. The medals; Gold for first place, Silver for second place and Bronze for third place are treasured prizes for all of the competitors.

Foundation Games medals were also awarded to the Master's winners (all 3-places) in both the men's and women's divisions. This portion of the tournament was also televised, showing the importance of this event. A full house of enthusiastic bowling fans were on hand to witness the finals and they were not let down with the great performances of the athletes.

Listed below are the winners of each of the competitions. FIQ-WTBA medals (Gold, Silver & Bronze) were awarded to the top-3 in each of the following events.

Singles:
Men: Danyck Briere ( Canada )
Women: Robin Crawford ( Canada )
Doubles:
Men: Bill Hoffman & Tony Manna ( USA )
Women: Lisa Stack & Jeanette Manacho ( USA ) - Paola Gomez & Clara Guerrero ( Colombia )
Trios:
Men: Bill Hoffman, Dino Castillo & Tony Manna ( USA )
Women: Missy Bellinder, Jeanette Menacho & Jackie Edwards ( USA )
Team:
Men: T. Manna, B.Hoffman, D. Castillo, Shannon Buchan, Mike Mullin & Derwin Pitre ( USA )
Women: J.Menacho, M.Bellinder, L.Stack, Lucy Sandelin, J.Edwards & Diandra Hyman ( USA )
All-Events:
Men: Tony Manna ( USA )
Women: Diandra Hyman ( USA )
(NOTE: The Masters competition included The Foundation Games Awards)
Masters:
Men:
1st Place: Dino Castillo ( USA ) Foundation Games Gold Medal
2nd: Shannon Buchan ( USA ) Foundation Games Silver Medal
3rd: Alejandro Cruz ( Mexico ) Foundation Games Bronze Medal
Women:
1st Place: Diandra Hyman (USA) Foundation Games Gold Medal
2nd: Lucy Sandelin (USA) Foundation Games Silver Medal
3rd: Alicia Marcano (Venez.) Foundation Games Bronze Medal

Bowling on 2-separate and distinctly different ( Sport Bowling)oil patterns presented a unique challenge to all of the competitors in this entire event. The scoring pace in each of the events was considered to be in the "moderate" range. However, there were two 300-games, with one being on the short pattern and the other being on the long pattern. The bowlers who rolled those "honor" scores were: Mario Quintero from Mexico, and Marco Odio from Costa Rica. They each received special awards for their excellent performances.

The tournament was a tremendous success and tournament officials are considering this format for future consideration. The "Foundation Games" concept (as expected) has now touched another part of the bowling world.

Foundation Games IX

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:00:28 GMT

Foundation Games IX

May 2002 PBA Midwest Regional Madison, WI ( At Bowl-A-Vard )

1. Steve Jaros, Bolingbrook, Illinois
2. Mike Sopper, Schaumburg, Illinois
3. Jeff Smith, Little Falls, Minnesota

For the second consecutive year, the unique Foundation Games "format" was implemented at the beautiful and hospitable Bowl-A-Vard Lanes, for a PBA Midwest Regional tournament. Once again, this particular event was a tremendous success. And, once again, Steve Jaros displayed his ability to dominate a star-studded field to become the only 2-time Foundation Games champion and successfully defend the coveted title he held from the previous year.

The top-5 players in this year's step-ladder finals possessed a near record of 77-PBA titles, surpassed only by last year's total of 85. Jaros' total domination of the field is a credit to his great physical and mental game that has rewarded him with 25-PBA Regional titles, along with 3-more on the PBA National Tour. When asked why he did so well here, Jaros said, "This type of tournament is like a Major on Tour. It is very tough and it makes you think and focus more. Concentration is a big part of bowling on demanding lane conditions, and I really like that."

Tournament Summary

Day One: Friday. Foundation Official Len Nicholson met with Regional Director John Weber, Regional lane man Rory Holland, General Manager Bill Pounders, Jr., Head Mechanic Mike Gannon, Jim O'Reilly from Bob's Business and other staff members from Bowl-A-Vard Lanes. The in-depth meeting was to go over the entire timeline of the 3-day procedure for the tournament. Exact lane oiling patterns were previously developed at Kegel by John Janawicz, Norm Titus, Billy Guthrie and Jon Binger. Bob Hileman, who transports the machine for the Region, was also on-hand to further help teach Holland on the intricacies of the lane machine.

The lanes were double stripped and the prescribed patterns were applied for the Official practice session. Two different patterns were applied in the 40-lane center. Lanes 1-20 were conditioned with the "short" pattern which was to a total distance of 32-ft., and the volume was 18.45mL. Lanes 21-40 were oiled "long" to a distance of 44-ft. with the exact volume of 21.49mL per lane.

The practice session went from 2-5pm with the players being able to experiment with their equipment where and when they wanted to on the 2-different patterns. The actual tournament field was full with 80-competitors (along with some stand-bys), and about 50 of the 80 entrants were on-hand for the practice session.

Day Two.Saturday. After roll-call, Nicholson addressed the players with a short, informative "seminar" on why lanes play differently each day - even though they are "done" the same. After his explanation, he then presented "The John Davis Award" to a very surprised John Weber. The Award goes each year to a Foundation Member who exemplifies devotion to the sport of bowling and works diligently for the betterment and advancement of the game. The beautiful trophy was his to keep, while a perpetual plaque will be on display at the Kegel Training Center.

The entire field of 80-players were all on the same squad and bowled their first 5-games of qualifying on the "short" pattern. Jaros started with a below "par" game of 170, but then found a way (as he usually does) with 2-games of 279 in the next four, to end up with a total of plus 185 for his 5-games, a 237 average. Second place was plus 94 and 16th place was a mere, plus 39.

The players then took a break for lunch and the lane crew cleaned off the "short" pattern before applying the next test; that being the "long". This would be 5-more games of qualifying before cutting the field to the top-16, who would return on Sunday for the match-play finals which would consist of 16-games on both the "short" and the "long".

The "long" pattern saw the scores get a little higher, as the players were able to use more aggressive equipment, thus enhancing their pin-carry. Pete Argo zoomed to the lead (from 7th place) with a truly impressive 5-game total of plus 197 - a brilliant 239-plus average. 16th place went to Mark Johnson with a score of plus 88, a 10-game average of 208.

Day Three: Sunday.

The lane crew arrived at 5:00am and once again double-stripped the lanes. This day called for both patterns to be put out as this would further challenge the players throughout match-play by going from match-to-match on the different volumes and distances.

