2009: 5 Pin Bowling's 100th Anniversary Year
2009 is a milestone year in the history of
5 pin bowling. It is the sport's 100th anniversary. 5 pin bowling has come a long way from it's early beginnings in 1909, when
Thomas F. (Tommy) Ryan reduced the size of the pins and number of pins used in his tenpin bowling establishment in downtown Toronto, to where the sport is today in 2009. Mr. Ryan removed 5 of the 10 pins on a lane, to help speed up the game in order to cater to his lunchtime crowd of prominent Toronto businessmen, threw a 5 inch wide, 3.5 pound ball down the lane, and the rest, as they say 'is history'.
The game has seen numerous changes over the decades, from the introduction of the rubber band ring around each pin in 1912, to the establishment of the first ladies league in 1921, to the adoption of the 2-3-5-3-2 pin scoring setup in 1959 and the final absolishment of the 'counter pin' rule in 1971. From the early decades where pingirls & pinboys were used to setup the pins to the invention of the automatic pinsetter in 1957 and string pinsetter in 1963 to the modern computer scoring systems seen in uses in most bowling centres today. A long way indeed!
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of 5 pin bowling's invention, Terry Burns from Yellowknife,
NWT, undertook the trip of a lifetime. On September 11, 2008, Mr. Burns dipped his bowling ball in the Atlantic Ocean, marking the start of a cross-country journey with the plan of visiting one hundred 5 pin bowling centres in 100 days! His first bowling centre on the trek was at Holiday Lanes in St. John's, Newfoundland. Along the way, Terry even stopped by a couple of bowling centres within
Zone X, visitng Walkley Bowling Centre in Ottawa on Day 22 of his trip and at Valley Bowl in Petawawa on Day 23. On December 19, 2008, Terry visited his 100th and final centre, Duncan Lanes in Duncan, British Columbia. After his final game, he made a short drive to the beach and dipped his ball in the Pacific Ocean, marking the end of his incredible journey.
To follow Terry's complete journey, please click
here.