Bowling is one of the most popular pastimes of Americans and people all over the world. Why’s that? It’s relaxing, it requires minimal skills, and it is performed in bowling alleys where everything is kept clean and in place by professionals. For today’s article, we have prepared a short list of interesting facts you might want to know about bowling.
When was it invented?
Although the modern version of indoor bowling was basically invented in 1840 in New York, the place of the first bowling alley called “Knickerbockers,” there have been suggestions that even the Egyptians performed some types of bowling once in a while.
A British anthropologist by the name of Sir Flinders Petrie found several objects in a child’s grave in Egypt that appeared to be bowling gear. This particular discovery has led to the conclusion that some of the first forms of bowling existed in 3200 BC. The history of bowling is a bit confusing, however, given that it seems to date way back since it was banned by King Edward III in 1366.
What are bowling balls made of?
The manufacture of bowling balls has seen an interesting development over the years. At the beginning of the 1900s, they were made from wood. Later on, the manufacturers started making them out of rubber. These days, they can be made from a variety of materials, with the most popular ones being crafted from urethane.
If you’re wondering what company makes the perfect bowling balls, it’s difficult to say. There are models from Columbia, Pyramid, Brunswick, and many others. My Hammer bowling ball is made from urethane, so that’s something to consider if you’d like to know what high-performance materials can do for you.
The biggest bowling alley in the world
According to the Guinness World Records, Japan has the largest bowling alley ever to have seen the light of day. It’s called Inazawa Grand Bowl, and it features as many as 116 consecutive wooden lanes on a single floor. The coolest thing about the alley is that it is not one of the newest ones out there. It was actually completed in 1972, so it does have a decent history behind it.
Bowling and popular culture
In case you had no idea, there’s a bowling alley build in the White House. It was first created as a birthday gift for President Harry S. Truman, but its location changed in 1955 when the lanes were moved to the Old Executive Office Building. One of the most notorious bowling aficionados from the presidents of the United States was said to be Richard Nixon, who was a lover of the sport.
Films
There are four movies you should see if you’re passionate about bowling. One of the best-known ones is The Big Lebowski. There’s also a comedy film called Blackball and another comedy from 1996 called Kingpin that you should check out. ESPN networks usually broadcast bowling championships, so keep that in mind if you want to keep tabs on the professionals and who’s winning big with this sport.