Jaros quickly jumped back into the lead and easily maintained a 200-pin lead (or more) throughout the day. However, the race for the other top-5 positions flip-flopped game-to-game between several other very talented players.

Top-5 - Stepladder Finals

Match #1 pitted together two of the most talented southpaws in the Region, Jeff Smith with 3-PBA titles, against the veteran Brad Snell who owns 22-titles. Smith, by virtue of being the higher qualifier of the two, had his choice of what pair to bowl Snell on, and decided on the "long". Smith, in a see-saw battle, needed a strike in the 10th to win and he got it, winning 210-205. Match #2 saw 18-time PBA titlist (and former Foundation Games champion) David Traber, take Smith to the "short" pattern and that proved to be a costly mistake, as Smith fired an almost perfect 258-game to Traber's 221. Match #3 brought in recent Regional champion Mike Sopper, who had the only 300-game of this year's tournament. Sopper wanted to bowl Smith on the "short" but NOT on the pair that Smith just won on. They moved pairs and Smith rolled yet another 258-game, only to be denied by 5-time champion Sopper who had an impressive 275.

The championship match saw Jaros take Sopper to yet another pair on the "short", where he started with the first 7-strikes before leaving the 4-7-10 split. Jaros finished with 252 to Sopper's 226. This was Jaros' 25th Regional title and 2nd Foundation Games Championship.

The tournament was hailed as a huge success and plans to do it again next year were already being seriously discussed by PBA officials and Bowl-A-Vard Lanes management. Rumor has it (from a reliable source), that someone saw Steve Jaros already give John Weber his entry fee.

Foundation Games X

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:58:45 GMT

Foundation Games X

July 2002 PBA Midwest Regional Madison, WI ( At Parktowne )

1. Jeff Richgels, Oregon, Wisconsin
2. Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wisconsin
3. Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wisconsin

Jeff Richgels, former 2-time PBA Midwest Player-Of-The-Year, finally returned to the winners circle after a long drought with a convincing 244 - 167 victory over 29-time regional champion Dale Traber. This was Richgel's 21 st title and earned him an all-expense paid trip to the International Foundation Games Championships to be held in 2003. The exact location of that tournament has not yet been determined. This victory was worth $2100.00 and a Gold Medal.

"I'm back", shouted the overly delighted Richgels on his latest triumph. A bad wrist which has required no less than 3-operations has hampered his performances as of late, but this victory puts him in a very exclusive "club" of other Foundation Games champions, including: Steve Jaros (who is a 2-time champion), Jason Queen, David Traber (Dale's brother), Pete Dohan, Lisa Bishop, Liz Johnson, Hugh Miller, Dino Castillo, Jeff Zaffino and Diandra Hyman.

Richgels has an impressive bowling resume which includes the 1993 National Resident Pro Championship and 2-FIQ Gold Medals which he earned in Bogotá, Colombia back in 1985 in the American Zone championships. The 40-year-old right-hander claims to be a "tweener" and relies more on accuracy, rather than power. He did prove his versatility in this unique event which featured two separate and distinct lane conditions for the pro's to compete on.

This was the fourth Foundation Games tournament to be held in the PBA Midwest Region in the past 2-years, and the second to be held at beautiful Parktowne Lanes. Proprietor Dan Schwoegler runs a "Class A" operation and is to be commended for providing an excellent surface to bowl on. Rick Thomas and John Scheid assisted Kegel Tech Norm Titus and Midwest laneman Rory Holland to ensure that the lane conditions were exact. Midwest Director John Weber also chipped-in and helped with the all-important "process-verification". John is the 2002 recipient of the annual John Davis Award which is presented to the Foundation Member who continually exemplifies a passion for the Sport of bowling.

DAY 1 - Friday: Norm and Rory met at the bowling center and checked out the Standard SE lane machine. They double-stripped the lanes to make sure that all of the "memory" of the house "shot" was gone and that the lanes were absolutely clean. The house uses Defense S lane cleaner and they use Offense HV for its lane oil. Lanes 1-18 were oiled with the "short pattern" to a distance of 31-ft. Lanes 19-36 were oiled to a distance of 43-ft. for the "long pattern". The crew then watched the practice session and decided that both patterns looked fair and challenging for the participants. Then they went to dinner and decided to meet back at the bowl at 6:00am.

DAY 2 - Saturday: They met and began their seemingly thankless lanemen "rituals", including a thorough check of the hardness of the lane surface using the Sward Rocker Test. The lanes were thoroughly cleaned and then oiled with the 31ft. pattern. Tapes of the pattern were taken and read as the bowlers filed-in for their first 5-games of competition. As expected, the scores were fairly low on this pattern. At the end of play, Traber held the lead with +118 and 16 th place was -5. As soon as the last ball was thrown, the crew went back to work and took "after bowling" tapes and cleaned off the lanes. As the bowlers were being treated to a great buffet, the "long pattern" was applied. The players came back and found this pattern to be more conducive to scoring as there seemed to be a more distinct place to play. The majority of the field "ganged-up" around the 3 rd -arrow and the so-called track blew open and naturally, scores escalated. There were several 6 and 7-baggers that were few and far between on the more demanding 31ft. pattern, that morning. At the completion of these 5-games on the long pattern (and 10-games overall) the field of 71-bowlers was cut to the top-16 finalist. They were to come back tomorrow and bowl on both of the patterns during the match-play finals. Once again, Traber was the leader at +246 (a 224 average) and the cut (16 th place) was Lyle Zikes at +64.

DAY 3 - Sunday: The lane guys, Norm and Rory, met at the lanes and got everything ready for this final day of competition. Lanes1-12 were oiled with the "short", and lanes 13-24 were dressed with the "long". Match-play was interesting and exciting with the cream continually rising to the top. With this type of format, all physical and mental skills are required to deal with the different patterns from game-to-game. After the position round (game 16), the field was cut to the top-5 for the always exciting (and strategic) "Foundation Games TV Format" . The first match featured Tim Penner and Jeff Carter bowling on Penner's choice (because he was the higher qualifier of the two), which was the "short". Penner won that match: 199-191. Match #2 saw Lennie Boresch against Penner in another close battle, with the more experienced Boresch coming out on top with a 199-181 victory. The semi-final match was another thriller. Richgels, by virtue of being the higher seed, chose to bowl Boresch on the "long pattern". Richgels got a clutch double in the 10 th frame to barely nose out the talented Boresch, 211-207. Boresch received the Bronze Medal along with a paid entry into the International Foundation Games Championships. Traber, who led throughout the majority of the 2-day tournament, immediately announced that he would take Jeff to the "short pattern". Richgels proceeded to bowl a beautiful game of 244 against the confused Traber, who could only muster a 167 and settle for 2 nd place and the Silver Medal, along with the same Invitation. As Richgels stood on the Olympic style podium with the Gold Medal around his neck, he said, "This is special. To win a tournament against these talented guys on multiple conditions is truly very special. I really look forward to bowling in the International Championships next year."

