onefrombills
06-24-2009, 10:53 PM
LAS VEGAS - In 1959, Frank Dunn of Wayne, Pa., boarded a train headed for the USBC Open Championships in St. Louis, and the 17-hour trip turned into a lifelong journey.
Dunn has been back to the Open Championships every year but one since 1959, and this week, he made his 50th appearance on the tournament lanes. During his tournament career, he has participated in 33 different cities.
The 72-year-old left-hander, who bowls regularly at Devon Lanes, first was invited to the tournament in 1958, but delayed his debut because he was still in school.
"I was a rookie, and someone I bowled with in league asked me if I wanted to come to the nationals," said Dunn, who will celebrate his 73rd birthday on Thursday. "I enjoy competitive bowling and the nationals is it. If they would've bowled at a different time that year, I could've gone, but I didn't mind waiting until the following year."
The only year since his debut that Dunn has missed the Open Championships was the 1965 event in St. Paul, Minn., ironically, because he was back in school for an additional degree, a master's in math statistics.
Over the years, Dunn has bowled with a variety of teams, some for many years at a time, and some just once. He occasionally misses the camaraderie and memories he shared competing with the same bowlers over the years, but he also enjoys the opportunity to make new friends and new memories.
This year, Dunn was unable to secure a spot on a team, but had no intentions of postponing his 50th trip down Center Aisle. His plan simply was to make his way to Las Vegas and find a team using the on-site sub board, but that turned out not to be necessary.
When Open Championships Tournament Manager Duane Hagen heard about Dunn's situation, he invited him onto his own team, and hoped to make the experience as memorable as possible.
"It worked out that we needed a bowler, and we were honored to have Frank on our team," Hagen said. "He's had an exciting career at the tournament, and he had a lot of great stories to share with us. It certainly allowed me to see the tournament from a different perspective, and I'm glad he was able to join us and share his memories."
Dunn, who was 16 years old when he took up bowling, became the 10th bowler this year and 108th in tournament history to compete for the 50th time.
This year, he shot 553 in singles, 517 in doubles and 462 in team for a 1,532 all-events total. In 50 years on the championship lanes, Dunn has knocked down 83,283 pins for a 185 career average.
Reaching the 50-year milestone at the Open Championships has been one of Dunn's goals for a long time, and although he didn't bowl as well as he would've liked, he'll be back to give it another shot next year in Reno, Nev. And hopefully, he and some of his former teammates and fellow league bowlers can once again take to the tournament lanes together.
"After my 30th tournament, I realized that bowling is so much a part of my life that only physical ailments would prevent me from coming," said Dunn, who is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Bowling Association Hall of Fame. "It's embarrassing to bowl so badly, but I always enjoy coming here no matter how I do. This really has been a great experience, and I'm thankful to the people who helped make it happen."
Presenting sponsors for the 2009 USBC Open Championships are the Coast Casinos in Las Vegas and the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel and Four Queens Hotel and Casino, the official brackets sponsors; Sapphire Gentleman's Club; Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino; MGM Mirage; Jerry's Nugget Casino and Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel.
Dunn has been back to the Open Championships every year but one since 1959, and this week, he made his 50th appearance on the tournament lanes. During his tournament career, he has participated in 33 different cities.
The 72-year-old left-hander, who bowls regularly at Devon Lanes, first was invited to the tournament in 1958, but delayed his debut because he was still in school.
"I was a rookie, and someone I bowled with in league asked me if I wanted to come to the nationals," said Dunn, who will celebrate his 73rd birthday on Thursday. "I enjoy competitive bowling and the nationals is it. If they would've bowled at a different time that year, I could've gone, but I didn't mind waiting until the following year."
The only year since his debut that Dunn has missed the Open Championships was the 1965 event in St. Paul, Minn., ironically, because he was back in school for an additional degree, a master's in math statistics.
Over the years, Dunn has bowled with a variety of teams, some for many years at a time, and some just once. He occasionally misses the camaraderie and memories he shared competing with the same bowlers over the years, but he also enjoys the opportunity to make new friends and new memories.
This year, Dunn was unable to secure a spot on a team, but had no intentions of postponing his 50th trip down Center Aisle. His plan simply was to make his way to Las Vegas and find a team using the on-site sub board, but that turned out not to be necessary.
When Open Championships Tournament Manager Duane Hagen heard about Dunn's situation, he invited him onto his own team, and hoped to make the experience as memorable as possible.
"It worked out that we needed a bowler, and we were honored to have Frank on our team," Hagen said. "He's had an exciting career at the tournament, and he had a lot of great stories to share with us. It certainly allowed me to see the tournament from a different perspective, and I'm glad he was able to join us and share his memories."
Dunn, who was 16 years old when he took up bowling, became the 10th bowler this year and 108th in tournament history to compete for the 50th time.
This year, he shot 553 in singles, 517 in doubles and 462 in team for a 1,532 all-events total. In 50 years on the championship lanes, Dunn has knocked down 83,283 pins for a 185 career average.
Reaching the 50-year milestone at the Open Championships has been one of Dunn's goals for a long time, and although he didn't bowl as well as he would've liked, he'll be back to give it another shot next year in Reno, Nev. And hopefully, he and some of his former teammates and fellow league bowlers can once again take to the tournament lanes together.
"After my 30th tournament, I realized that bowling is so much a part of my life that only physical ailments would prevent me from coming," said Dunn, who is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Bowling Association Hall of Fame. "It's embarrassing to bowl so badly, but I always enjoy coming here no matter how I do. This really has been a great experience, and I'm thankful to the people who helped make it happen."
Presenting sponsors for the 2009 USBC Open Championships are the Coast Casinos in Las Vegas and the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel and Four Queens Hotel and Casino, the official brackets sponsors; Sapphire Gentleman's Club; Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino; MGM Mirage; Jerry's Nugget Casino and Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel.