INTRODUCTION
Ever since
October 4, 1958 when candlepin bowling was first shown on television, there
have been a number of different shows on different channels in New England.
Many of the bowlers qualified for the programs based on the location of the
bowling center, and what channel it could be seen on. Today’s candlepin bowling
scene doesn’t have as many certified bowling centers as there used to be. A
number of bowling centers have closed due to lack of money to support the
business, and fewer people going bowling. Only on YouTube can we watch
candlepin bowling shows from the past, as well as new bowling shows. Sports on
television are mostly broadcast to national audiences, and candlepin is only
played in some areas of New England and the Canadian Maritimes. The candlepin
bowling centers remaining still want people coming back to enjoy knocking down
skinny pins and playing the very challenging details of the game. Let’s review
ten of the region’s bowling centers where popular candlepin shows were taped.
Because of these telecasts, I became one of candlepin bowling’s most avid fans,
and I grew up watching television to help with my game. I will rank the
candlepin centers from 10-1, and then mention the shows’ titles, hosts, and
memorable moments during the time that candlepin contests were broadcast.
10. Thunderbird
Bowl, 38 Southbridge St. (A.K.A. Rt. 12) Auburn, MA- Site of Bay State
Bowling
Sports on
television around Worcester, Massachusetts included collegiate football and
basketball action from Holy Cross College. These games were broadcast on
Channel 27 WSMW from January 2, 1970, through 1983. Sportscaster Bob Fouracre,
a resident of Worcester himself, was known for his dramatic on-air presence. In
1970, WSMW began running a candlepin show called Bay State Bowling. The
format consisted of two challengers who came in first and second place at a
final qualifying roll, who would face each other in a one string roll off. The
winner went on to face the champion in a total of two strings. Late in the
show’s run, around 1982, the World Candlepin Bowlers’ Congress tour had a
single elimination format for both men and women that ran for 14 weeks, and
each bracket had four quarterfinal matches each with a show of three strings.
The winner would go on the semi-final, and the finalists met in a three-string
match with $2000 to the winner, and $1000 to the runner-up. By the time of the
Pro Bowlers Classic, Lincoln Greyhound Park offered a jackpot bonus for the
bowler to hit a total of 425 for three strings, and then the regular format
featured the same bonus for 300 for two strings. Getting consecutive strikes
would be important, because if a bowler got three consecutive strikes in the
same string, the prize would be use of a Ford LT Crown Victoria from Duddie
Ford, Route 9, Westborough, Massachusetts for one year. If it was four
consecutive strikes, a Chevrolet Corvette from Diamond Chevrolet in Worcester,
Massachusetts. Since no bowler would be able to get the 300 two game total in
the regular show, nor the 425 in the Pro Classic (even though Tom Olszta threw
a 422 triple to win the $2000), the final show in 1983 featured a special show
where the overall winner won a total of $4000 from Lincoln Greyhound.
Bob Fouracre
was the main host of the show for over a decade, and his commentary where he
sounded excited certainly was part of the reason for the excitement to watch.
He was joined by Dave Adams, a professional candlepin bowler. By the early
1980s when the show moved to Thunderbird Bowl in Auburn, Massachusetts, Frank
Carpano took over hosting duties. This bowling center had 48 lanes in total
with about three dividers, so it was a big, busy bowling center, especially
since Worcester is Massachusetts’ second biggest city. The center got torn down
in the 2000s, but today around route 12 lies an AMF ten-pin bowling center.
When Bay State Bowling ended its run after nearly a decade and a half,
it was because Channel 27 was sold to another affiliate, and today it’s
Worcester-Boston’s WUNI 27 Univision station. That means it’s made for the
growing Hispanic population who primary language is Spanish.
9. Wal-Lex
Complex, Lexington Street, Waltham, MA- Site of Candlepins for Cash
During its
55-year run, the Wal-Lex complex was one of Waltham’s premier fun spots. It was
home to roller skating, miniature golf, a classic diner with ice cream, and
sixty candlepin bowling lanes. But in 1982, a game show for candlepins returned
on the air after a two-year absence on Boston’s WNAC Channel 7, which at that
time was the CBS station. It was candlepin’s answer to the popular Bowling
for Dollars, called Candlepins for Cash. The show ran originally for
seven years from 1973-1980, and anyone could wind up as a contestant. It was as
simple as picking up an entry form at a candlepin bowling center and sending to
the television station. It could either be for bowling or hoping your name
could be on the card drawn by the contestant, the “Pin Pal”. The original run
of the show was filmed inside the WNAC basement on a special pair of two lanes;
but when the show returned, episodes were filmed at Wal-Lex. Once the bowler
got on the approach, a three-ball frame was rolled and whatever pin fall was
accumulated, the amount was equal to the money both the bowler and pin pal
would get. If the bowler got a 10 box, a bonus ball was thrown to add to 10
dollars added, and then doubled in money. A spare meant another ball to attempt
to get 10 pins in one ball for the jackpot was thrown. And if the bowler got a
strike on the first ball and got another for a double a super jackpot prize was
won. The jackpot was raised by 20 dollars each time until a strike was thrown.
