2016 USBC Open Championships

[vdubtx]

So, who is going to Reno this year to bowl in the Open Championships?

Lane patterns were released today.

Team Pattern: LINK (http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/tournaments/pdfs/usbcopenchamp/2016/2016OCTeamPattern.pdf)

Doubles/Singles: LINK (http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/tournaments/pdfs/usbcopenchamp/2016/2016OCDoublesSinglesPattern.pdf)

[Langdoj]

I'll be out there May 2nd and 3rd bowling. This will be the first year in a while that I won't be bowling the day I land. Hopefully the practice time in Reno will translate to better scores (not that I can bowl much worse!)

[scottymoney]

Just found out I will be going. Filling in for a friend who can't go. Bowling May 24th and 25th.

Not sure what I am taking as far as equipment but from everything I saw need surface early.
I am thinking right now about getting a Revolt Havoc or Vengeance.

[vdubtx]

Surface for sure. Last year on the patterns I had good look with 1500 grit on my Hyper Cell.

Plan on same surface this year as well with my Haywire, Nirvana and Hyper Cell transitioning to my Disturbed later in blocks. If I end up getting Hy-wire that will likely be left at OOB surface.

[ALazySavage]

Just got done with team today. Found the breakdown to be quicker than last year. Had the pleasure today of watching Tim Janz shoot 300 in singles

[vdubtx]

Just got done with team today. Found the breakdown to be quicker than last year. Had the pleasure today of watching Tim Janz shoot 300 in singles

Sweet! How'd you end up in totals this year?

Haven't heard from you in awhile. Hope all is well.
Our schedules didn't sync up this time to meet up for a beer. We don't go until July 4 weekend.

Really looking forward to Las Vegas next year.

[ALazySavage]

Ended up at 1790 this year, had a good doubles set but missed the transition early in Singles. All is going well and hopefully we can get that beer in one of these years (we went really early and you are going later). Vegas next year should be good, have some things other than gambling to keep entertained.

How have you been?

[ckelly02]

Sweet! How'd you end up in totals this year?

Haven't heard from you in awhile. Hope all is well.
Our schedules didn't sync up this time to meet up for a beer. We don't go until July 4 weekend.

Really looking forward to Las Vegas next year.

Where is the info for vegas posted? I wanted to go to Reno this year but had no luck

[vdubtx]

Where is the info for vegas posted? I wanted to go to Reno this year but had no luck

LINK (http://bowl.com/OpenChamp/Register2017/)

[1VegasBowler]

My only suggestion is to bowl as early as you can cuz it tends to get a bit on the warm side starting towards the end of April, and a tad warmer going forward into July! lol

[vdubtx]

Heading to Reno next week!!!

Very excited to see if I can do better than last year in El Paso. The shot is certainly a tough one. Got a chance to practice about 2 hours on each shot at the ITRC in Arlington. Much more hook than I remember from the shots in El Paso. Should be interesting. As long as I keep my shots on target and not let it sail out, I will be fine. Have a nice arsenal built up and just need to fine tune the surfaces of the balls from what I experienced at the ITRC. My strongest ball, Nirvana that I had at 1500 grit was way too strong. Could barely keep it right of head pin. Think will take this one up to 3000 or 4000 which I think will help it get down lane a bit more and then charge into the pocket.

Had the best look with my Haywire on both the Team and Dbl/Sgl patterns. Hy-Wire was also pretty good on later games in our practice sessions.

Really looking forward, also, to a session with my coach Susie Minshew on Wednesday morning before I head to Reno on Thursday.

[mc_runner]

Good Luck!

[classygranny]

Good luck vdubtx and enjoy yourself!

[vdubtx]

Thanks. Absolutely intend to have a great time. Will be first time in Reno that the weather will actually be nice and sunny. Plan on a quick day trip to Lake Tahoe to check it out and then just a ton of bowling to be done. Several side tournaments that are going on as well. Bowlers Journal at the stadium, 40 Frame Game downstairs at the stadium and also the Bowling This Month tournaments at a different venue.

[vdubtx]

Well my trip to Reno is complete. Bowled on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. Did not fare well on either day during the championships. My spare game was atrocious, was good at my 10 pins, but bad when there was a 6 pin standing with it. Kept picking the 10 pin off of the multi pin spare. Other leaves were rather similar, sailed past several. I will have to chalk that up to not having practiced very much since the end of leagues in May. I maybe got 6 games in all of June.

The patterns were extremely tough and seemed much tighter than last year.

We had some drama with our team captain going AWOL on all of us the last 4-6 weeks. Would not return texts or phone calls. 6 of us showed up in Reno without a roster filled out. Fortunately the USBC registration folks let me assume "acting captain" duties and we got our rosters filled out. Our "captain" burned a lot of bridges with us, but he fortunately did have 6 spots paid for. Bad thing though was one of us had to sit out the team event. One bowler volunteered hesitantly, but ended up working out as he pulled a hamstring while we were bowling the 40 frame game earlier that day.

Couple successes for me while in Reno:
1. Team brackets were very generous for me. Put in $150 in $10 and $5 brackets as well as $5 reverse brackets and paid out 4 fold to me. I didn't bowl all that well either and was expecting to not get anything back, so that was a very nice surprise for me.
2. I bowled really well in the 40 frame game. 1130 natural score and 1134 with handicap. Put me I think in maybe 40th place, so should cash about $200 in that. Also did doubles with another team member and I think we are top 10 in that so should get another $50-100 for that I think.

With my winnings from brackets in all of my events and the 40 frame game, I will have my trip completely paid for. I know for sure I won't be getting a check from USBC due to my performance.

All in all we all had fun and made the most of the situation we were put in by our "captain". One thing I won't do again is go to Reno when the weather is warmer. The warmer weather seems to bring in even more transients than I had ever seen in my 3rd trip to Reno. The downtown area is just crawling with them and did not feel safe had I been alone.

The downtown area was host to Reno's 4th annual Wing Fest, so that was kind of nice to have something going on. Virginia Street in from of Eldorado Casino and Silver Legacy and further down was closed off with food and merchandise vendors. Sunday while we were bowling, this happened: LINK (http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2016/07/03/police-investigating-shooting-near-wingfest/86659740/). After we finished bowling that afternoon we heard about this and the event was still going on. We walked it a little bit and got some food. While in line to get food, a fight broke out in the crowd just behind us. Some of the sketchiest people I have ever seen in my life in Reno this past weekend (me included HA HA).

Southwest airlines is just awesome. Every flight I was on was on time and no issues at all checking in my 3 ball tournament roller bags.

[Amyers]

Congrats on a great trip sounds like you had a good time even if the bowling wasn't what you wanted it to be.

[vdubtx]

Oh, and this happened.
Shop already has another on order for me to replace.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/Vdubtx/BF5B226E-4B1C-4AA0-B8A4-BD8AB849B060_zpstsn7iiex.jpg (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/Vdubtx/media/BF5B226E-4B1C-4AA0-B8A4-BD8AB849B060_zpstsn7iiex.jpg.html)

[Blacksox1]

Great bowlers always do well in team brackets during nationals. Using a poker term, a lot of free flowing, dead money. ;)

[vdubtx]

Great bowlers always do well in team brackets during nationals. Using a poker term, a lot of free flowing, dead money. ;)

That's held true my last 2 years at Nationals. Think I will have to remember that for next year.

Blacksox1, let me know if you are interested in going to Vegas next year for Nationals. Think I am going to put together a team and bowl with some other folks I know from Iowa this next year since our regular captain has seemingly ditched us.

[Blacksox1]

PM sent, I think. :)