Sports Spots

Bowling centers hope to strike it rich with upgrades, fun activities

Now it's more like rock 'n' roll, with snazzier bowling balls, electronic scoring on video monitors and events, such as Cosmic Bowling, designed to lure younger players.

It's all part of an effort to bring back an interest in bowling, that most blue-collar of leisure activities, in a big way.

That's because the sport had been in decline from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s.

According to a study in 1998 by American Sports Data, bowling was the third most popular recreational sport in the country, behind fishing and camping.

But bowling participation was down 10 percent during the 1988-'98 period and the number of new bowlers had declined from 8 million in 1997 to 6.2 million in 1998. The number of frequent bowlers had declined, too, down 23 percent.

So bowling organizations and facilities have been focusing on the younger demographics, the under-18 crowd that makes up the sport's future.

In Southern Nevada, bowling is perking up. According to the American Bowling Congress, Southern Nevada ranked 10th in the country in membership in the American Bowling Congress' 1998-'99 report with 14,516 members and 632 leagues.

Today, Bob Allen, president of the Southern Nevada Bowling Association, says there are 12,500 men sanctioned for tournament play in Clark County, and an additional 9,000 women.

They can be found most nights on the valley's 568 lanes. That's an increase from the 424 open in 1996. The largest facility is the Castaways, with 106 lanes, followed by the Gold Coast (72), The Orleans (70), the Suncoast (64), Santa Fe Station and Texas Station (60 each), Sam's Town (56), Sunset Lanes (36), Mahoney's Silver Nugget (24), Terrible's Town (12) and Boulder Bowl in Boulder City (eight).

Jazzed-up special events at the area's 11 bowling facilities are one reason participation is growing, especially Cosmic Bowling.

"It's alive and well," says Eileen Moore, group and tournament director at Texas Station.

The event, offered Friday and Saturday nights, features high-volume music from the 1970s and 1980s, black lights, lasers and smoke effects.

Venues that offer Cosmic Bowling "are packed every Friday and Saturday night," with lines of kids waiting to get inside, Allen says.

Parents come along, too, Allen notes. "It's a family affair. You're bowling for the fun of it."

Cosmic Bowling draws "people that don't want to bowl in leagues and commit to 26 to 32 weeks of bowling in the wintertime," Allen adds.

The rock 'n' roll bowling has been growing in popularity during the past 10 years, Moore says, and it has become a must-have feature, with most bowling facilities offering some form of Cosmic Bowling.

Texas Station also has experimented with its adults-only Club Rev, a combination of nightclub and bowling, as a way to grab a different bowling crowd. Club Rev is a summer feature with go-go dancers, disc jockey and light show.

The hotel is deciding whether to bring it back again this year.

Bowling facilities have been upgraded and expanded, too. Many feature a snack bar, cocktail lounge, video arcade and pro shop.

The sport is a relatively inexpensive way to have a family night out, Allen says ‹ average cost per game is $1.50-$1.75, with shoe rentals averaging 75 cents.

For an average family of four, the cost can be as low as $14, according to Allen. A bargain compared to other activities.

Allen hopes the trend continues.

"We're trying to bring back bowling," he says. "Bowling centers are doing what they did before but they're doing it better now."