Sun City Summerlin man still rocking the bowling lanes at 94

There are plenty of retirees who enjoy bowling in leagues. At Red Rock Lanes at Red Rock Resort, one stands out.

His name is Art Kras, and he turned 94 in November, but he holds his own with his league, using a 14-pound ball to hit strikes and spares. His score usually averages 165 to 175. It was 190 to 200, he confided, in his "younger years."

The week after his birthday, he bowled his first 300 game in a no-tap league, not the same as a true 300 but still impressive considering his age.

Ben Compton recalled seeing Kras for the first time and watching as he stepped up and sent the ball flying down the lane.

"I couldn't believe it; I went, 'Man, look at this guy shoot.' He never gutters the ball," Compton said. " … And his shoes, his shoes look older than me, and I'm 63, for crying out loud. I have a hard time getting out of bed, and this guy is bowling right along with us."

Kras' shoes, made by Lind, show a bit of wear. There's a patch missing on the rear of one. The sole is separating a bit on the other, but Kras said they are his shoes of preference.

"I've been wearing them for 40 or 50 years," he said. "They're all broken in. I like them better than the new shoes."

He bought new bowling shoes but still sticks to using his tried-and-true pair.

He joined the seniors league at Red Rock Lanes about four years ago, the same time as Norma and Frank Bello. They formed a team with Kras.

"We got thrown in with him because we needed a partner," Norma Bello said, adding that Kras' age was not a factor. "We just said, 'OK, let's see what happens.' It wasn't a negative thing. He was so nice, and he's so sharp for his age. He'll tell you about things that happened to him when he was a child."

"The name of our team is Art and Kids, and the 'kids' are 68 years old," Frank Bello said.

On Tuesday, Kras bowls in a handicap league. On Fridays, he bowls in a scratch series. When he's not bowling, he's in one of the Sun City Summerlin pools, doing laps. He also plays golf. He said keeping active is his key to staying young.

"My mind is as young as my body," he said. "Socially, (bowling) is nice one or two hours. I like the competition and the people who bowl. I began bowling in 1940, almost 75 years ago. … I've been active all my life. When you stay active, you stay young."

He grew up in Detroit and was involved in baseball, but his school couldn't afford baseball uniforms. After high school, Kras spent less than two years in the Navy Air Force and was discharged because his father, who owned a bar, was dying of cancer. Kras took over running the bar, which led to him getting into the vending business. He later dabbled in real estate and worked as a stress analyst in the laboratory of General Motors.

He moved to Sun City Summerlin in 1996 for the weather, coming from Dearborn Heights, Mich. Kras had no children, but then he said he "married young. I got married at 56."

His wife, Mariann, was a successful business owner who had a store.

"People say I married her for her money, and others say she married me for mine," Kras said. "I tell my wife, 'Just tell them we merged.' "

These days, he starts his day at 6 a.m. with a cup of coffee and the crossword puzzle.

"I do it in ink," he said. "Keeps the mind sharp."

He checks his investments and meets with a friend who lives nearby.

Each time the bowling league is set to start again for the year, Kras said he debates whether now is the time to give up the sport. He's come close to quitting a few times.

"But I always end up signing up," he said.

— To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.