You can imagine in those days what those amounts of money would mean.
Bob Gamere, the
host, was a graduate of Holy Cross who went to New York City to broadcast
baseball, but moved back to Boston after he was told his catchphrase, “Here it comes,
there it goes,” was overused. After his broadcasting peak, he got into some
legal trouble. He was fun to hear once the jackpot on Candlepins for Cash
was broken. Wal-Lex had more candlepin bowling lanes in one place than any
other center, with 60 total. The first time I bowled for fun, I enjoyed the
nostalgic looks and the sound of older candlepins – but then I discovered an
advertisement for the Massachusetts Bowling Association’s youth tournament. My
mother agreed that I should try it out. I was 13, so I was put in the 11-13
junior ranks, and that was where I went to Pilgrim Lanes in Haverhill and won
the state title, with a five-string total of 566. In June I was supposed to go
on a field trip to the Wal-Lex with my classmates, but never went due to a
school closure because of a water pipe malfunction in Burlington. Even though
the center closed in 2002, I believe this still was the perfect spot for the
candlepin show with big cash prizes, and everyone was a winner.
8. Woburn
Bowladrome, 32 Montvale Avenue, Woburn, MA -Site of Candlepin
Professional Bowlers Tour & CN8’s Candlepin Challenge
If you want to
experience the fun and nostalgia of what candlepin bowling should be like, I suggest
you stop in Woburn and go to the Woburn Bowladrome. It’s been family owned and
operated since 1940, and currently is managed by Ed Gangi and his staff. There
are 40 bowling lanes on two sides, complete with fully automatic scoring. This
bowling center was my home candlepin lanes when I used to live in Burlington,
Massachusetts. There have been two different bowling shows filmed at this
iconic bowling center, and looking at the two would give you a perspective of
what the center looked like in the 1980s vs. 2000s. First, the Candlepin
Professional Bowlers Tour was a weekend program aired in the 1980s on
Sportschannel, hosted by Bob Gamere and Fran Onorato, an excellent candlepin
bowler. It had four candlepin bowlers who got seeded in the tournament by their
roll off score, and the program had three strings, each starting at 4th
vs. 3rd, and winner moving up to play the top-seeded bowler.
Watching this program from Woburn gives you an idea of what the old-fashioned
décor was like before the end of the 1990s. The bowling center used to have
leather benches, single line ball returns, foot pedal buttons, and obviously
the overhead scoring – but what I also used to remember was the sound of the
pins when they were knocked down. The pins were wooden, which made them harder
to move around, and made scores a little lower usually. Learning to practice my
game with all those features was how I used to remember going bowling on a
typical Saturday.
Fast forward to
the 2000s. Candlepin Challenge on Comcast Sportsnet drew many viewers,
and it seemed then as if more bowlers were entering roll-offs to try out for
the show. This format worked like Bay State Bowling, where two
challengers who were #1 and #2 from a final roll off, rolled a one string roll
off to determine who went against the reigning defending champion in two
strings. The program was filmed on lanes 35 and 36, and by then the lanes had
the more modern automatic scoring, two-sided ball returns, and Brunswick
masking units. This show was where I tried out many times, and although I had
good moments, bad moments, and moments where others noticed I flipped out when
I shouldn’t have, I was close a couple of times to making the program. John
Holt, Dan Murphy, and Trina Herandez were the commentators, and the bowlers all
came from different areas of New England, and it was good to see some of them
again since they were well known on other candlepin shows. After this show went
off the air in 2009, there were no more candlepin TV shows for a while, so the
best bowlers wouldn’t be seen again unless you went to another bowling center
on the current candlepin pro tour. The show at the time of taping, was during
the time I worked on Saturdays during my college years helping the bumper
bowling league, along with bowling league on Monday nights; so I was fortunate
to become acquainted with the Gangi family, including the Ianunzzos, and even
before them, another candlepin bowler named Peter Periera who also worked at
Woburn Bowladrome.