All in all, it was another great Foundation Games tournament. The top-3, were once again, three of the top players in the Region. Their remarkable skills on these demanding conditions paid off. The Foundation will continue to administer tournaments with the strictest controls in an attempt to bring credibility and integrity to our great Sport. Plans to come back to Madison next year are already underway.

Foundation Games XI

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:57:36 GMT

Foundation Games XI

July 2002 PBA Central Regional Sterling Hts., MI ( At Sunnybrook )

1. Jeff Zaffino, Warren, Pennsylvania
2. Marty Letscher, Warren, Ohio
3. Brian Hatcher, Harrison Township, Michigan

Jeff Zaffino from Warren. Pa., etched his name onto an impressive list of Foundation Games champions by besting a field of 114-players in the PBA Central Region Foundation Games event at spacious Sunnybrook Lanes. The "straight-throwing" Touring Player showed the way with a commanding display of accuracy across the 2-distinctly different and demanding conditions.

The Foundation Games are unique tournaments that are put in place in an attempt to eliminate some of the inequities that sometimes occur in major bowling events in this Country and around the World. Kegel Tech Billy Guthrie and the Central Region's Randy Hart (a lane maintenance guru) diligently worked together to provide the professionals with the finest in lane maintenance. They met at Sunnybrook, which is a 58-lane two-sided center that also has a hotel and a golf course in the complex. Their plan of attack was to double strip the lanes to eliminate any and all residue from the existing house shot, which is usually a good idea for any major tournament.

DAY 1 - Friday: This was practice session day and the lane crew met early in the morning to perform their chores. The decision to double-strip was a good one, as the middles were not getting properly cleaned. Adjustments were made to the machine in an attempt to alleviate that problem. Both patterns (the "long" and the "short") were applied prior to practice session. These were the exact same patterns that were used at the Foundation Games tournament that was being held in the PBA Midwest Region in Madison, Wisconsin on this same weekend. Practice looked good and the early prediction was that the "long" would score better than the "short" as it usually does. The boys went to dinner and decided to meet at the ungodly hour of 4am on Sat.

DAY 2 - Saturday: The task of double-stripping all 58-lanes is not an enviable one, however conscientious lanemen have to do it. This "insurance" is sometimes overlooked and unfavorable results will usually catch-up to you later on in the tournament. Upon completion of the cleaning, the "short pattern" was then applied. The usual tapes were taken as well as the all-important "process verification" - another must at each and every Foundation Games tournament. Walking the machine and watching "the lines" is another all important duty of the thorough laneman.

The short (31ft. pattern) played as expected with many players who hadn't practiced on it the day before, being completely lost. This shorter distance calls for tame equipment for some and an outside "line" for most. Watching some of the inexperienced players trying to play the 4 th arrow was rather comical, if not sad. However, the talent level of this Region saw that the overall scores being relatively high with the leader at +135, and 16 th place (the cut), being at +47.

After the 5-games of qualifying on the "short", tapes were taken and the lanes were once again double stripped. The "long pattern" was then applied to the pre-described distance of 43 ft. "Process Verification" (a "key" to the Foundation's strict standards), was carefully checked and tapes of the fresh pattern were taken. The oil application was checked on each and every lane as the machine went up-and-down the lane, another Foundation "must". As expected, this pattern with its length and volume, once again proved to be the higher scoring of the two. The players are more used to longer oil in this day and age and also have more equipment that is designed for it. This pattern also is more forgiving than the short, not to mention the factors of concentration and the patience that's required. Most players moved inside (13-18), with only a handful playing out - most notably was Zaffino who put on a clinic off of the "twig". With 2-games to go, the track area (down the lane) blew open and scores went through the roof. The cut ended up being at +133 for 16 th place and +30 to cash. Marty Letscher was the qualifying leader at +227.

DAY 3 - Sunday: The guys arrived at 3:00am, took tapes and double-stripped the lanes again. It was now Finals time and both patterns would be used. Half of the lanes would be dressed with the long, and the other half would be short. The finalist would bowl a round-robin format with the final game (#16) being a position round match before cutting to the top-5 for the traditional step-ladder finals. The Finals consisted of a strong field of current Touring players, some former Touring pro's and some up-and-coming young stars. It appeared as though the more experienced players quickly figured out the dual conditions as they went back-and-forth between the short and long patterns throughout the match-play competition.

The Top-5

In the first match, Brian Hatcher defeated Jack Jurek 244-208. Hatcher, a talented youngster from Wichita State then went on to beat U.S. Open Champion Mika Koivuniemi in a tight match by a score of 191-184. Neither player seemed to get loose in this nail-biter. The next match saw the powerful Marty Letscher dispose of Hatcher in a closely contested battle 214-198. The title match was a blow-out and Zaffino was unstoppable and bowled a beautiful 265 to Marty's 191. Jeff received the winners check of $2500.00, the Foundation Gold Medal and an all expense paid trip to the International Foundation Games Championships in 2003. Letscher and Hatcher received Silver and Bronze Medals and free entries into those Championships along with their checks from the PBA.

Randy Shank, Proprietor of Sunnybrook Lanes, Dan Ottman, Central Region Director, Jerry Edgar and the entire Staff at Sunnybrook lanes are to be commended for putting on a fantastic show throughout the weekend. Plans to do "it" again next year are already underway. Kudos also go out to all of the players who competed in this event and making it the success that it was.

This marked the 11 th consecutive "successful " Foundation Games event and The Foundation is proud to be involved in being part of bringing integrity and credibility to the Sport of bowling. The intricate and totally involved planning for an event like this is needed in each and every tournament. The Foundation remains dedicated and we refuse to leave stones unturned.

