| Rolling
a ball to knock down targets has been the object of a number
of games, at various times and in various parts of the world.
The implements for such a game have been found in an Egyptian
tomb that's more than 7,000 years old, and a sort of bowling
has been popular among Polynesian Islanders for at least several
centuries.
But the modern sport of bowling, which seems
distinctly American and very secular, probably grew out of
a German religious ceremony. Bowling
in America
Dutch in New Amsterdam were bowling at ninepins
by 1650. In that form of bowling, which was widespread in
Europe, the nine pins were arranged in a diamond, 1-2-3-2-1
pattern. The "alley" was frequently a plank, about
a foot and a half wide and up to 90 feet long, so it took
some skill simply to avoid what we would call a gutter ball.
Bowling was a very popular sport in New York
City in the middle of the nineteenth century. A newspaper
said there were more than 400 alleys in the city in 1850.
It then declined for a time. One reason may have been that
the larger pins made it too easy. The prevalence of gambling
was another factor. Bowling, like billiards, was considered
semi-respectable, at best.
International Bowling
Sweden was the first European country to take
up American tenpin bowling, in 1909. The sport gradually spread
through northern Europe. In 1926, the International Bowling
Association was organized by teams from Denmark, Finland,
Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States. International
tournaments were held in Sweden that year, in New York City
in 1934, and in Berlin in 1936.
The Fédération Internationale
des Quilleurs (FIQ), founded in 1952, now has more than 70
member nations. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, the FIQ
has conducted world championship tournaments every four years
since 1967.
Bowling was an exhibition sport at the 1988
Olympic Games in South Korea.
Professional Bowling
There was not always a clear distinction between
amateur and professional bowlers, especially since amateurs
are allowed to collect prize money. Most acknowledged professionals
were instructors, but there were a few who toured the country,
giving exhibitions or playing matches for money.
Three professionals were pretty well known
to the public. Andy Varipapa, a colorful trick shot artist,
spent thirty years entertaining crowds throughout North America.
He also won two consecutive BPAA All-Star tournaments, in
1946 and 1947.
Bowling
Rules | Bowling
Equipment| History
of Bowling| Bowling
Ball| Bowling
Techniques|
Length
of a Bowling Alley| How
to Score| How
to Create A Hook Ball|
12
Tips on Bowling Etiquette|
Bowling
Ball Buying Guides|
Bowling
Tips For The Recreational Bowler |
