Purely Hypothetical: Take oil transition out of the equation

[NewToBowling]

What if bowling lanes had interchangeable planks with solid slick surfaces simulating lane patterns. No more re-oiling. No more oil consumption, carry-down, etc. Basically a permanent non-stick coating on steroids.

No matter 1 game or 100 games the wet stayed wet and dried stayed dry. That would be interesting.

Now you would pick one spot and never have to move. If you had a consistent release you would pretty much guarantee 300 games each and every time you bowled :)

[bowl1820]

Oil less lane surfaces have been attempted several times over the years, but it's never gone anywhere. Nobody has ever really liked one.

Oil is technically there to protect the lane surface, without it the lane is subject to a lot more wear and change to topography.

[NewToBowling]

Oil less lane surfaces have been attempted several times over the years, but it's never gone anywhere. Nobody has ever really liked one.

Oil is technically there to protect the lane surface, without it the lane is subject to a lot more wear and change to topography.

That was going to be my second point. A new super synthetic lane that was super hard. Hard enough that there would never be any topography changes and a 16 lb object would never dent or damage the surface

[foreverincamo]

You would be stuck with one "oil" pattern.

[NewToBowling]

Well it would be interchangeable planks

[bowl1820]

Well it would be interchangeable planks

It would be cost and storage and labor nightmare.

Say you had a 32 lane house and had panels for 5 different conditions.

Cost would be prohibitive
That would be a 160 lanes worth of panels.
You would have to have storage for the 128 sets not in use.
They'd have to have storage area.
The storage would have to be controlled at least for humidity and keeping them flat etc.
Then there would be the labor of removing and installing.
Time involved in switching them out (it takes sometime to put in 32 lanes.)
Having them USBC inspected every time they are switched out.

[NewToBowling]

It would be cost and storage and labor nightmare.

Say you had a 32 lane house and had panels for 5 different conditions.

Cost would be prohibitive
That would be a 160 lanes worth of panels.
You would have to have storage for the 128 sets not in use.
They'd have to have storage area.
The storage would have to be controlled at least for humidity and keeping them flat etc.
Then there would be the labor of removing and installing.
Time involved in switching them out (it takes sometime to put in 32 lanes.)
Having them USBC inspected every time they are switched out.


It would be double sided. One side THS, other side some variant of sport shot. For 32 lane center say 4 variations so 8 lanes of a single sport pattern.

[bowl1820]

It would be double sided. One side THS, other side some variant of sport shot. For 32 lane center say 4 variations so 8 lanes of a single sport pattern.

Only 8 lanes of a single sport pattern? you just limited the size of any sport leagues and tournaments the 32 lane house could have.

Because no league or tournament would stand for having part of the bowlers bowling on one condition and the others bowling on another condition.

[J Anderson]

Only 8 lanes of a single sport pattern? you just limited the size of any sport leagues and tournaments the 32 lane house could have.

You just described our winter sport league. 56 lane center and due to Bowlmor throwing out all their leagues in Norwalk, the most we can get is 8 lanes.

[NewToBowling]

Only 8 lanes of a single sport pattern? you just limited the size of any sport leagues and tournaments the 32 lane house could have.

Because no league or tournament would stand for having part of the bowlers bowling on one condition and the others bowling on another condition.

Well most alleys don't even use sport patterns (league or open play) so majority of the time it would be THS patterns.