Foundation Games XII

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:52:42 GMT

Foundation Games XII

July 2002 PBA West Regional Dublin, CA ( At Earl Anthony's Dublin Bowl )

1. Wayne Webb, Las Vegas, Nevada
2. Mike Devaney, Escondido, California
3. Eddie Williams, Van Nuys, California

Earl Anthony's Dublin Bowl (July 26-28, 2002): PBA Hall of Famer, Wayne Webb of Las Vegas, Nevada, showed his greatness to a field of 94-bowlers in the PBA Western Region Earl Anthony Memorial Foundation Games XII event, this past weekend. Webb, with 20-PBA National titles under his belt, was in complete control from start-to-finish in this unique event. Foundation Games are scratch events that put a premium on: Shot-Making, Accuracy, Power and Versatility, and Webb was more than " UP" for the challenge. He averaged a blistering 221 and waltzed away with the Gold Medal along with an all-expense paid trip to the International Foundation Games championships to be held next year. That site has yet to be determined.

The format for this tournament was for the entire field to bowl two, 5-game blocks with all of the bowlers being on the same squad, thus ensuring squad equity, which is usually a problem. The first 5-games would be on a "Short Pattern", which was to a distance of 31-feet and a volume of oil of 19.08 mL (which is about 2/3 of an ounce per lane). The lanes would then be cleaned and re-oiled with the " Long Pattern", to a distance of 43-feet and a volume of 21.21 mL. These two distances would create two different break-points for the bowlers to contend with, along with posing the problem of changing bowling balls of which the players would have to figure out which piece of equipment to use. Not only does this type of format put a test to the player's physical skills, but it also tests their focus, concentration and their overall mental game.

DAY 1 - Friday: Foundation Officials Len Nicholson and John Forst met with PBA Regional Director Mike Friedrichs, PBA laneman Gary Hicks, Dublin Bowl Proprietor (and PBA Hall Of Famer) Ted Hoffman and his laneman/mechanic Bill (Tin Cup) Cooley, to arrange the complex schedule for the 3-days of the tournament. The lanes were double stripped and the 2-patterns were applied for the Practice Session. The patterns were the exact same ones that were used in the recent Foundation Games tournaments (X and XI) in the PBA Midwest and Central Regions.

DAY 2 - Saturday: The lane crew met at 5am and stripped all 40-lanes bone dry and squeaky clean. Topography readings were taken along with the temperature, humidity and lane surface hardness. The Sanction machine was thoroughly checked, adjusted and programmed with the " Short Pattern". Process verification was administered and everything was set for the first squad of the day. Webb led the first round with a total of 1125 for the first 5-games, a 225 avg. One of the highlights of that first round was a 300-game by Eddie Williams, a powerful lefty who eventually finished third in the tournament. It was only the 7 th 300-game in the 13-Foundation Games tournaments thus far. 16 th place (the cut to the finals) was 1026, a 205 avg.

Upon completion of those 5-games on the "Short" , the lanes were cleaned and re-oiled with the "Long Pattern". Tapes were taken of the "after-bowling", along with tapes on the 'Long' of the "before-bowling". This second squad would see some shifting of positions on the leader board as many adjustments would have to be made by the players. Surprisingly, the scoring "pace" was very similar on the "Long" as it was on the "Short", with the actual cut to the finals being; +2053 for the 10-games, also a 205 avg. The leader after 10-games was talented Marv Sargent at +2186, a 218 avg., with Webb now in 2 nd , and the young Chris Preble in 3 rd place. The 16-finalist showed a vast assortment of styles and very rich in talent, with 14-champions advancing.

Day 3 - Sunday: The lane crew, spear-headed by world renowned laneman Forst, met at 5:30am and performed all of the same procedures as the day before. The lanes were stripped, and then half of the lanes were oiled with the "Short" and half of the lanes would be dressed with the "Long". Today would be a real challenge of all of the player's physical and mental games. They would be bowling 16-games of head-to-head match-play competition across all 16-lanes. A 30-pin bonus is awarded for winning each match. The actual 16 th game would be a position round match (like league play) affording each player one last opportunity to improve his position. The hope would be to advance to the "Foundation Games Step-Ladder Finals". As the match-play finals wore on, you could see the cream-rising-to-the-top, with Webb eventually leading the tournament by over 300-pins. In the step-ladder finals, Williams was the 5 th qualifier and he would face Tour champion, Dave Arnold. Arnold , the higher qualifier got to choose the pair that he wanted to bowl the match on and he chose the "Short". Williams won that match in a real nail-biter, 215-212. The next match saw Sargent take Williams to the "Long" where the likeable lefty struck-out in the 10 th frame to edge the more experienced veteran by just 1-pin, 223-222. Mike Devaney, the Tour veteran then came on and walked Williams back to the "Short". This was a match that appeared as no one wanted to win, as both players struggled early and often. Unfortunately for Williams, he opened in the 10 th to hand the win to the shocked Devaney, 189-184. Webb then strode immediately and confidently up to Director Friedrichs and declared he would bowl Devaney on the "Short". The great Hall Of Famer took an early lead and never looked back, winning by a score of 237-182.

The Presentation: The top three-players received their Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals on a beautiful Olympic-style podium constructed by Cooley. Webb received the all-expense paid trip and Devaney and Williams received paid entries into the Championships along with their PBA winnings. Williams also received a beautiful Lucite trophy for his 300-game. The special award is called: "The Earl Anthony Award Of Excellence", and are hand made, one-of-a-kind trophies, with a perpetual plaque on display at The Kegel Training Center in Sebring, Florida . Susie Anthony (Earl's widow) was on hand for the presentation, as well as being there throughout the entire event. Kathy Nicholson (Kat Travel), is the sponsor of this great award, was also on hand. Webb gave a majestic victory speech saying, "This is a special victory for me to win. It is especially gratifying to win a challenging event like this." In his victory speech he also mentioned that in his opinion, Earl Anthony was the greatest bowler that he ever bowled against. Ted Hoffman, the consummate professional, closed the show by thanking all of the bowlers for supporting the tournament, the Pro-Am bowlers who participated, and the sponsors. He also announced that plans are underway to come back again next year and making it into an annual event. The Foundation will be more than happy to return. Thanks, Ted, another job well done!!!

