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To say that bowling has been around since the dawn of time is a bit of an understatement. As early as 5200 B.C. ancient Egyptians practiced a primitive form of bowling. Between 200 and 300 A.D. it was the German monks that introduced bowling as of all things, a religious ritual. Today, for most people who are avid bowlers, they have very similar feelings about it. It is a ritual of sorts to go to the bowling alley with friends or family, with fun, conversation, and competition thrown in for good measure. Bowling alleys came about in the early 1300’s when bowling greens were found to be emerging on the lawns of the wealthier society. It was 1455 when the first enclosed bowling alley was built in London. Throughout the next few hundred years bowling came and went due to the unlawful gambling and crime that was associated with it, but eventually made a comeback and is now bigger than ever.
Now, with over 10,000 bowling alleys across the world, people are again reliving what was so popular in 1960’s and the 1970’s. The rules are still the same, but the game has taken on several variations. Most people do tend to enjoy the standard 10-pin bowling found in most bowling alleys, but there are some that enjoy the others such as: - Five-pin bowling (popular in Canada)
- Duckpin bowling (popular in New England and the mid-Atlantic)
- Candlepin bowling (popular in New England and Canada)
- Nine-pin skittles (popular in Europe)
The act of trying to knock over a certain amount of pins with a large heavy ball is a simple, yet an enjoyable process that brings everyone out to play. It is a great activity to take pleasure in as a young couple, a group of friends, a family looking to spend time together, or even in a more competitive environment such as a bowling league.
Bowling alleys are so much more than what they used to be. Technologically they are much more advanced than previous years, with computerized scoring and super fast pinsetters. For the children, they offer bummer bowling and ball setters so that the kids just roll the ball down a rolling metal ball holder to achieve the effect of actual bowling. For the teenagers, bowling alleys offer a safe place to hang out while playing “extreme” bowling or “midnight” bowling full of music, dark lighting, and neon pins. For the adults, they offer conversation, competition, and friendships to be made.
As one of America’s favorite pastimes, bowling on some of the many bowling alleys around the country is something that people thrive on and look to do, not only for entertainment but for the pleasure of spending a day or night doing something they love to do. There are an estimated 50 million bowlers around the world, people of all ages looking to rediscover their youth and younger ones looking to discover this challenging and enjoyable game. |
