Hey dudes, another shot in the arm for local businesses in my area, it looks like my local bowling alley, could be sold off only to be replaced with student accommodation.
No date set as yet, but it would mean hanging up shoes for a lotta people, with the nearest one, too far for this dude. It has seen better days and could do with refurbishment in all honesty, but that's not the point, man!
If I had the necessary means, or was a master pinsetter repair man, I'd keep it going myself.
Maybe it's not too late to start a "save our lanes" campaign.
Save our lanes campaign is a great idea. Man, I have not been bowling in quite some time. Maybe knocking over some pins and throwing back a few barely sandwiches is a great way to spend a Friday night. It's a shame to see local businesses go under, kind of takes away the pride of supporting your community.
I can't wait for my next beer
That sucks. The only real way to attack this closing, in particular, and what appears to be the growing trend, in general, is on the ownership side. I don't have stats but would guess the level of bowling participation has dropped significantly over the past 10-20 years. To remain viable, the struggling ones would probably have to diversify - for example, bring in "true" food or restaurant options, combine with other entertainment forms, or just make it part of a multi-forum venue.
The dedicated bowling alleys, while still viable in many markets, are probably really hurting in many others.
After 60 years of throwing rocks and serving oat sodas, the last bowling alley in my home town closed last June. The building has been cited as an example of Googie architecture, and the developer who now owns it said it was a historic building and would be preserved. When I drove past it last week a crew appeared to be re-doing the roof, and the asphalt that had previously covered the parking lot was piled up in large chunks, presumably waiting to be hauled away. Rumor has it that part of the building will become an Aldi's Food Market, part will become a BevMo, and the rest will become who knows what.
(http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w297/Zombie_61/Miscellaneous/Friendly_Hills_Bowl_Building_zpslkhiawb0.jpg)
Could always build one out of pallets. I've seen some good backyard lanes on the interweb. Even the dude had a hammer, some nails and wood around, how hard can it be? Free bowling man, how dude is that!?
Hang a hammock nearby, add some homebrew, homegrown, grill a few burgers and your troubles are over dude.
*deleting old posts*
Quote from: SagebrushSage on April 14, 2016, 02:54:13 AM
Pallet boards are too curved and warped to be useful for making a bowling alley. The boards can be planed level, but the knots and funny grain would result in the wood warping again with changes in temperature and humidity. For making your own outdoor lane, I would suggest pouring a perfectly flat and level concrete slab, putting in weathering cracks, and topping with composite decking boards. A matted surface vs. a smooth surface would produce a slightly different playing experience, but it would work. Another option could be to make the lane with tennis clay.
This sounds oddly authoritative. I'm persuaded. However, I'm also lazy. So someone else is gonna have to test it.
*deleting old posts*
I'm fortunate enough that the local lanes in both my hometown and current town both have good enough bars to keep the business alive. I think that might just be an Iowa thing, it's not uncommon to walk into either on a Friday night and see empty lanes but a packed bar area.
We have a nice bowling alley here in town. I haven't been able to roll because every time I go my ex-wife and her boyfriend are there and they make a scene. I just say fuck it and leave.
Offer to watch their dog next time they go to Hawaii, then you'll be good to go dude!
*deleting old posts*
You can't avoid them forever dude, I reckon be civil, practise dude jitsu and if that don't work, Fuck it, go roll some anyway.
I did suggest to the dudes at my local lanes about a lebowski themed night, (march 6th), to draw in business, but think it got brushed off, which is a shame, I know a few dudes who'd dig it and i'm sure others will too.
*deleting old posts*
I had a great time bowling Saturday night. Me and a lady friend of mine decided we would go. Well we rolled a couple and I look up and guess who comes in, the ex wife and her boyfriend. Well my lady friend ask me if I wanted to leave and I said not this time. I went to the bar and bought a couple of oat sodas and had them sent to them. A little while later they came over and they thanked me. We all talked for a while and even rolled a few together. They apologized for how they had been acting. It was a great night. Now I can go bowling with no worries.
I wish we had more dudes on this webaits that would respond to post, man. I am sitting here listenIing to Niel Ddimounds greatest hits. I need your advice dudes. I need it bad. Her and I are planning a trip to Panama City next week. Pls. let me know how things are. Thand you.
What's up dude?
The forums have been pretty slow lately, but still several that check in every now and then. Ask away Dude.....
What, exactly, is the problem here, dude? I understand you had a Cynthia / Marty Ackerman type of a situation that impacted your comfort level at the local lanes. But you handled that situation expertly and it seems you're all now friends well and true.
Is there still a problem? (Maybe in a different thread. I'll look around. But I usually just click "Show Unread Posts" when perusing.)
Dudes I apologize...I got shitfaced yesterday and drunk text all my friends and posted this shit. I need to hide my phone the next time I drink like I did yesterday. Please forgive me.
Nothing is fucked here, dude. We've (mostly) all got shitfaced n done stupid shit (sometimes worse), don't sweat it, take 'er easy.
Good work patching things up with the ex, dudeism works.
Thanks man, still a little embarrassed. But life goes on man. Can't worry about this shit.
Quote from: Brother D on May 03, 2016, 12:56:38 PM
We've (mostly) all got shitfaced n done stupid shit (sometimes worse)
So many things come to mind for me. But I've grown up (mostly) since.
I can't wait for my next beer
Dudes,
I am a new convert to Dudeism. I posted in the new member thread but nothing but tumbling tumble weeds over there.