Foundation Games XIII

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:47:41 GMT

Foundation Games XIII

July 2002 17th Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships ( Hong Kong, China )

Men's Division
1. Zhang Ye (China)
2. Kim Jae Hoon (Korea)
3. Kim Kyung Min (Korea)
Women's Division
1. Cha Mi Jung (Korea)
2. Kim Suk Yung (Korea)
3. Kate Wilson (Australia)

S.C.A.A. Bowling Centre, Hong Kong, China: Hong Kong, the land of high finance and old tradition, was this year's host of the 17 th Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships. The Asian Bowling Federation's event is a prestigious one and is held once every two years. This year's tournament used two different oil patterns for each event which consisted of: Singles, Doubles, Trios, 5-Man Teams, All-Events and the Masters. There were both men's and women's divisions in each event. The decision to use The Foundation Games format was made at the request of Ms. Vivien Fung, who is the highly respected President of the Asian Bowling Federation. The Master's event (in both divisions) would also determine who would receive the Foundation Games medals of Gold, Silver and Bronze. The short pattern was 32 feet of Offense Lane Conditioner, with a ratio of 2.83 from the 20 th board to the 2nd board. The volume was 20.44 mls per lane. The long pattern was 41 feet of Offense Lane Conditioner, with a ratio of 2.71 from the 20 th board to the 2 nd board. The volume was 24.2 mls per lane. The lanes were wood and had been resurfaced recently in April with DBA 100% solid coating on the top of the lane. A total of three machines were used for the tournament. Two Kegel Sanction Elites were used strictly to apply conditioner; the long pattern was in machine #1 and the short in machine #2. The third machine was a Sanction AC, which is owned by the Asian Bowling Federation, and it was used only for cleaning. The cleaner used was Defense C and it was mixed at a 4-to-1 ratio.

Kegel Technical experts, John Forst and Don Agent, arrived in Hong Kong and were taken to the bowling center to check to see if all of the needed equipment had arrived and to also do a mini-inspection of the lanes. While watching some of the open play bowlers, they noticed that their bowling equipment (balls) were rolling very early, and upon inspecting the lanes they could easily put their thumbnails into the very soft surface. During the tournament they kept track of the hardness of the lane with the Sword Hardness Rocker, which is commonly used by our staff. The readings from the rocker during the tournament ranged from 3-6 rocks at the 10-foot mark, 4-6 rocks at the 25-foot mark and 5-7 rocks at the 50-foot mark. Readings that low indicated a very soft surface, about the hardness of Guardian.

Asian "games" Medals were awarded in all of the events; however the Masters event was pre-determined to be a separate Foundation Games "tournament". The same 2-conditions were used. The format was 16-games of competition on the two patterns (8-games on each), followed by 16-games of head-to-head match play. The top-3 (in each division) received the coveted Foundation Games Medals.

The final results are listed below:
Masters (Men)
1 st Place- Zhang Ye China 3424 + 95 214.0 Ave. GOLD
2 nd Place- Kim Jae Hoon Korea 3393 + 90 212.1 Ave. SILVER
3 rd Place- Kim Kyung Min Korea 3379 + 80 211.2 Ave. BRONZE
Step Ladder Finals
Kim Jae Hoon defeated Kim Kyung Min 223-206 on the short pattern.
2 game Championship total pins:
Zhang Ye defeated Kim Jae Hoon 219+200= 419 to 166+245= 411 (Short).
Masters (Women)
1 st Place- Cha Mi Jung Korea 3348 + 100 209.3 Ave. GOLD
2 nd Place- Kim Suk Yung Korea 3348 + 100 209.3 Ave. SILVER
3 rd Place- Kate Wilson Australia 3210 + 110 200.6 Ave. BRONZE
One game roll-off for first place was won by Cha Suk Yung 204-177
Step Ladder Finals
Kim Suk Yung defeated Kate Wilson 204-192 on the short pattern.
2 game Championship total pins:
Cha Mi Jung blasted Kim Suk Yung 213 + 224= 437 to 182 + 190= 372 (Long)

Tournament Officials, Team Coaches and participants deemed the tournament a huge success and plans for the Foundation Games format to be used in the future of International Championships are currently underway.

The Foundation Officials concur and are very proud to say that ALL thirteen (13) Foundation Games events that have been held (both in America and abroad) have been overwhelming successes.

Foundation Games XIV

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:46:25 GMT

Foundation Games XIV

November 2002 PBA Northwest Regional Keizer, OR ( At Town and Country )

1. Dave Husted, Milwaukee, Oregon
2. Craig Tuholski, Washougal, Washington
3. Dan Orazio, Vancouver, Washington

Keizer , OR : A field of 47-professionals embarked upon Town and Country Lanes to test their skills in the unique and very popular Foundation Games format for the second consecutive year. Showing his greatness, PBA Hall of Famer Dave Husted, emerged the victor with an exciting one-pin victory to garner his 24 th -Northwest Regional title. Husted, who also owns 14-PBA Tour victories (including 2-US Opens), is the second Hall of Famer in a row to win a Foundation Games event, as the great Wayne Webb won the previous event at Earl Anthony's Dublin Bowl in California this past July.

Day One: Friday, Nov. 8, 2002 . Pre-Tournament Meeting and Practice Session.

Foundation officials Len Nicholson and John Forst met with Town and Country Lanes General Manager John Preston, long-time PBA Northwest Director Gary Mage, PBA Northwest laneman Bob Hoskinson, along with the maintenance personnel at the bowling center to discuss all of the details regarding this year's event. The two patterns to be used were developed by the "pattern committee" at Kegel Company in Florida , which is spear-headed by John Janawicz. The patterns ( "short" and "long" ) are designed to challenge the players with their abilities in 5-distinctly separate areas: A). Accuracy. B). Power. C). Shot-making. D). Repeatability. E). Mental preparedness. The Foundation feels that "this" versatility will determine the best bowlers. After the meeting, the lanes were dressed with both patterns for the practice session, which went from 3-5pm . American Bowling Congress Director Gary Wilson was there for the all-important "process verification" and the checking of the lane topography. Wilson, who was requested to be there from The Foundation, gladly accepted and was there throughout the 3-days.

Day Two: Saturday, Nov. 9, 2002 . First Day of Qualifying.

