Andrew Cain is a first-year exempt player on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour. From a rookie’s perspective, he will be blogging every week throughout the PBA Tour season. Be on the look-out for next week’s blog. For more information on Andrew, please visit andrewcainbowling.com or visit his bio.The PBA’s 50th Anniversary season can arguably be viewed as the most compelling time to extravagantly celebrate tradition and excellence on bowling’s biggest stage. While the majority of people tend to associate anniversaries and tradition with days gone by and times past, I, for one, will not be commemorating the past as much as I will be enjoying the present.

What I will remember during the Golden Year of the PBA is a compilation of firsts, not the monotonous series of events we often lump under the heading, “history.” I apologize if I have offended the history buffs out there, but I’m willing to bet that in school more people paid attention during field trips than in history class! Field trips deal with the present, the now, the experience.

Eddie Elias wasn’t thinking about his legacy in 1958. He was concerned with the present challenge of getting an elite group of players organized to compete for fame, glory, and maybe even some cash and prizes. Dick Weber and Earl Anthony achieved their legendary status not by dwelling or resting on past success, but by performing (and dominating) their present.

Do you remember some of the “firsts” in your life? How have they impacted the person you are today? For me, 2008 has been a year full of memorable firsts. Not only did I secure my first full-season exemption on the PBA Tour, but within the last three weeks my wife, Jennifer, and I purchased our first home, and, with the help from our friends, Mike Hardesty and Tina Stickney, hosted our first youth bowling clinic through the Arizona Bowling Institute.

We also had a visit Friday night in our backyard…from our first skunk.

Contrary to popular cartoon depictions, this skunk was not cute and cuddly, but more the size and stature of a medium-sized cat. As if being a first-time homeowner didn’t present enough challenges (painting, more and higher bills, etc), we apparently added wildlife to our list! Luckily all parties involved escaped unharmed. And unsprayed.

But enough about animals, let’s refocus on bowling.

As the 2008-09 season commences next week in Wichita with the PBA World Championship, try to immerse yourself in the new energy surrounding our tour. Enjoy the spectacular moments recounted from the last 50 years, but get ready to see the future. Be thrilled by our new formats, be wowed by our new jerseys, and be speechless as players rack up their own new collection of firsts under the spotlight.

It will be my job throughout the next 20 weeks to give you Andrew’s Angle on tour from a rookie perspective. You will get a behind-the-scenes look at not just the bowling on tour, but the life and atmosphere surrounding it. I would hope that everyone visiting PBA.com gets a chance to read my blog, and every Wednesday you will get a recap of the previous week. Follow our daily tournament progress live online, check out our cool links, and if you can, come visit us at a Tour Stop and watch or bowl a Pro-Am.

As this most notable of PBA seasons unfolds, remember that we are not simply creating history, but defining our present. Join us for the experience and be a part of the moment…don’t just sit around waiting to merely read about it.