Monday, May 28, 2007

K and K Classic- How Bizarre

The K and K Classic was the event I missed my last cut in for any tournament around the world.
That was this time in 2005. I made a deal with myself not to do that again.
Kedron bowling centre has like a curse against me, just walking in the doors i felt like something bad was going to happen.
How right was I??
In my first of ten games of qualifying both of my strike balls had their cores inside pop. Another way to explain that is the core had moved inside and the ball rolls about as good as a pumpkin down the lane. The only thing i think that causes this to happen is when bowling balls have been on long plane trips, the temperture is so cold that if the balls get thrown around by baggage handlers it can cause the 'pop'. Well thats what i have been told in the past and i dont know of any other possible ways this can happen.
It has happened to me twice before, once in Dubai and once in Vegas, so when i happened again i knew it straight away.
Not to worry though, i just had to bowl a lot straighter than usual.
I some how spared my way and struck my way to 180 over about 200 off the lead. Still 6 games to go for the top 30 then cut to top 15 for a 3 way, 7 game round robin with bonus pins for wins.
I drilled up a brand new ball that i could get my hands on (Thanks Ryan Burton) and drilled it up (thanks to Brando's Pro Shop) ready for the finals.
The 6 games in the morning I bowled quite good, a couple of bad breaks at the wrong times but all in all i felt like i had a chance to really make a run at the title.
The re-oil occurred after the 6 games, and the players were from 30 to 15. i was sitting 8th about 100 from 2nd and about 250 from first.

When i made my way back to the pairs after lunch to bowl the round robin i noticed my shoes were no longer next to my bowling balls.
I looked up and down each pair of lanes and so did a few of my mates, but no shoes. We made announcements, but still no one found them.
The lanes turned on to practice and i need a pair of shoes.

"Size 11 please" i asked the staff member at the counter.

I had to bowl in house shoes for the whole of the round robin. Let me just say house shoes are not as much fun to bowl in as i see the public enjoying them.
I missed spares left, right and centre. Sliding was so hard to find any consistency, i must of hit my target at the arrows with my first shot about 45% of the time.

I ended up 10th in the event, i was both happy and cranky at that placement. It was nice to bowl ok when your equipment breaks and goes missing, but at the same time I wished i could of bowled full strength.

Queensland, Australia has once again knocked me out of the ring, not sure how many times i can keep getting back in the ring before i throw in the towel.

Jason Belmonte

Monday, May 21, 2007

Coming up!!!

So i have been home now for a few days, catching up on some important sleep and spending time with all my family and friends.
Catching up with everyone is great. You hear all the news from everyone while you are gone and although there is not much news with Orange itself, the people living in it always have new stories to tell.
Some have to go overseas or interstate for a holiday, for me, coming home and seeing everyone is my holiday.

Now that I have relaxed a little i have to start planning where im going for my next bowling adventure.
Australia has a few great tournaments throught out the year and the next few weeks have 2 of them.

My first stop will be to Brisbane for the K and K Classic, then 2 weeks after ill go to Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup.

I will keep you updated how they all go.

Belmo

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Home sweet home!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like the old saying goes......"There is no place like home". I have missed home a heap and to drive down the main street of Orange, although it's not very long :) was wonderful.

After 30 plus hours sitting on planes or in airports, i was greeted in Sydney by my parents who made the trip to Sydney to pick me up, i would of driven myself but the police had decided to take my licence off me for the 3rd time, they think i drive too fast?? Only 4 more weeks left and ill be legally aloud to drive again.

Orange may not be the most exciting or exotic place i have been to in the last 5 weeks, but to me it the best. It's the perfect place to come home too, small quite and friendly. Plus all my friends, family and my wonderful girl Kimberly are here and i have missed them so much.
Can't wait for the home lunches and dinners ill be served by all the family, boy have i missed them too :)

I have league tonight, but something tells me after the 2 days of travel and the constant bowling over the past 5 weeks, i can treat myself to a little rest and forfeit.

Not sure what i am bowling in next, hopefully something in Australia. Will keep you all updated though.