At 5:30am , the entire crew arrived at the bowl and thoroughly stripped the lanes. The 24-lanes were then conditioned with the "short" pattern which was to a distance of 31-ft., using 20.86 mL of Offense oil. Twenty-lanes would be used for the 10-games of qualifying, thus each player would bowl on the exact same lanes, with 5-games in the morning being on the short , and 5-games on the long , in the afternoon. At the end of the first 5-games, Rich Broderhausen was the leader at: +83, a 216-average. Husted was in 2 nd at +29, local lefty Brian Kaplan was in 3 rd at +20, Don Allen III was in for 4 th place at +14 and veteran Dennis Bailey was in 5 th at -14. The low scores were indicative of the degree of difficulty that this short pattern possessed. A two-hour break was then taken for lunch and the lane crew cleaned the lanes once again. The "long" was now put down by the Sanction Elite lane machine to a distance of 43-ft. using 20.37 mL of oil. "After" bowling tapes were taken, as well as "before" bowling tapes. The bowlers then returned from lunch and bowled their 2 nd 5-game block in the 10-game qualifying competition. The cut for the top-16 finalist was at -67 prior to going to these final 5-games. All eyes were on this number when the next squad started, as the important thing was to make it to the "Top-16" and return on Sunday to bowl in the all-important "match-play finals".

As expected, the scoring "pace" was slightly higher on the longer pattern. The players were able to use more aggressive equipment and the "break-point" on the pattern was more conducive to playing deeper inside than the "short", which was intentionally formulated for the players to play "out". And, speaking of equipment, the sponsor of the tournament (Track Bowling) had sent a representative to the event in an effort to help the players with their equipment. Mike Snellbaker was there throughout the event and did just that. I heard many comments from the players regarding the expertise that he provided. Perhaps the highlight of these final 5-games was the 298-game that was bowled by Bailey. Noteworthy was the congratulations that he received from the other players immediately upon completion of that exceptional game. Powerful Craig Tuholski was the 10-game qualifying leader with a score of 2110 - a 211-average. Broderhausen moved to 2 nd , Husted was now in 3 rd followed by Troy Miller and Thomas Ault, Jr. The cut to the top-16 was -92. PBA Tour veteran Ernie Schlegel was the alternate, missing by just 2-pins. There was a great mix of styles in the 16-man field, including 4-lefties.

Day Three: Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002 . Finals Day.

The lane crew and tournament officials once again arrived at 5:30am to thoroughly strip the lanes. Half of the lanes were then oiled with the "short" and the other half of the wooden lanes with the "long". This was to be a total test of ALL of the factors previously mentioned. Going from pair-to-pair on both patterns challenges each participant's entire "game", as well as his focus and concentration. On top of that , equipment choices were at a premium. The top players all mentioned that this is the way that it should be as the cream rose to the top.

Once the top-5 was determined, the Foundation format was put into place for the exciting step-ladder finals. Match #1 was between likeable Shawn Copeland, a 5-time Regional Champion and leading Rookie-Of-The-Year candidate, Erik Hohlbein. Erik, by virtue of being the higher qualifier, chose to bowl Shawn on the "short". The match see-sawed back-and-forth for the first few frames until Hohlbein pulled away in the later stages of the match, winning 224-170. Next up was Husted who wanted Erik on the "long". This match was nip-and-tuck until Husted tripled in the 9 th and 10 th to eliminate the talented lefty from Renton , Wa., by a score of 201-188. Match #3 was a "snapshot" of what greatness is. Husted was struggling and having problems with a consistent ball reaction. Dan Orazio was next up and took Dave to another pair, which was also a "long" pattern. Dan had won 14-consecutive games on this day and was the leader up until the last game, when he was overtaken by Tuholski. The talented Husted changed balls AND angles AND his hand position. He then proceeded to crush the pocket en-route to a 277-213 victory. Orazio just shook his head in amazement, as did all of the fans who witnessed it.

Tuholski (who finished 7 th last year), then took Dave to yet another pair of the "long" pattern. It was a classic match for the championship. Both players appeared defensive in a battle of wits and skills. Husted eked out a dramatic 1-pin victory, 187-186 earning the prestigious Foundation Games title and an expense paid trip to the International Foundation Games Championships to be held in 2003. Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals were awarded to the top-3 along with a beautiful Championship Trophy to Husted. John Davis, Kegel President and Foundation Founder was there to congratulate all of the finalists and award the championship trophy.

It was yet another successful Foundation Games event and one more step in bringing the Sport of Bowling to a position of credibility - exactly where this wonderful Sport belongs.

Foundation Games XV

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:44:47 GMT

Foundation Games XV

November 2002 PBA Southwest Regional Beaumont, Texas ( At Crossroads )

1. Everett Bubak III, Sealy, Texas
2. Sean Swanson, Springfield, Missouri
3. Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas

Sebring, FL: Foundation Officials, John Davis and Len Nicholson, along with PBA Southwest Regional Director Pete McCordic, are pleased to announce that arrangements have been finalized for that Region to have their first Foundation Games tournament. This event will be Foundation Games XV.

McCordic, a former National Tour Champion said, "I think that this is a great idea and will give the players the versatility (in format and conditions) that they so often ask for. I am very happy that we could find a spot for it and I am really looking forward to it."

The site for the tournament will be in Beaumont , Texas at Crossroads Bowling Center . Mark Williams (another great Tour Champion) is the General Manager and part Owner of that facility. The dates for the event are: November 28 & 29. Williams said, "I like the concept of this tournament, and I am sure that the players will, too. We are limiting the field to 80-players and I am sure that it will fill. The synthetic lanes have recently been screened and everything will be in tip-top condition. I can't wait." Williams also added that a local charity (Boy's Haven) will be the benefactor of proceeds from the tournament.

The format for the event will call for a total of 12-games of qualifying on the first day. All bowlers will be on the same "squad" and will roll 6-games on a Foundation "short" pattern. The lanes will then be stripped and oiled with a Foundation "long" pattern. Both patterns will be tailored to suit the specific lane surface at Crossroads. These 2-patterns will challenge the players "shot-making ability" along with their skills of "making adjustments", "bowling ball choices" and their "mental prowess". Foundation "super" Tech, Dennis Gemmer will be there to supervise the all-important lane conditions for the tournament. Prior to joining the Kegel "team", Dennis was the PBA Southwest Lane Supervisor.

At the completion of the 12-games of qualifying, the field will be cut to the top 16-scorers. They will return the following day for a "round-robin" (16-games) of head-to-head matches. They will bowl on "both" conditions during the match-play finals. Once those games are completed, there will be another cut to the top-4 step-ladder finals, with qualifier #4 facing qualifier #3 in a one-game match. Qualifier #3 (by virtue of being the higher seed) will have the choice of what pair to use to bowl that match. This will hold true for each of the subsequent matches with the higher "seed" getting to make the choice.

The top-3 will receive Foundation Games Medals: 1 st Place receives "Gold"; 2 nd Place earns "Silver" and 3 rd place gets the "Bronze". These 3-finalist will also receive invitations to the International Foundation Games Championships to be held in 2003.

