Friday, June 27, 2008

Storm Dutch Open

Kimberly and I are now in Holland.

So far I really like this country. It's both Kimberly's and my first trip to the Netherlands and although we have only been here for 36 hours our first impressions are that we both think its a fun country.

We're really looking forward to visiting Amsterdam. We have heard so much about the city and I think it's a place that to completely understand what it all about you have to see it with your own eyes.

Today I bowled a little better than i did last night. We arrived late yesterday and I decided to have a bowl. In short when you srat 148 and then 175, there are usually two reasons for this. You're bowling bad and you have the wrong ball in your hand. That's what happened to me. But with the format here (and all EBT events) 6 games re entry events allow for the occasional bad squad.

Thankfully today I had the right ball in my hand and I bowled much better. I missed a spare and bowled a few bad shots but overall I am happy with how I played. 1461 for six games. Enough for 4th right now.

I now have to sit back and hope another four guys don't go past me so I can stay in the top eight and get a bye into the matchplay round.

The lanes here are on the easier side, a little wet dry later on in the day but if you bowl well there is a HUGE number to be shot.

I'll let you know how I go in the coming days.

Be good

Belmo

Thursday, June 12, 2008

THE PETERSEN CLASSIC!

What makes this event so cool???
Is it the $25000 on top to win? or is it the fact that the worlds best bowlers cant average 190?

This is what happens.

You pay your entry and all your scam bets (doubles, teams, high game pots) you place only 2 of your bowling balls on their table, and thats the last you see them till the lights turn on.
They mark your ball with a number on it (a lane number) and then you have to go and find your ball.

The bowling centre is old and run down, but it adds to the feel of this amazing event that has been running since the 20's (might be wrong, could be even earlier).
Lanes 1-20 are sealed and blocked off. Massive golden doors with "WELCOME TO THE PETERSEN, good luck" is written boldly on the door, and for secuirty the doors are pad locked. There is a 12 ft fence built around the lanes, Oh i forgot, the bowling centre is 40 lanes large. So its weird walking into a bowl and seeing half of it closed off.

The announcement to start us off was yelled into the mic and we all walked into the arena.

What makes the event even more special is that there are no arrows on the lanes, there is no practice and each lane is oiled differently from the next,

My first shot, left gutter 30ft down the lane. there was no oil at all......so i got my plastic, 2 of the left. The pinsetters are old and all the pins are off set......but there is no re-racks. Basically its who can hit the head pin the most and that my friend is no easy task.
So to get back to my story. I then moved far to the right and tried to hit the 10 pin, but my ball never moved. 60ft straight up the lane. 3 more pins. In 3 shots i had knocked over 5 pins and after 2 frames i had 9.
This was ridiculous but wildly fun.

The winner of the event usually shoots 20 over. To most amazing thing though is this event runs for 5 months. So in 5 months, with people bowling in it all the time only 1, maybe 2 guys shot 200 average.

Oh I forgot to mention, there is a wall built from the ceiling down, above the arrows. So when you let go of the ball you cant actually see the pins, you have to bend down and look under the wall they have built. Not to mention that some pins weigh 5 times the normal pins and some pins weigh 5 times less. STriking is impossible............. Like i said, ridiculous.

I made a bet with Martin Larsen that i would shoot 200 under for the event. I was off by just a little. I shot 401 UNDER, for 8 games. low games of 112 and 122 and 129 helped me achieve my lowest 8 game total since i was 4.

WOuld i bowl again, FOR SURE, with a different game plan of course........would i suggest everyone to bowl it once in their life....ABSOLUTELY.
The people there are great and really look after you, its also full of non stop laughs.

