Another week complete on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour. With the first half of the season almost over, we spent last week in snowy Cheektowaga, N.Y., just outside of Buffalo. The week marked the seventh stop on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour and the fourth stop for the PBA Women’s Series.
As I arrived at the Buffalo airport today, while being dropped off by the rental car company, the gentleman kindly asked “Where are you off to?” “Baltimore,” I replied. “Is that where you are from?” “No, I’m traveling there for work. I’m a professional bowler.”
The man’s eyes lit up as he asked, “Were you competing in that tournament that was in town this week?” “You know a local guy came in 4th place. I read about it in the newspaper.” (He was referring to Jack Jurek.)
As I continued the conversation, it made me realize (even more) how many people are truly amazed and curious about what we do.
As he continued to ask me questions about what I do and how much I travel, etc., it made me think about how many people don’t really know what it’s like to be out on the PBA Tour. So, I’m going to give you a brief rundown.
Sundays and Mondays are usually travel days. Bowlers and staff alike are going from one stop to the next, either by personal vehicles or plane. Most bowlers have roommates and will travel together, making the journey less painstaking.
I opt to fly because Southwest Airlines has pretty cheap flights and being from California, I did not want to drive my car out to the East Coast.
The other great option we have is to put all of our bowling balls on the PBA semi trucks, so that they are transported from one stop to the next. This helps out tremendously, as most players have 20+ bowling balls, allowing you to fly with ease, especially with the strict baggage allowances these days.
The other perk for putting your bowling balls on transport is that when you arrive at the next stop, your bowling balls have already been put in the paddock of the bowling center. So you don’t have to lug all of those heavy bowling balls in, which is especially good if it’s snowing outside!
These travel days also allow bowlers to compete in local tournaments that may be going on in that region. Many bowlers who don’t make it to Sunday’s telecast will go and bowl a 5-gamer or PBA regional in the area. That is if they don’t have a pro-am squad on Saturday (which I will talk more about later).
On Tuesdays, we usually have an unofficial practice session, primarily for the TQR players, but all bowlers are allowed to practice during this time. This unofficial practice session marks the first time the PBA oil pattern is put out on the lanes and gives players the option to work on their game or just get used to bowling again after a few days off.
Everyone knows what the tournament schedule consists of on a daily basis. Wednesdays mark the Tour Qualifying Round, official practice session and a night Pro-Am squad. For exempt players, Wednesdays also are good for getting laundry done, which is usually what I do in the mornings, as practice doesn’t start until 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday also marks the first day that exempt bowlers are allowed to get bowling balls drilled on the PBA truck. The “PBA truck” is like a traveling pro shop for Tour bowlers, complete with two drill presses and a large stock of bowling balls. Approximately 150-275 balls are drilled on the PBA Truck every week.
Thursdays and Fridays are the meat of the competition. We compete all day, which makes for a grueling few days. These are the days, I personally go to bed early the night before and make sure I am well rested for a lot of bowling.
Saturdays are set aside for Pro-Ams. With several squads throughout the day, this is a great way for fans to meet, talk and get autographs from the PBA Tour professionals. All exempt players are required to bowl at least one Pro-Am per week and up to as many as two. Note: there is a hefty fine of $1,000 if you do not show up to your assigned Pro-Am.
So as you may have gathered, there is a lot of downtime out on Tour. The most popular extracurricular activities during downtime include: going to the mall, playing video games in your hotel room (many of the bowlers brought their gaming system with them) and going to see a movie.
Being away from home and traveling as much as we do, isn’t as bad as it may seem. Everyone out on tour is like one big family. From the staff, crew, ball reps and bowlers we all look out for one another, celebrate special occasion and make tour life a little easier.
Don’t get me wrong, if you hate traveling and being away from home, then tour life is probably not for you. However, I absolutely love it! I love traveling and seeing new places!
This past week I went with my roomie, Shalin Zulkifli to Niagara Falls. I had been there before but had never seen the falls covered in snow. It was absolutely gorgeous, even thought we nearly froze to death.
This week, I am in Baltimore, a place I have never been to before. So I am spending a few extra days sightseeing in the Washington D.C. area before heading home for the Holidays.
Well that should give you a little more insight into life on the PBA Tour.
Stay tuned for the last tournament of 2008 – The Lumber Liquidators Shark Championship this week in Baltimore, Md. Check it out!