onefrombills
04-27-2009, 02:33 AM
In the coming months, we'll talk with some of best-known bowlers at the USBC Open Championships and get their thoughts on their time at the tournament and what it takes to succeed on the championship lanes.
This week, we heard from Brian Gottry, founding member of the Forum 5, who will be in Las Vegas to compete in this year's event on April 24 and 25.
Gottry is originally from California and will be making his ninth appearance at the Open Championships. He is a frequent contributor to the USBCopen.com message boards, and it was through there that he was able to assemble his current team. The Forum 5 has developed quite an online following.
"All of us met chatting on bowl.com and got to know each other that way, and we just kind of formed the team from there," Gottry said. "Putting faces with the names was probably the most intriguing part off all because you have envisioned what you expect someone to look like, and it's never even close.
Gottry previously bowled with friends from California, but as they stopped coming, he had to replace them. One member of this year's team, Philip Wessel, missed last year's event because he was stationed in Cuba as part of his Navy responsibilities. He also used to bowl in a league with Gottry.
Other message board regulars- Don Davis, Todd Morgan and David Garren- were instrumental in outfitting the Forum 5 with custom shirts. Next year, the group will expand to two teams.
This year's Forum 5 team includes:
Brian Gottry of Wilmington, N.C. (bgottry)
Mike Smith of Alexandria, Va. (Mike300Smith)
Kevin Long of Tucson, Ariz. (kmlongaz)
Greg Wessel of Severn, Md. (n/a)
Philip Wessel of St. Mary's, Ga.
HOMETOWN: Wilmington, N.C.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCES: Ninth
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLES: None YET......
BOWLING BALL WEIGHT: 15
FAVORITE BRAND OF BOWLING BALLS: STORM
ONE all-time favorite host city: Reno
TWO best Open Championships memories: Shooting 720 in singles and watching my friend shoot 788 and finish sixth in Knoxville
THREE keys to success at the Open Championships: Just be patient and don't over think things
FOURgettable Open Championships moment: Shooting in the 400s. That sucked.
FIVE bowlers in history on your Open Championships fantasy all-star team: My forum buddies and Pete Weber
SIX bowling balls currently in your Open Championships arsenal: (only have four) Virtual Gravity, Total Inferno, Scorchin' Inferno, Zone spare ball
SEVEN cities you'd like to see the Open Championships go to/return to: I always enjoy Vegas and Reno, but anywhere is fine.
EIGHT favorite bowling balls ever: (short list) Virtual Gravity, Black Widow, Absolute Inferno, Power Bolt, Pulse, Purple Rhino Pro
NINE other current/eligible bowlers you would choose to join you on your ideal pair of companion teams at the Open Championships: Next year in Reno when we have two teams all from the bowl.com forum
TEN seconds or less, who is your favorite bowler of all-time?: Pete Weber is the best.
ELEVEN strikes in a row to start a game at the Open Championships, what's going through your head?: "I'm good because I made it through the ninth frame."
TWELVE years from now, where do you hope to be in your bowling career?: I hope to have won a senior title, as I turn 50 this year. That would be a dream come true.
This week, we heard from Brian Gottry, founding member of the Forum 5, who will be in Las Vegas to compete in this year's event on April 24 and 25.
Gottry is originally from California and will be making his ninth appearance at the Open Championships. He is a frequent contributor to the USBCopen.com message boards, and it was through there that he was able to assemble his current team. The Forum 5 has developed quite an online following.
"All of us met chatting on bowl.com and got to know each other that way, and we just kind of formed the team from there," Gottry said. "Putting faces with the names was probably the most intriguing part off all because you have envisioned what you expect someone to look like, and it's never even close.
Gottry previously bowled with friends from California, but as they stopped coming, he had to replace them. One member of this year's team, Philip Wessel, missed last year's event because he was stationed in Cuba as part of his Navy responsibilities. He also used to bowl in a league with Gottry.
Other message board regulars- Don Davis, Todd Morgan and David Garren- were instrumental in outfitting the Forum 5 with custom shirts. Next year, the group will expand to two teams.
This year's Forum 5 team includes:
Brian Gottry of Wilmington, N.C. (bgottry)
Mike Smith of Alexandria, Va. (Mike300Smith)
Kevin Long of Tucson, Ariz. (kmlongaz)
Greg Wessel of Severn, Md. (n/a)
Philip Wessel of St. Mary's, Ga.
HOMETOWN: Wilmington, N.C.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCES: Ninth
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLES: None YET......
BOWLING BALL WEIGHT: 15
FAVORITE BRAND OF BOWLING BALLS: STORM
ONE all-time favorite host city: Reno
TWO best Open Championships memories: Shooting 720 in singles and watching my friend shoot 788 and finish sixth in Knoxville
THREE keys to success at the Open Championships: Just be patient and don't over think things
FOURgettable Open Championships moment: Shooting in the 400s. That sucked.
FIVE bowlers in history on your Open Championships fantasy all-star team: My forum buddies and Pete Weber
SIX bowling balls currently in your Open Championships arsenal: (only have four) Virtual Gravity, Total Inferno, Scorchin' Inferno, Zone spare ball
SEVEN cities you'd like to see the Open Championships go to/return to: I always enjoy Vegas and Reno, but anywhere is fine.
EIGHT favorite bowling balls ever: (short list) Virtual Gravity, Black Widow, Absolute Inferno, Power Bolt, Pulse, Purple Rhino Pro
NINE other current/eligible bowlers you would choose to join you on your ideal pair of companion teams at the Open Championships: Next year in Reno when we have two teams all from the bowl.com forum
TEN seconds or less, who is your favorite bowler of all-time?: Pete Weber is the best.
ELEVEN strikes in a row to start a game at the Open Championships, what's going through your head?: "I'm good because I made it through the ninth frame."
TWELVE years from now, where do you hope to be in your bowling career?: I hope to have won a senior title, as I turn 50 this year. That would be a dream come true.