Certified Lanes?

[backlasher]

I changed houses last year because the lanes were always dry, the equipment frequently broke down and they had a lot of parties that totally messed up the approaches. This isn't an unusual circumstance but rather the usual condition. They always have a USBC certified sticker displayed however. My question is this: how does a lane become certified and how could such a house keep it?

[Mike White]

I changed houses last year because the lanes were always dry, the equipment frequently broke down and they had a lot of parties that totally messed up the approaches. This isn't an unusual circumstance but rather the usual condition. They always have a USBC certified sticker displayed however. My question is this: how does a lane become certified and how could such a house keep it?

Mainly because the items you listed are not part of the criteria of getting or maintaining certification.

Go to Bowl.com and find the Equipment Specifications file.

That includes all of the dimensions that get inspected for lane certification.

[got_a_300]

Back when I was doing lane certifications back when it was still called
the ABC and stood for something not like today's USBC relaxed rules
we had to really do inspections.

Back then we had to measure the flat gutters weigh each and every pin
and pull tapes on the oil on the lanes and make sure the lanes were in
specs on flatness.

Back then if someone rolled a 300 game or an 800 series we had to come
right in and go through the inspection process and make sure everything
was within specs before they were awarded for their game or series.


It seems like nowadays they just walk into the center and look around
and say yep it meets specs for certification and if they roll a 300 game
or a 800 series no one even looks at anything anymore.

[1VegasBowler]

The USBC here in Vegas openly invites anybody who wants to come to a center they are going to certify, to absolutely come down to either watch or be a part of the process http://www.sonvbowl.com

I'm going to go to the Orleans tomorrow morning (scheduled for 6am) to see how this is done.

Why? Just curious! lol

[1VegasBowler]

Went to the Orleans today to see how the USBC certifies the lanes.

Every lane is checked at 15, 30 & 50ft to check for lane depth at the 1, 15, 25 & 39 boards. Up to -40 is acceptable 1ft forward. Anything more than that has to be fixed.

The pin deck and pits, along with the deflection boards and gutters are also checked.

Every rack on each lane is setup to see if the pins are set in their proper places. The allowable variance is less than the width of a pencil. If they are not within the allowable variance, that particular rack is reset and in most cases the issue clears on its own. If it hasn't cleared up after the re-rack, it is marked to be fixed. Looking at the pins is done on the lane at the pins and in the back of the alley looking down on the pin deck.

While in the back of the alley, pins are also checked to see if they are cracked and some are weighed.

3-4 lanes are oiled and then a tape is run across to check for continuity in the spreading of the oil.

Here, each bowling center has a date to have the issues fixed by and then notify the USBC if the repairs so they can be checked. Once everything is done, the center gets certified for 1 year.

What was done today at the Orleans took less than 1 hour with the help of 9 people. Not bad for 68 lanes.

[backlasher]

I guess enough people felt the same way. The bowling alley has closed.