That was my Petersen experience. Wont be my last though, i will average 200 once at that event.......mark my words :)

Belmo

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Belgium Open Finals

Ok.
I was a little worried about getting the 1 bye in the morning.
After shooting 1513 in qualifying i was ranked number 1 and the top 6 got byes right into the matchplay side of things.
I am more of a bowler who likes to start early and get on a roll, so the early morning games can sometimes be a bonus, but i was told that you should always take a bye and be happy with it.
The reason i am worried about the 'morning off' is a few times in my European career i have had byes and my first few games out are well short of where i want to be, in a best of 3 match, 2 games is sometimes all it takes to get knocked out (it has happened to me in France earlier in the year and also in Germany).
This time though i had my cheer squad with me.....KIMBERLY. Every strike was followed by either a "Aussie Aussie Aussie" cry or a extremely loud whistle.
Its funny how the nerves go away when you some some familiar support. I played Kirsten Penny in the first match.
Ladies get a bonus 8 pins, beating her scratch is hard enough, but now i have to give her 8 extra pins.
I came out of the gate quick and shot 280 to her 202, then my reaction got a little weird and and going into the 10th i needed a double to win the match. I threw it good and left the 2-8-10.
The final match I needed a strike in the 10th to shut her out and i nailed it. 245 to her 228.

My next match was against Eric Kok of the Netherlands. He is a older guy who plays very straight off the corner and is a great spare shooter. I was happy to play the guy because I thought with my rev rate i would burn the lane up and he would have to move in, if that happened I would for sure strike more and win the match.
The first game was a nail biter, I had a chance to double in the 10th to shut him out, I hit the first and then stuck on the appraoch a little and missed well left. NO GOOD.
He now needed a double and dead smacked them both. I lost 256-254. But like I thought, he had to start moving inside more and more and his reaction was getting worse and worse, where mine was getting better and better. My next 2 games were 279 and 238 allowing me to advance to the round of 8.

The next guy i had to play was Robert Anderson of Sweden. One of my great mates, aldo one of my team Pergamon mates, Robert is very hard to beat. He throws it great when he has to and can strike just as much as anyone.
The first game i hit my straps early and finished 265 to his 221. The next game though was awful for me. Robert looked a million dollars. he only bowled 216 because he threw off the last couple of frames when he knew i could not win.
The last game was going to be 50/50 after 8 frames. He opened twice early but came back with strikes from frames 6-9 and I started with a 4 bagger but then left 3 10 pins and 2 7 pins. I needed a double to win and i did just that.

Only 4 left and I had to play probably one of the most experiance bowlers i know. Jouni Helminen from Finland.
To play anyone from Finland is never a good draw but Jouni is so good it made it just a little worse. We drew a pair which i was bowling great on and the format for the semi finals and final was 2 total pinfall.
I had a 50 pin lead after the first game, with the help of a few massive messengers and shot 278. Jouni is a guy though who can string a bunch of strikes together so i was still pushing just in case. Lucky for me a few early opens from him and the match was over before the 6th frame.

This win lead me to my first final (since my move) in as many attempts. I had to play Martin Larsen of Sweden who just beat fellow 2 hander Osku in a close one. I played Martin in the final in Kuwait and beat him there was i was feeling great about the match,
We started the match and I was having some serious problems with my slide and threw 3 awful shots to lose the first game 214- 237. I changed balls and moved in a little deeper and started with the front 4 and was in the lead. I really thought I was going to win, but a solid 9 and a ringing 10 in frames 8 and 9 gave Martin the upper hand again. I smashed all 3 in the 10th to forsce Martin to spare and he struck.
One thing I have learnt about the Europeans, you can never give them the chance to win. They will take it many more times than they will miss it.

He won the final 473-458 and I was a little shattered. I really wanted to win my first event, in front of Kimberly and even more because to make the final in Europe does not happen so often, so when you get there you must take it every time.
2nd though is still a great effort and I am happy with how i bowled. I averaged 240 over my 11 games and 9 out of 10 times you will win a tournament with those numbers,

Next stop for me is the USA, where i will bowl in the PBA Summer Series. I leave in a few days so I'll be sure to let you know everything about that.

Be good

Belmo