7. Bolyston
Bowladrome, Bolyston Street, Boston, Massachusetts – First site of Candlepin
Bowling, a.k.a., Fun for All Ages & Winning Pins
On October 4,
1958, the Massachusetts Bowling Association made history by filming the very
first candlepin bowling show that aired on Boston’s CBS WHDH channel 5. At the
Bolyston Bowladrome in Boston, host Jim Britt and partner Don Gillis was ready
to go, and two bowlers named Al Ray and Don Williams were the first to take the
lanes on live television. In three strings, Don defeated Al, 329-307. In the first
thirteen weeks, viewers saw classic bowlers such as Stasia Czernicki, the queen
of candlepin bowling, and ratings for the show were high, so it continued
airing every Saturday with bowlers competing for prizes and cash. The Alley
Chat website now has archives of the matches of the show, so you can understand
how the bowlers did on their appearances. However, bowling watchers were
astounded by Rosario Lechaira’s debut performance on December 2, 1967, when he
rolled a 468 triple. In his first string he rolled a 164, including a double
strike, and the string tied the record by Tony Baldinelli. In the second
string, Rosario rolled a mark in every single box; nine spares and one strike
and accomplished a new high single of 177. Just before Don Gillis became
permanent solo announcer, he could recall the atmosphere and excitement of that
telecast. Jim Britt retired in 1968, and Don went from just handing out prizes,
to becoming the announcer we all knew and enjoyed. Also in 1968, a bowler from
Lynn named Tom Cennami topped the high single record with a 182 single. In
December 1969, Pete Ianunzzo rolled a 190 single. In addition to the greatest
adult bowlers in New England, there was a children’s candlepin show also filmed
at this bowling center called Winning Pins. Future superstars came on to
hopefully make a name for themselves later such as Toni-Marie Baldinelli, Don
Riley, Paul Berger, and Dan Murphy. They also rolled three strings and total
pinfall determined the winner. Since all shows filmed at this iconic bowling
alley near Fenway Park were live, the folks at WHDH could not put these shows
on tape for archives. The station ended its license on March 18, 1972, and
channel 5 became WCVB, licensed by ABC. The bowling center continued to operate
until about the 2000s. More people around Fenway Park would prefer the bars and
the atmosphere of dim lit bowling at Lucky Strike.
6. Sammy
White’s Brighton Bowl, Soldiers Field Road, Brighton, Massachusetts -Second
site of Candlepin Bowling & Winning Pins, plus Candlepin
Superbowl
Once WCVB picked up the license and Candlepin Bowling returned on Saturdays starting on April 1, 1972, Don Gillis assured that programs were on videotape, sometimes several weeks after filming. Sammy White was a catcher for the Boston Red Sox, but his contribution to bowling paid off in running this 48 lane Brunswick Gold Crown bowling center with 34 candlepin lanes and 14 ten-pin lanes. In 1972-1974 at one time there were three candlepin shows on WCVB -Candlepin Bowling, Winning Pins, and a mixed doubles show called Candlepin Superbowl. The show pitted two teams of a male and female bowler, rolling a one string roll-off, and then the winner got to face the defending champion team. Any team winning four weeks in a row during a series would split a $2000 cash bonus. If no team won the big prize, a two-string roll-off would appear to determine the winner of $2000. This show was hosted from 1972-1982 by Bill O’Connell, and then 1982-1983 by Brian Leary. It was also known for the Match Bowl Jackpot, where the female bowler from the winning team would roll a ball, hopefully to knock down from four to ten pins, and then the host would draw a card from the number bin. The home viewer would get $25 for the card drawn, but if the male bowler matched the number, the jackpot starting at $100 won, but if not, the pot increased by $25. Some bowlers made their first appearances on this show before Don Gillis’s show.
