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View Full Version : 96-year-old makes first trip to Open Championships



onefrombills
07-05-2009, 09:42 PM
LAS VEGAS - At 96 years old, there probably isn't much that Fred Finkeldei of Kansas City, Mo., hasn't done, but this week, he got to try something new as he made his first trip to the USBC Open Championships.

Finkeldei has been an avid bowler for more than 30 years, still bowls in six leagues in the winter and two in the summer and averages in the 180s, but it took a special invitation to get him to test his skills on bowling's biggest stage.

"We've been bowling leagues together for about six years now," said Earl Freeman, who bowls with Finkeldei at AMF West Lanes. "I thought it would be a good experience for everyone involved, including Fred, so I asked him to join us."

Finkeldei turned down the initial invitation, but during the weeks that followed, he started to open up to the idea of heading west to Las Vegas. He also knew the trip would be quite an adventure, especially since he doesn't like to fly.

"At first, I told Earl I didn't think I wanted to go," said Finkeldei, who is a retired truck driver. "I heard people talking about going to tournaments over the summer, but I never heard about this one before. After four or five weeks, they convinced me that it would be a good thing for me to experience at least once."

As a modest man who tends to shy away from attention, Finkeldei didn't think his Open Championships debut would garner as much attention as it did.

"I don't need that much notoriety," said Finkeldei, whose late wife, Hildegarde, was an avid bowler and urged him to take up the sport after he retired. "I'm not seeking anything, but it happens to be a unique deal. I will look at it as something neat that has happened to me."

Freeman, and the rest of their fellow league bowlers, have been behind Finkeldei ever since he decided he would compete in the 2009 Open Championships.

"We think it's great," Freeman said. "The whole league thinks it's great, and we have given him all of our support. It's really unique. We had an idea he might be the oldest, but we didn't know for sure. He also keeps a good average."

Although Finkeldei is not the oldest rookie to hit the lanes at the Open Championships, he is the oldest first-time participant in 2009.

Art Shaver of Atlanta and William Hargrove of Clermont, Ga., made history in 2001 as the tournament's oldest first-timers and set the record for a combined doubles age at 203. At the time, Shaver was the oldest league bowler at 103, and Hargrove was 100.

Last year in Albuquerque, N.M., Flossie and Al Duffey of Osage City, Kan., both were 95 years old when they competed together at the Albuquerque Convention Center. It was Flossie's tournament debut, while Al made his second tournament appearance. His first came at the 1989 event in Wichita, Kan., just two hours from their home.

When he made his way to Cashman Center on Tuesday, Finkeldei couldn't believe his eyes.

"I have never seen anything like this," said Finkeldei about the state-of-the-art 60-lane facility. "It looks scary. We take bowling seriously, but we are still here to have fun."

Finkeldei ended his first year at the Open Championships with a 452 series in doubles, 425 in singles and 422 in team for a 1,299 all-events total.

When asked about the possibility of attending next year's event at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., Finkeldei quickly shared his intentions.

"I'm too old to look that far in advance," said Finkeldei, who stays active by participating in a program that delivers meals to elderly people who can not leave their homes. "But we will talk about it later in the year during league."

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.