COVER STORY
By Mark Miller
D
espite a bowling culture increasingly controlled by corporations, partnerships and large organizations and with momand-pop-owned centers continually closing, it's good to know some families remain. We're not talking about the many fathers who have passed the torch to their children, only to see the chain end there. This is about the far fewer families with at least three generations directly involved in the business. How many such clans exist, you ask? Let's just say they likely can be counted on two hands. Although some children of longtime owners find more pay and less hours in other fields, others still find the allure of the bowling business to be attractive. And while most original owners have passed on, their knowledge and work ethic have remained with those who followed. International Bowling Industry has traced down a number of families where bowling has been so ingrained. Their stories naturally feature affection for their loved ones yet also depict a passion for bowling that is truly rare today.
14
IBI
November 2012