Moments from Sammy White’s included Tom
Cennami’s $1275 jackpot from picking up the 1-7-10 Hi-Lo back on April 28,
1973. Every show ended with both bowlers going for the leave for the jackpot
starting at $50 and increasing by $25 until won. In 1976, Yellow Pages and New
England Telephone sponsored Candlepin Bowling and aired the first big
championship show. Max Valentin defeated Al Gallant in a three-string live
match, 388-364 and won the first prize at the time of $1500. This would become
an annual event to end every season of Candlepin Bowling. On March 31,
1979, Ed Czernicki, son of Stasia, rolled the all-time highest single on the
show of 197. He, like Rosario Lechiara, rolled a mark in every single box. He
had two double strikes, each with a six count and spare afterward, and in the
tenth frame, he struck and then picked up the spare, and had eleven marks. Two
bowlers rolled four strikes in a row during the run at Sammy White’s. They
received $100 in bonus money for four marks, $50 for three, and then additional
$50 for each consecutive mark after, and additional $1000 for three strikes,
and another $1000 for the additional strike. On November 13, 1982, George
Raymond was the challenger after Tom Olszta rolled a 454 triple against Dave
Romani. In the first string, George had just one mark through six boxes, but suddenly,
he threw four strikes in the last four boxes. On September 17, 1983, Jim Barber
returned after around 10 years of absence, and was the challenger for Phil
Clough. In the second string, Jim put seven marks in a row, but in boxes
five-eight, he struck to get $2000 bonus. Jim rolled a 191 string, and a triple
of 466. Many of these moments were featured along with a match against Scott
Williams and Bob Kelly three weeks later, on the show’s sliver anniversary
show. Overall, Sammy White’s hosted the first ten live championship shows to
mark the end of every season. The first seven from 1976-1982 were the men with
the top two triples meeting in a three-string match. 1982 was memorable because
of Ron Brewer, who was sick and unsure if he was going to make it through the
hour, because he was vomiting in the parking lot. He went on to face Ed
Arsenault and won the $10,000 prize by one pin, 330-329. Starting in 1983, the
format went to a five-man field. Seeds two through-five faced an opponent in a
quarter-final single string roll-off, (5 vs. 2 & 4 vs. 3); and then the
winners faced off in a semi-final single match, and the winner would face the
top seed in a two-string final. Tom Morgan won his quarter final and semi-final
match, and then challenged Tom Olszta in the final, and Tom Olszta won 268-254,
coming from behind with a string of six consecutive marks. The 1985-1986 Candlepin
Bowling season mostly was taped at Sammy White’s, but when the bowling
center, which updated in 1983 to Brunswick 2000 décor, closed its doors in May
1986, Candlepin Bowling moved to Fairway Sports World in Natick,
Massachusetts. This was the season I began watching the show Saturdays on
Channel 5 at noontime.
5. Londonderry
Bowling Center, Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, New Hampshire -Site of Big
Shot Bowling, Candlepin Stars and Strikes Doubles & Candlepin Skins
This entry is the first for candlepin bowling centers in New Hampshire, associated with the I.C.B.A. & New Hampshire Candlepin Bowling Association. Tim Lipke, a professional candlepin bowler from Londonderry, New Hampshire had a terrific year in 1984, the year this bowling establishment was opened. He not only served as tournament league coordinator, but after he won Channel 5’s candlepin championship show, he contributed his prize money, and became manager. This place had 32 candlepin Brunswick 2000 lanes, and was home to JR’s Tavern, a place where people could go get a bite to eat or enjoy nightly entertainment from the DJ. But one year later, the New England Sports Network (NESN), coordinated with Six Gun Productions and WNDS 50 Sports to bring together the best candlepin bowlers and air throughout not only New England, but across the United States. This program was called Big Shot Bowling, and the host was Bob Fouracre and co-host was Dan Murphy. Like most bowling shows, it was three strings of bowling with total pinfall determining the winner. The big shots, though, were in between strings, the winner of the string trying to make a trick shot to win a gift card, and the overall winner trying to convert the 7-10 split without wood to win a new car. That was soon followed by a challenge to get three consecutive strikes to win a vacation courtesy of Fresh Pond Travel. In the first season of the show, Dan Murphy himself put together consecutive wins with 400+ triples, including the show’s high triple of 467. Jack Ray and Paul Wombach on another show both got three consecutive strikes, and Jack Ray followed with another triple on the same show. Tom Surette in 1986 scored the show’s high single of 180 and had a set of consecutive wins also. This show would be the return of Bob Fouracre’s famous calls and excitement when things got cooking on the shows, and he joined with the commentator and bowler, who is well known for his bowling, commentating on other shows, and instructor for I.C.B.A. Bowling Instructors School. The problem with Big Shot Bowling was that you had to be a member of the W.C.B.C., the World Candlepin Bowler’s Congress sanctioned, who was managed by Tony Czernicki, husband of Stasia, who was one of the lob line judges of the show. This show lasted six years, and always had the manual scoreboard for the viewers at home – and it was the same one used for WNDS TV 50.
Speaking of that station, that was where
they went to Londonderry Bowling Center starting in 1992 for when the show Stars
and Strikes had the doubles format. WNDS was broadcast and from Derry, New
Hampshire serving that area as well as northern Massachusetts. Now, Candlepin
Stars and Strikes was the bowling show that was broadcast on Sundays at
noontime and filmed at another bowling center, which I will explain on the next
list. The doubles format was scotch doubles with two teams of two bowlers
qualifying from a roll off and combined the scores together to make the top
five. Each taping session had the four matches with three games of candlepin
bowling, and the seeds 5-4 faced off. The winner in total pinfall would move up
the ladder, and the winner of the series would qualify for the season-ending
Tournament of Champions, sponsored by Tri-State Megabucks. In 1994, WNDS
experimented with the Skins format with the four bowlers competing for prize
money in every box – and they would bowl two strings where the top two in total
pinfall would return to face two challengers the next week. The show’s
popularity picked up and filmed in Londonderry through 1996. The bowling center
shut down after 14 years, and Tim Lipke moved on to become manager at another
candlepin bowling center, Lakeside Lanes in Manchester, New Hampshire.