Foundation Games XVI

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:42:29 GMT

Foundation Games XVI

March 2003 PBA National Menards, New York ( At Olympic Lanes )

1. Brian LeClair, Chatham, New York
2. Rudy Kasimakis, Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania
3. Joe Mazuryk, Albany, New York

Menands, New York: Tournament Promoter Chuck McNally brought together some of the top talent in the northeast to compete in the final event of the Foundation Games 16-tournament series. Even though the bowler turnout was relatively small due to conflicting events in the area, the overall quality of the competitors was not disappointing, as PBA star; Brian LeClair outdistanced another PBA star, Rudy Kasimakis, at beautiful Olympic Lanes this past weekend.

McNally, a Foundation Member with a rare and true passion for the Sport of Bowling , contacted Kegel several months ago with the hopes of learning more about the sometimes mysterious aspects of lane conditioning. His main interest was to put out more challenging lane conditions for the bowlers in his area to compete on. After learning more about the Foundation Games, his heart soon was set on hosting one of these treasured tournaments. Details were ironed out and the event became a reality as McNally did all he could (and more) to make the event a success.

Day One: Friday, March 28, 2003: Kegel Lane Maintenance Technician, John Janawicz arrived and met with McNally and Olympic Bowl owners John Oureilidis and George Vafiadis. They went over the entire tournament schedule. Janawicz also met with Steve Smith (from neighboring Hometown Lanes), who was gracious enough to loan their Sanction lane machine to this tournament as a back-up. That night, McNally ran a "Sweeper", as a prelude to the main event which was to start the next morning. The Sweeper would give some of the competitors the opportunity to bowl on the "Short" pattern which would be the one that they would see on the opening squad. The "short" was to a distance of: 31-feet, using a total volume of: 19.81 mL, per-lane. This pattern is not frequently seen in this day and age of high-powered bowling balls.

Day Two: Saturday, March 29, 2003: After a late night tending to the sweeper, JJ arrived at the bowl at 4:30am to start this day's lane-man activities. He mixed the Fizzion lane cleaner and cleaned off all the lanes to be used with the back-up machine. The "short" pattern was programmed into the other Sanction lane machine and the all-important Process Verification was checked by the ever-present McNally. All went according to schedule, and then the entire field bowled the first 5-games of the 10-game qualifying round. Even though less than a third of the field failed to average over 200 on this challenging "short" pattern, Tour veteran Kasimakis found the lanes to his liking by leading the squad with a total of: 1127, a 222.5 average. John Walther III, was in second at 1072, and the very talented Kenny Wokobosky was in third with: 1054. Overall scoring was low, which was expected on this pattern. The players then took a short break, as JJ cleaned the lanes and set-up the "Long Pattern" in this unique, multiple pattern Foundation Games event. This pattern was to a distance of: 43-feet, using 19.53 mL, per-lane.

The athletes then returned to the lanes to test their skills on this "new" pattern, and immediately saw something more familiar. Joe Mazuryk, who was lost on the short pattern in the morning, quickly got lined-up and rolled the only 300-game of the tournament in the very first game of this second round. Many other players also saw their scores escalate as they were all able to use more aggressive equipment. Rudy "revs" continued his assault on the pins and ended up as the qualifying leader at: +336, with Walther qualifying 2nd , and eventual winner LeClair, in 3rd place.

Day Three: Sunday, March 30, 2003 : Prior to the start of the Finals, another squad would be had with bowlers having another opportunity to advance to Match-Play. On this day, half of the lanes were dressed with the "long", and the other half were dressed with the "short". This extra qualifier would feature a 4-game block with bowlers rolling 2-games, on each pattern. Tim Banks and Ron Gardner would advance and join the 6-players who had previously earned their way. Now the stage was set for the Finalists to bowl an 8-game "round-robin" segment, with the highest qualifier earning the right to pick the pair that the match would be on.

Needless to say, most all games were bowled on the "long" pattern and the leader's scores remained outstanding. Rudy started strong by winning his first 4-games and earning 30-pins for each victory. However, LeClair was unstoppable by winning seven of his eight matches while reeling off scores, of: 248-234-278-267-269-244-234 and 234. His only loss was with a score of: 244 in game #6. LeClair picked up the first-place check of $3000.00. Always a crowd favorite Kasimakis, was second and earned $1500.00, and Mazuryk finished third, earning $750.00.

Presentations of the checks and the revered Foundation Games Medals for the top-3 were made by McNally. LeClair received the Gold Medal and an expense paid trip to the International Foundation Games "Invitational" Championships to be held in Lake Wales, Florida this coming July. Rudy won the Silver and Mazuryk got the Bronze, along with the Earl Anthony Award of Excellence for his perfect game. All 3-players are expected to compete in the Finals in July.

Some Tournament "Quotes" that were overheard from Chuck McNally:

* (Prior to the start of the tournament, Chuck was talking to one of the area's top bowlers, Allen Teal): "I'm more nervous than these guys. Look at how relaxed they are. This is great."

* (While talking to a group of the Competitors): "These Foundation Games could be our last, best hope of bringing back integrity to bowling."

* (Again, while talking to a group of the Players): "I have to believe that these Foundation Games are the next "BIG THING", in bowling."

* (This time Chuck was talking to the Fans): "Half of the fun in a tournament is having Rudy "Revs" and Kenny Hall in the House - bowl with them sometime and you will see why."

* (Chuck was being thanked by several of the Players for bringing in the tournament for them to bowl in.) He said, "I love it. Whatever I can do to promote the Game and its Players, I will. But, keep in mind that I really couldn't do it without all of the help that I get from the Sponsors. Track and Del Warren have been great. Also, I want to thank Coor's for their involvement as well as all of the other sponsors. I certainly hope that we can do this tournament again next year. I am already looking forward to it."

The tournament was a huge success and hopefully there will be another "series" of these events.

Foundation Games XVII

Bruce — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:41:45 GMT

Foundation Games XVII

In conjunction with:

July 2003 World Ranking Masters Lake Wales, FL ( At Kegel Training Center )

1. Steve Jaros, Bolingbrook, Illinois
2. Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, New York
3. Andres Gomez, Columbia

Lake Wales , Fl. July 24-27, 2003 : In what was possibly the most important tournament in the history of bowling, the International Foundation Games Invitational Championships (IFG), lived up to its advance billing by producing perhaps the fairest and finest tournament ever held. Too often in our beloved sport, the words, "What Happened" is muttered by upset bowlers because of countless problems with lane conditions, formats, squad inequities and many other injustices that are heard at tournament sites - not only in this country, but all around the world.