Belmo

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Vi är svenska mästare!!! (We are Swedish Champions)

Like the heading suggests, Pergamon won!!!!

What a day, drums and songs sung all day, the crowd fuelling the players to perform. THE BEST FUN BOWLING I HAVE EVER HAD!!!!!!!!
Knowing each one of your team members is behind you, willing you to strike is a feeling hard to describe. Its unlike any other team bowling i have ever seen or experienced.
Pergamon dominated each game and i personally bowled much better today. i averaged 245 for my bowling and it felt GOOD!

Our flight back to Gothenberg leaves in a few hours where the party will start. When Alex says he is having a party, its not your usual party i have been told.
He always finds ways to exceed his last party, and because this was Pergamon's 5th straight win (which no other Swedish team has ever done) i am sure tonight will be massive.

I'll be heading home tomorrow night and i cant wait to get back to the sandy shores of Australia. Although travelling is fun, i miss home so much. I miss all my mates, my family and more than anything else my wonderful fiancé Kimberly. Only 48 hours till i am home sweet home.

Belmo

End of the semi finals

We played the 2nd set of the best of 3 match...... Pergamon is now into the GRAND FINAL.

We played ok today, nothing special, but all you need to do is win and that's what we did.
I am extremely looking forward to the final, we are playing a team called Advance, who caused an upset to make the final.
I have been promised that our supporter will bang their drums louder than ever and scream chants till we win....hope we as players don't disappoint them.

Will let you know how it all went after we win :P

Belmo

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Swedish League Finals

Sundsvall in Sweden is the city that is hosting the league finals. League in Sweden is unlike league back home, each player joins a club and they travel to play against another team, kind of like a footy season.
I joined team Pergamon about 18 months ago and this is my first ever league match.
8 players on each team, with 1 sub, play a total of 4 games in the doubles format. Pretty much its doubles team VS doubles team on each pair for 1 point and 1 point for the team who has the highest pin fall over all the lanes for that game. So 5 points maximum for each game, 20 total for the set and we play a best of 3 match.

We played the first set against Falkenberg. The lanes played alot different to the practice session but Pergammon did what we had to do to win the first set.
My team tonight consisted of Me, Osku Palermaa, Tore Torgersern, Tomas LeAnderson, Martin Larsen, Robert Anderson and the sub was Par Svensson
So on paper that team is extremely strong and we proved that on the lanes.
What makes this event so cool???
There is LIVE STREAMING of the event, you can see us play frame per frame, on each pair with Swedish commentary :) The link is www.livestream.se click the big blue pic/words in the middle of the page and it will bring it up. Also from ball one to the final ball drums are played loud and crowd is chanting songs like at a soccer match.
Pergamon has over 80 supporters here and each one screamed till it hurt. The supporters were flown from Gothenberg (where Pergamon is station) by a man called Alex Kotton. Alex owns Pergamon and he is the guy you have heard of, that you wished you knew :)
Alex is far from any financial worries and loves bowling, but more than he loves bowling he loves Pergamon and its players and its supporters more.

We play the next set tomorrow against the same team, if we win that set we are through to the grand final.......If we bowl the way we should, we will be bowling for the title.

Talk soon

Belmo

Monday, May 7, 2007

WRM- A day to forget

I was the higher seed so i have the option of chosing which pattern the match would start on. I very rarely chose a pattern that i think my oppenent would not prefer, rather i chose the pattern that i think i would bowl better on.
For me on the fresh, the long oil i felt much better. I started the game with a strike then a ringing 10, i slipped at the foul line and missed the spare, followed by 2 more strikes and a solid 7. Peter had an early lead and never looked like missing, he finished the game 258 and when i knew i could not win i moved around the lane to see what else i could do.
The short was awful, never had a clue where i was to stand or throw the ball. The pattern felt so different. I had 2 opens in the first 5 frames, Peter spared the 3rd frame and struck the rest, for a nice 279. He had 537 total and i would of needed 3 games to beat it.
Peter bowled great, and even if i bowled well im not sure if i could of kept up. I wish him all the best and i hope he goes on to win.