4. Park Place
Lanes (Sandy’s), Route 28, Windham, New Hampshire -Site of Candlepin
Stars and Strikes & Stars and Strikes Doubles Doug Brown/Dan Murphy
era
In addition to the former Londonderry Bowling Center, Park Place Lanes was the site where WNDS TV 50 Sports was proud for thirteen years to host a very successful candlepin show. This bowling center had 36 lanes- now 28, but they all currently feature something unique. The first four lanes are semi-private and connected to a private function room, then the other lanes 5-28 are for open and league bowling. They all currently feature synthetic lanes and BES-X automatic scoring. For a long time, since 1989, they have had the famous Compu-Score system. Park Place is the largest luxury candlepin bowling center, and it also features a game room, pro shop, and it is joined with Johnathan’s Lounge. The eight-lane section behind the other 28 lanes always had wood lanes and the Compu-Score system, and lanes 31-32 were for thirteen years where Candlepin Stars and Strikes was taped. Doug Brown, the host, understood the sport well, and WNDS was the place where in addition to describing sports highlights for the news, he brought his analytics for bowling to homes Sundays at noontime. Dan Murphy was co-host for the show. Candlepin Stars and Strikes premiered on April 22, 1984, and featured six bowlers from a roll off in New Hampshire seeded by their score. Seeds 6-5 met in the first show and would proceed up every week until the fifth show where the top seed bowled.
In the
first series, a bowler named Rich Dion was seeded sixth, and won all five
matches defeating in the three string matches opponents like Steve Vadney, Dave
Croumie, and Rod Jarvis. In the second series, Rick Farwell totaled 481 for
three strings, including the show’s highest single of 196. Peter Flynn one year
later rolled his highest triple of his career and went one pin over Rick’s with
a 482. The first 105 episodes in two years straight had a combination of
bowlers of all types from men to women, and the WCBC Pro tour held an event for
mixed doubles that aired in the spring of 1985. The next two seasons there were
five or six 5 match series and a mixed doubles tournament during the season
from Fall to Spring. Some of the series were sponsored by certain location
which added extra prize money – such as Nault’s Ford of Hooksett, New
Hampshire. Once, the show had a bonus prize of a 1988 Ford Escort during a series
from December 1987-January 1988. Brian Fuller from East Kingston, New Hampshire
nearly rolled a 200 single to win the car on one episode when he defeated
Clarence Davis. By the 1988-1989 season the series was reduced to five bowlers
and four matches, but the winners from each of the six series moved into the
Tournament of Champions at the end of the season. Mixed Doubles were annual and
stand-alone. Tri-State Megabucks took part in helping coordinate with the first
tournament of champions, and the winner was Bob Moran from Billerica. The
sponsor would be presented from then on and remained in effect during the Doug
Brown-Dan Murphy era through 1997. As we tuned into WNDS Sundays at noontime,
we could see how the format got more involved, and we saw more new bowlers from
all over New England. The bowling center got updated with gray carpet and
bowling murals on the walls and masking units, in addition to Compu-Score
system. The computer scoring system also got custom made for the bowling show
for viewers starting in 1990. When the show was in its eighth season, the
singles show was shown at noontime, and the doubles show aired at 1pm after
filmed at the same center. The last seven episodes in 1997 didn’t get aired
though, due to WNDS’s controversy with Global Shopping Network. I thought this
would be the end of an era of candlepin on television, but thankfully it was
short lived and WNDS returned regularly by May, and they even broadcast past
episodes of Candlepin Stars and Strikes from Park Place until October
when the show got renewed. The bowling center is still a great place to get
together, bowl, and chill out at Johnathan’s when necessary. That lounge was
where I went to karaoke with my friends, and I loved the atmosphere. It’s also
where when I went candlepin bowling, I found that when I was relaxed, I could
get lively pin action despite occasional pin sliding. Thanks to Nick Moschilli
and the staff for their generosity. BTW, Park Place Lanes was renamed after
Sandy’s by 1987.