In 1996, John Davis called together as many lane maintenance experts as possible to address the problems that were afflicting our sport. From that initial meeting, The Foundation was formed. Countless hours, days and months were dedicated to attack each and every feasible problem that bowlers encounter while competing. A total of 5 "prototype" events were held to fine-tune each and every problem, and then a series of 16 "official" Foundation Games tournaments were held.

The top 3 bowlers in each of those official tournaments were then invited to this prestigious world-wide event. To make the tournament even more influential, other world champions and amateur bowlers of the year were invited to compete. On the heels of the WTBA World Ranking Masters tournament at the new Kegel Training Center in Lake Wales , the IFG was contested. In order to fill the field of 48 international stars, many WTBA champion bowlers were invited to stay and compete. This was the first time in history that bowlers from all major organizations were to compete on "multiple lane conditions" and the unique Foundation Games "format".

Day One: Thursday July 24, 2003 : Practice Session and 1 st Day of Qualifying:

John Forst and John Janawicz, the two premiere lane technicians in the world, cleaned and oiled the 12 tournament lanes at 6:00am . The 3 patterns to be used in the tournament were applied, with lanes 1-4 being a short pattern; 5-8 being a long pattern; and 9-12 a combined pattern, with the left lane being long and the right lane being short. These "multiple patterns" were designed to put a premium on accuracy, power, shot-making and knowledge, with the end result being the player with the most versatility would most likely have the best opportunity of becoming the champion. This theory was borne out of the World Bowling Seminar that was hosted by WTBA President P.S. Nathan in Malaysia is 2000, and perfected by The Foundation in the ensuing years. The field of 48 was divided into 2-squads, "A" and "B". Each squad had one-hour to practice, with the lanes being cleaned and re-oiled between both squads. After both practice sessions were completed, the lanes were again treated for the start of the tournament. The first pattern was to be the short pattern which was to a distance of 32-feet. The all-important "Process Verification" was admirably performed for each and every squad throughout the tournament by Joyce Deitch and Hazel McCleary, highly respected WIBC and WTBA officials.

Day Two: Friday July 25, 2003 . The 2 nd Day of Qualifying: Once again "A" squad took to the lanes first, only this time they were faced with the challenge of the "long pattern", which was to a distance of 42-feet. After completing their 2 nd 6-games of qualifying, "B" squad came back to display their talents. As was the case throughout all of the 18-games of qualifying, the lanes were cleaned and oiled between squads, ensuring further equity.

Day Three: Saturday July 26, 2003 . The 3 rd and Final Day of Qualifying: Today was the day that most of the field had anticipated as being the most challenging, as all had bowled on a short and long pattern in their careers, but none had ever competed in a "major" such as this with a "combined" pattern to contend with. Focus and concentration was to play a major role if they were to be successful. At the completion of today's play (all having bowled 18-games on 3 different patterns - on the exact same lanes), the field of 48 was to be cut to the top 12 finalist.

RECAP: Day 1 1 st 6-games of qualifying for both A and B Squads. Short Pattern:

Jose Ferreira, Venezuela led the first day with a score of 1374 to win the Short Pattern "bonus" of $500.00. 2. Steve Jaros , USA , 1354; 3. Craig Tuholski, USA , 1333; 4. Andrew Cain, USA , 1308; 5. Liz Johnson, USA , 1306; 6. Mika Luoto , Finland , 1295; 7. Kendra Gaines, USA , 1277; 8 Tie. Pete Dohan, USA , 1274 and Lucy Sandelin, USA , 1274; 10. Mike Sopper, USA , 1273; 11. Andres Gomez, Colombia , 1256; 12. Bettina Lund , Denmark , 1247.

RECAP: Day 2 Totals after 12-games of qualifying for both A and B. Long Pattern:

Andres Gomez, Colombia won the Long Pattern "bonus" of $500.00 for his 6-game total of 1423 which featured games of 299 and 289 and propelled him from 11 th place yesterday, all the way to 2 nd today. 1. Jaros , USA , 2694; 2.Gomez, Colombia , 2679; 3.Dohan, USA , 2643; 4. Tuholski, USA, 2625; 5.Lai Kin Nogh, Malaysia, 2615; 6.Jeff Smith, USA, 2608; 7.Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 2571; 8.Johnson, USA, 2567; 9.Sandelin, USA, 2559; 10.Dino Castillo, USA, 2558 (and he rolled a 300-game); 11.Luoto, Finland, 2536; 12. Ferreira , Venezuela , 2535.

RECAP: Day 3 Totals after 18-games of qualifying for both A and B. Mixed Pattern:

Jaros' sets the pace and wins the Long Pattern "bonus" of $500 for his 1387, 6-game series. For the 3 rd consecutive day, there were 6-bowlers off of "A" squad and 6 bowlers off of "B" squad in the top 12 that advanced to the Match-Play Finals. 1.Jaros, 4081; 2. Gomez, 3994; 3.Tuholski, 3935; 4.Johnson, 3923; 5.Dohan, 3919; 6.Smith, 3876; 7.Zulkifli, 3875; 8.Sandelin, 3832; 9.Castillo, 3804; 10.Kin Nogh, 3796; 11.Gaines, 3773; 12.Brad Snell, 3767.

Day 4: Sunday July 27, 2003 . The Match-Play Finals. 1-4 Short 5-8 Long 9-12 Mixed

The key this day was to advance to the exciting step-ladder finals, which was the top 3 positions. Jaros and Johnson (of PBA and PWBA fame), stayed in 1 st and 2 nd position throughout most of the match-play, but that all important 3 rd position was up for grabs. The steady play of WTBA star Gomez, earned him the right to challenge the lady pro in the first step-ladder match. Johnson, Foundation Games V Champion proved to be too strong as she won, 268-242. She then almost duplicated that score and soundly thrashed Jaros, 266-215. The Foundation "rule" for this championship (in fairness to the tournament leader), was that the leader would have to be beaten twice in order to earn the title. Jaros regained his form and won the title with a game of 268 of his own, to Johnson's 200 for the coveted title, the Gold Medal and the $7000.00 top prize.

The old phrase: "What Happened?" was never heard.

The new phrase is: "What's Next?".