Now i know I am a little cranky about losing and this may seem that i am having a whinge, but hear me out.
As bowlers we play on some ridculas formats, most go by with out too many people saying anything but this event, THE WORLD RANKING MASTERS could be the worst format for bowling in the world.
This event is supposed to show case 'who' the best bowler in the world is. Osku lead this event by 200, i was next and we are both sitting in the grand stands watching the semi finals???
24 games on short, long and duel patterns and then we play best of 3???
Does that make sence to you??
Wonder how Tiger Woods would feel after leading a major, then been told to play 3 more holes against someone he beat by a truck load.

This is the problem we have with bowling.....The best does not always win, and this week OSKU was the best and he is having a beer as we speak!

Belmo

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Quarter Finals

Only 8 left.
Osku
Me
Stu Williams
Paul Moor
Martin Lasen
David O'Sullivan
Peter Ljung
Tomas Gross.

Its now a best of 3 matchplay formatt and based on the qualifying positions, Peter Ljung and I will meet.
These best of formatts are very unpredicable, anyone can shoot any score. I will have a tough game in Peter. The Swedes are used to this formatt and if given the chance to win, Peter will take it with both hands.

Like always i am nervous the night before, my head is always running a million miles..... But i hope by the time i have my shoes on, the nerves will be gone and ill be able to bowl my best.

Will let you know how i played

Belmo

Friday, May 4, 2007

WRM Long Oil

If there is a bowl that you have been too and you think it has AMAZING CARRY, well times that by 100 and that's close to how good the carry here is.
THe pins hit the walls and bounce off them like trampolines. Some of the strikes you see are impossible to produce in a 'normal' bowling centre. So many splits that turn into strikes because pins have bounced from somewhere and taken out 2 or more pins......truly amazing to watch and no matter how much i try and describe it, it has to be seen to be believed.

Because each lane has a CATS on it, you can go to the kegel website (if you click the heading it will take you there) and check out all the stats from all the players for all the games we played. Really cool to see where we were playing, during any game, ball speed and rev rate.

Because pattern ended up really dry, i was throwing the ball over the left gutter and i dont think CATS can read some of the shots because the ball was in the air when it passed the first sensor :)

I bowled up and down today, first few games were great, felt good and the ball looked great, then i hit the transition and a bad pair and i lost a little bit of the feel. But patience is a virtue.
The lanes dried up fast and i made a couple of bad moves, till i finally decided that the ball cant hook in the air :) Over the left gutter, hard and fast, just the way i like it :)

Im sitting in 3rd with the short oil starting tomorrow, check the website for all the complete scores and other info.

Will let you know how i do in the short as soon as i finish

Belmo

Thursday, May 3, 2007

World Ranking Masters warm up

Kegel training centre is something quite unique. Its a 12 lane bowling centre inside a 75000 square foot building.
Lake Wales is the city the bowling centre is in, but im staying in another city called Winter Haven about 20 minutes away.
The best way i can describe both places is........Dry, boring, hot and middle of no where. There really is nothing to do.
I went to the bowl to have a warm up and test the lanes out. The centre is set up to perfection, regarding the lanes. Each lane is perfectly flat, has perfect lane surface and each lane has C.A.T.S (Computer Aided Tracking System). C.A.T.S is amazing, it gives you exact read outs of how fast you bowled, which board you hit and how many revs you place on each shot.
Something that has revolutionised coaching.
The carry at this bowl is so good its stupid. I expect the scoring pace to be massive for the event.

Will keep you up to date with how the event goes when it starts

Belmo

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Coming to America!

Its 2:14am, i have arrived into Florida, bagless, tired and cranky :)
The flying time from Istanbul to Orlando should be about 12 hours in total, but i had 2 delays of more than 2 hours each, plus waiting for luggage that decided it would prefer to have a holiday without me.
At least the hotel im at (The Holiday Inn) has high speed internet for free :)

Will let you know all about Florida when my eyes are more than a 1/4 open.

Belmo