3. Leda Lanes,
340 Amherst Street, Nashua, New Hampshire -Site of Candlepin Stars and
Strikes Dick Lutsk/Mike Morin era
On October 26, 1997, WNDS TV 50 was reborn with Candlepin Stars and Strikes. Even though it was the show’s 14th season, the show was at a new bowling center with new hosts. Dick Lutsk was one of the news anchors for News Now that aired during the week at the evening time slot. He was paired with Mike Morin, a lover of candlepin bowling, and anchor for WZID 95.7 FM radio. Leda Lanes has 36 bowling lanes with 18 on each end, and they still feature wood lanes with older lob lines and arrows, along with computer automatic scoring. They also have a mini arcade and billiards in the center – and adjacent is Kegler’s Den where karaoke is held on Fridays and Saturdays, and people can witness excitement on the television screens during football and basketball seasons. Easter Sunday is when bowlers come to bowl 20 strings for cash prizes, and Ray Simoneau, has been very proud to make the event grow. In 1997, it was the day I was celebrating Easter Sunday with my family and my former best friend’s family for the day – but it was also the last new episode of Candlepin Stars and Strikes with Doug Brown/Dan Murphy, before the short-lived Global Shopping Network took over. That day also held the Easter tournament at Leda Lanes, and the top five bowlers were Jeff Atkins, who threw a record of 20 string of 2812, a 140.6 average – along with Tom Olszta, Gary Carrington, Craig Holbrook, and Dave Richards. Before the first taping of the new Candlepin Stars and Strikes, a drawing was made to see who would seed in the order. Jeff drew the second seed, even though he was the top winner of the tournament. The first match was Craig Holbrook vs. Dave Richards. The match got underway, and viewers could see the new computer scoring system Shawn Howard helped Dick and Mike set up to use for the show. Dave Defeated Craig in the first match 371-355; and moved on against Gary Carrington. Gary threw a 182 third string with a triple strike on the second show, and then a 170 third string against Jeff Atkins, and finally a 455 triple against Tom Olszta. Gary won the series, and he would place his total among the top of the Tournament of Champions that also returned for the end of the season. The first series saw the debut of three bowlers in singles competition on WNDS – Craig Holbrook, Jeff Atkins, and Tom Olszta. After six more series during 1997-1998, the Tournament of Champions returned for the season ending, and Gary Carrington won it all.
I must say, this was
also the time that professional ten-pin bowling left the airwaves after a long
time on ABC Sports. CBS picked up the baton, and the shows had raucous,
constant cheering from the audience. I couldn’t understand or get used to it,
so Candlepin Stars and Strikes was my favorite of all bowling shows. It
was nice to listen to Dick and Mike’s commentary along with reading fan mail
from viewers, and Leda Lanes provided more room for more spectators to come to
the tapings. After eight seasons of new bowlers such as Jeff Surette; son of
the late Tom Surette, Shawn McKinley, and Jeff Buggea – along with regular
bowlers on WNDS like Mike Morgan, Steve Vadney, Tim Lipke, and Chris Sargent –
and veteran bowlers not seen on WNDS like Hugh Furguson, Steve Renaud, and even
the legendary Charlie Jutras; the show unexpectedly disappeared in 2005 due to
a new cable company buying WNDS. This was the era where Chris Sargent provided
the show’s high single of 193 and triple of 497 – plus, Leda Lanes not only
filmed the shows on lanes 33 and 34 but provided the qualifying and final
roll-offs for the bowlers. It wasn’t like before where multiple N.H.C.B.A.
houses had qualifying heats, and one other had the final roll off. Also in
2002, candlepin bowlers, staff members, and viewers mourned the sudden loss of
Tom Morgan, older brother of Mike Morgan, from a brain hemorrhage. It was an
emotional sight at the first match of the Tournament of Champions when Tom was
seen bowling for the last time on television. He lost with a sub-par three game
total to Gary Santora, but viewers and spectators were hopeful and grateful
that he was there. The lights left behind remain effective today, because of
the new Candlepins for Cancer series shown on Alley Chat on Youtube.
Bowlers can still enjoy classic candlepins at the original center or go glow
bowling at the Lighthouse next door.
2. Fairway
Sports World, 721 Worcester Street, (Route 9), Natick, Massachusetts – site of Candlepin
Bowling, Candlepin Doubles, & CN8’s Candlepin Challenge
In 1986, when Sammy White’s Brighton Bowl shut their doors permanently, Channel 5 moved Don Gillis and staff to Fairway Sports World in Natick. It was where Candlepin Doubles with Brian Leary was taping the shows, and they had been doing it since 1983. The bowling center was home to 32 candlepin wooden lanes, all with overhead traditional scoring, and brownish pin mural masking units. Hellen Sellew was the manager, and she was serious about candlepin bowling, and she was making sure everyone enjoyed it. If something went wrong, she would be quick to criticize, and I must say, during the later years when I had moments of throwing extra balls and flipping out – Hellen was not easy to settle matters with. Fairway Sports World taped the early shows of Candlepin Doubles on lanes 29 and 30, until May 1986 when Candlepin Bowling with Don Gillis started filming new shows there. The lanes now were 2 and 3, for singles, and 3 and 4 for doubles. Early on, Ray McGuirk from East Boston was so grateful to finally win a roll off to make the show after fifteen years of trying. He said to Don Gillis he was going to win on the show, and then against Jim Putney, he did by rolling a 430 triple. Three weeks later after two more victories, he faced Tom Olszta – and Tom broke the three-game record held by Rosario Lechiara since 1967, by rolling a 483 triple to defeat Ray. One month later, the True Value Candlepin championship show was where both Ray and Tom qualified with their totals along with Len Nali, Dan Murphy, and Fred Spintig, Jr. Ray earned a second chance to face Tom Olszta when he defeated Dan Murphy in the quarterfinal, 149-109, and then Fred Spintig, 136-115. After the two-string final, Ray beat Tom by four pins, 238-234 and earned $10,000. Tom lost the championship for the first time, but he was happy that Ray bowled so well, and got revenge after breaking the three-game record before.
