With time on my hands last weekend, I (somewhat reluctantly) accepted an invitation to go bowling for the first time in probably a decade. I honestly cannot remember if I had ever actually gone bowling before, or if I had constructed a memory based on old movies and SpongeBob episodes that depicted bowling.
When I said yes, I wasn’t expecting much. However, the opportunity to relax with friends outweighed any misgivings I had about slipping my feet into the pair of ill-fitting bowling shoes. But walking through the bowling alley doors, I was instantly charmed by the energy and warmth of people enjoying themselves, and I even welcomed the nostalgic sounds and smells of the place.
My high-spirited Saturday night excursion (I actually bowled a strike!) got me wondering why bowling is not half as popular as it used to be.
According to the Pennsylvania State University, Bowling’s earliest form can be traced back to 5000 B.C. Egypt and 400 A.D Germany, created as both a pastime for Egyptian soldiers and as a type of religious ceremony for German priests.
Eventually, bowling made its way to America, gaining major traction in the 1850s. Soon after, numerous states banned bowling in keeping with the Temperance Movement because of the sport’s associations with alcohol and gambling. I was so not aware that bowling was once thought of as a kind of gateway drug or slippery slope into moral depravity. Cool.
In the early 1900s, James Pin (yes, this is actually his name) from Worcester, Massachusetts, worked as a bowling pin-setter (a.k.a. pin-boy) and then went on to help transition bowling from an outdoor sport to a more organized, indoor one. He also contributed to changing the game from nine to 10 pins to escape existing bans on nine-pin games. This is absolutely funny and ironic considering his last name.
According to Bowl Brighton, records state that “Candlepin” bowling (the bowling we all know and love today, versus using stone pins like the Egyptians) also originated in Worcester around 1880, when a man named Justin White redesigned the game to make it more challenging. Meanwhile, John J. “Jack” Monsey – another Massachusetts native – worked to expand and popularize bowling, standardizing the game between different towns in the state.
I loved learning that significant parts of bowling’s origin story take place right here, where I go to school. Now I feel compelled to take advantage of this hometown advantage. The bowling options in Boston are plenty; just a few footsteps from campus, there is a bowling alley called Lucky Strike Fenway, open until 2 a.m. if you need a late-night study break. The menu features warm Bavarian dipping pretzels and truffle fries — I mean, I would go just for the munchies!
Kings Bowl of Seaport and Back Bay is another renowned local alley that celebrates its Boston pride by hosting pregame tailgates and watch parties. Kings is also having an anti-Valentine’s Day event, featuring color-coded bracelets to indicate your dating status and signature cocktails like “Burn Book,” created specifically to “burn your ex’s name and toast to better choices.” Needless to say, I know exactly what I’m doing this Valentine’s Day.
And, if you were wondering due to the current Olympic buzz: No, bowling will not be a part of the 2028 Summer Games. The 1988 Summer Olympics featured bowling as a demonstration sport, but it never achieved medal status, according to Bowling Heritage. Since then, its inclusion has been rejected due to expense and the lack of youth engagement and athleticism.
Regardless of this truly rude Olympic rebuff, I love it and think it’s fun for all different ages and athletic levels.
In this age of screen dominance, we can really use more of these active, in-person activities. Whether it’s bowling, indoor golfing, or even axe throwing, I’m all for it. And honestly, the shoes really aren’t so bad.
This is my official request to bring bowling back!
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