Anyways, I haven't been bowling in forever, I think my kids would love it. We live in Baltimore so duckpin bowling is like our hometown sport.
if you are ever around the area, check some of these places out. I've killed many a rainy day bowling, drinking beer and maybe playing Keno in the bar.
Also, a lot of these places still look the way they did when they were built in the late '50s-early '60s, so there's that whole retro thing going on.
So that's cool
Duckpin bowling dude? Is that some kind of Western thing? How does it compare to tenpin? We have skittles in the uk too, is it similar?
Totally had to Wikipedia the game of skittles Dude.
Duckpin bowling is actually derived from skittles. So yes, very similar - small pins (10) and a small ball.
The place that I frequent also has midnight bowling on Friday and Saturday nights. Day-glo, backlights, food and bar specials.
*deleting old posts*
Or just smoke a bowl and get a bowling app on your phone, all the fun minus the effort. (Bowling can be exhausting).
The latest on my local lanes is, the plot has been sold and the dudes have until December to find new premises. Hmm, the dudes have lost the plot?! Lolz!
I hope they do, or I will have to resort to the above, ( which I do anyway, but hey!).
The latest on my former local lanes is that the parking lot has been torn up, the building has been gutted, and the roof and the back wall are gone. They've saved the front and side walls so far, but who knows what they're planning. ::)
I feel your pain Rev dude, it sucks, but life goes on, man. At least you have fond memories of the place, take comfort in that.
Quote from: Brother D on May 10, 2016, 06:03:57 AMI feel your pain Rev dude, it sucks, but life goes on, man. At least you have fond memories of the place, take comfort in that.
Oh, absolutely. Then again, it's been more than 30 years since any of my toes slipped over the line of the front door's threshold so it's not like I was a regular there. But, like most bowling alleys, it was a pretty decent place to hang out if you're into that sort of thing, and it's another piece of my home town's history that's gone forever. Wave of the future, Dudes. I just hope what's left of the building makes it to the finals.
How about a go fund me campaign to buy it, and hire a bunch dudes from this site to run it. Only caucasians, oat sodas and sasparillas at the bar. Foot faults will be enforced.
Quote from: NiJoDude on August 23, 2016, 05:16:25 PM
How about a go fund me campaign to buy it, and hire a bunch dudes from this site to run it. Only caucasians, oat sodas and sasparillas at the bar. Foot faults will be enforced.
At this point it would have to be one hell of a campaign, 'cause the building is well on it's way to becoming a BevMo. ::) It would probably be cheaper to build a bowling alley from scratch.
Nihilist bastards took my local bowling alley, where I had rolled at since I was a small kid, where I used to rent movies in my formative years when they had a side room VHS rental business, where I played my first game of mini golf outside, where I used to pretend I was Paul Newman in The Hustler on the back room pool tables, where I took my future wife on our first date, and turned it into fuckin storage sheds.
....GODDAMMIT!
Quote from: ZenDudeist on August 24, 2016, 01:30:03 AM
Nihilist bastards took my local bowling alley, where I had rolled at since I was a small kid, where I used to rent movies in my formative years when they had a side room VHS rental business, where I played my first game of mini golf outside, where I used to pretend I was Paul Newman in The Hustler on the back room pool tables, where I took my future wife on our first date, and turned it into fuckin storage sheds.
....GODDAMMIT!
That sucks dude.
Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk
Well, they finally did it, it's a-happening, dudes, my local lanes will be shutting down for good on Saturday.
A fellow dude and I, rolled our last game this evening and though my score was rubbish, (not even a strike), it was kinda sad knowing I'd never roll those boards again.
Turns out, it's gonna be boarded up, all contents sold off and the land left derelict, so it'll be easier for the new leaseholder to do something with, which is a real shame, man.
On the upside, I'll have fond memories of playing in a doubles league aside from casual games and I managed to swing a pair of (fairly decent) rental shoes and a pin as a momento. But hey, life goes on, man
Bummer, man. My sympathies.
How awesome would it be to get one of the lanes and install it in your home? I wonder what the developer/buyer is doing with the salvage. Could be able to swing it pretty cheap. Never know.
That a bummer.
Bowling alleys are going down right and left.
Meanwhile golf is doing great.
I don't know exactly what that means but it seems in keeping with general trends.
Just imagine they put you into carbonite back in 1976 and woke you up today.
You'd find that rock and roll is gone, your bowling alley is closed and Bruce Jenner the big hero who won the decathlon cut off his dick and became a woman and the president of the US is an orange braying jackass former host of a show where celebrities run fake companies.
Put me back in the carbonite please.
Quote from: BikerDude on December 15, 2016, 06:58:15 PM
That a bummer.
Bowling alleys are going down right and left.
Meanwhile golf is doing great.
I don't know exactly what that means but it seems in keeping with general trends.
Just imagine they put you into carbonite back in 1976 and woke you up today.
You'd find that rock and roll is gone, your bowling alley is closed and Bruce Jenner the big hero who won the decathlon cut off his dick and became a woman and the president of the US is an orange braying jackass former host of a show where celebrities run fake companies.
Put me back in the carbonite please.
Fuuuuuuck...I need a drink now. Like, if I owned part of Seagrams or Hennesey or whatever, I'd make a commercial out of these points and just watch the booze roll out and the money roll in.
I just feel bad for the staff, who have now had to find other work in a place where pickings are slim. That and there's not much to to with your family/kids in the evenings round these parts.
Save our lanes campaign is a great idea. Man, I have not been bowling in quite some time. Maybe knocking over some pins and throwing back a few barely sandwiches is a great way to spend a Friday night. It's a shame to see local businesses go under, kind of takes away the pride of supporting your community.