Brian Leary
was used to the action at Fairway, and he was pleased to join Don for the
championship show. Candlepin Doubles normally aired after Candlepin
Bowling at 1pm. It was only a half hour show, and there were two strings.
One man from each team would bowl five boxes first then the other bowled the
other five boxes, and the two opponents would roll one ball at a time. Total
pinfall would determine the champion, just like on Don Gillis’s show. Fairway
hosted another championship show in 1987, where Peter Flynn threw three strikes
in a row to earn $1,000 bonus cash and was runner up in the two-string final to
Dick O’Connell by three pins. After four previous unsuccessful tries, Dick
finally won his first match in 1987 by defeating Steve Renaud. A couple weeks
later he threw a 468 triple to defeat Gary Carrington, who rolled 415. The
combined total was the largest in Candlepin Bowling’s long history, 883
pins. Two bowlers lost with a 425 triple -April 25, 1987, was Joe Tavernese
losing to Dan Lasko by one pin, 426-425 & Brian McKinley lost to Jeff
Atkins on January 2, 1993, 440-425. The championship proved that the top scores
did not have to be winning scores. Joe made it in 1987 and finished third,
while in 1993, Brian was third seed, and wound-up runner-up. Four other bowlers
rolled four strikes in a row joining George Raymond & Jim Barber – Dick
O’Connell, Jeff Atkins, Tom Olszta, and Jack Saniuk. Tom made more appearances
on Candlepin Bowling than any other bowler. He held the record for most
consecutive wins, 22 in a row. It included his fourth week where he threw a
triple strike in the tenth box to edge out Craig Holbrook on August 7, 1993. The
bowler with the second greatest number of appearances was Paul Berger. He was
famous in 1992 after his 500 triple against Dave Richards. The Hi-Lo Jackpot
reached the highest total of $3,400 by August 1993, and Sharon Rowson converted
the HI-Lo to win the money. Candlepin Doubles left the airwaves in 1993.
The final four seasons was where Ed Harding took over as host after Brian
Leary. Before his analyst days, he was the weekend sportscaster, and he was
known for his excitement, and his catchphrase, “Get Over!” with his Boston accent.
He also worked with Don Gillis for the candlepin championship shows from
1989-1994. On January 27, 1996, the final show of Candlepin Bowling was
shown on Channel 5, and Dave Richards defeated John Czernicki, 411-367. The
show left the airwaves due to more people tuning in to other sports besides
bowling – especially college basketball. Sadly, on May 20, 2011, Fairway Sports
World shut their doors and the iconic bowling center got turned into a Dover
Rug store with a squash and racquetball court. This was during the time for two
years I lived with my mother in Wellesley, Massachusetts outside Wellesley
College, and Route 9 in Natick was very close by. That weekend was scary due to
Harold Camping’s prediction of the second coming of Christ that got lots of
media attention. I especially thought that the closing of the famous bowling
center would destroy my confidence in bowling professionally.
1. 1. Pilgrim Lanes, 600 Primrose Street, Haverhill, Massachusetts -site of Candlepin
Bowling Live Championship Shows, Candlepin Skins, CN8’s Candlepin Challenge
Finale, Candlepins for Dollars, & Candlepins for Kids (New Generation),
plus many MBA State Tournaments for all ages
If there was one candlepin bowling center that drew attention to the fine art of candlepin bowling- in addition to open play for all ages, that was the Pilgrim Lanes located in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Sil Angelotti and his family made his 20-lane bowling alley a haven for the best bowlers in New England competing in tournament play, and several times bowling shows were filmed there. This was candlepin bowling’s equivalent to AMF Riviera Lanes in professional ten-pin bowling, equivalent to the Final Four in college basketball, the World Series in baseball, and Stanley Cup in hockey. From 1988-1995, on lanes 9-10, Channel 5’s Candlepin Bowling Championship shows took place there. The bowling center had lanes down some steps, and there were bleachers for people for watch- so you could imagine that over a thousand people would show up to watch the five best bowlers of the season on Channel 5 with the highest triples on the regular show. In 1988, Dick O’Connell successfully defended his championship winning the two-string final against local favorite, Gary Carrington from Plaistow, New Hampshire. The bowling center was updated from Brunswick 2000 masking units to custom-made ever-changing units featuring either Historic Haverhill, Dinosaur Ages, Christmas Themed, or even favorite cartoon characters. This was the first Massachusetts Bowling Association center to feature the Compu-Score system, and it was added in 1990. The winners from the other championships shows were, 1989-Jeff Atkins, 1990-Jim Putney, 1991-Gary Casey, 1992-Paul Berger, 1993-Tom Olszta, 1994-Dick O’Connell, 1995-Jack Saniuk.
After Channel 5’s departure, Pilgrim Lanes did not fade out
for television candlepin viewers. The 1996-1997 season of WNDS TV 50 had Candlepin
Skins, filmed on lanes 3-4. In 2002, the season finale of the first season
of CN8’s Candlepin Challenge had the top three bowlers based on points
they earned in their two string matches in the regular season, and they were
Lou Alberghini, Det Klein, and Dave Dupuis. Early in the season, Dave rolled a
184 string, the show’s single record with a top pinfall, and then in the
two-string championship at Pilgrim Lanes he won it all winning $15,000 - part
of the $30,000 purse of the show. In between Candlepin Skins & the
Comcast Show from 1997-2002, I bowled in the MBA junior tournaments at Pilgrim
Lanes and finished first in my age range twice. In 1997, at age 13, I was in
the Junior category (11-13), and rolled a five-string total of 566 to win my
first junior title. Four years later, I was in the Major age, (16-18), and
rolled my personal single best of 161, with a 582 five-string total to win the
title a second time. This bowling center was where I knew if I was loose and
relaxed, I could get lively pin action; but of course, rolling in tournaments
and roll-offs later, I had my share of frustrations. Finally, the show called Candlepins
for Dollars aired on Boston’s WB Channel 56 station in 2006. Frank
Mallicoat & Mike Morin joined together to call the action. This show had
the same format that WNDS’s Candlepin Stars and Strikes featured, and
had the same elements such as bonus money, and the season-ending Tournament of
Champions. This was a copycat show, however, and it lasted for only one season.
A couple of great moments that occurred with Skip Easterbrooks throwing a
triple strike and winning a vacation to Aruba, and Jim Barber’s son, Dave who
rolled the show’s high single of 192 – one pin better than Jim’s 191 string on
Channel 5 back in 1983. BTW, I did qualify for a final roll off for a shot at
making the top six in the ladder finals but didn’t quite do it. Another
historic moment occurred in a tournament on May 21, 2011. Chris Sargent rolled
a 245 single, which tied the world record held by Ralph Semb in 1984. Pilgrim
Lanes closed its doors in 2016, mainly because not as many people were going
bowling, and candlepin tournaments were not as popular with TV viewers anymore.
Honorable
Mentions
Boutwell’s
Bowling Center, Concord, NH – site of Yankee Championship Bowling
on Yankee Cable Network
Before Candlepin
Stars and Strikes, this show airing on another New Hampshire network
brought bowlers from the area together in a three-string tournament format
airing weekly. Boutwell’s is a 24-lane back-to-back house and Dan Murphy along
with Steve Birch worked for a long time together. Tim Lipke and Steve Vadney
bowled on this show before Channel 5 & Channel 50. This center, along with
King Lanes in Pinardville, New Hampshire were the first two to incorporate
computer scoring – the famous semi-automatic Compu-Score system.
Lafayette Lanes,
Amesbury, MA -site of Classic Candlepins
Sites for CN8’s
Candlepin Challenge
Academy Lanes,
Bradford, MA
Lakeside Lanes,
Manchester, NH
Ficco’s
Bowladrome, Franklin, MA
Lanes and
Games, Cambridge, MA
Alley Kat
Lanes, Kingston, MA
Roll-a-Way
Lanes, Ware, MA
Lucky Strike
Lanes, Lynn, MA
Sites for Candlepins
for Kids (New Generation)
American Lanes,
Southbridge, MA
Bogey Lanes,
Brookfield, MA
Leo’s Super
Bowl, Amesbury, MA
Bowl-O-Rama,
Portsmouth, NH
Closing
If you wonder
about where candlepins have gone, consider going where they are still present.
This can be a good opportunity to still enjoy bowling almost as if the game
were still at its peak of popularity. Whether it’s attending where the best
bowlers in the world once played, league or open play, try to keep the game
alive by enjoying its unique qualities. Some of the bowling centers where TV
shows were filmed are still around; many of them are not. But bowling is a game
anyone can play, so go out and have some fun!
