Illinois bowler makes 50th consecutive appearance at Open Championships
June 01, 2018
By Casey Smith and Aaron Smith
USBC Communications
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - For 50 consecutive years, Nick Falkos of Aurora, Illinois, has made an appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, bringing along as many bowlers as he could, while creating countless memories.
The 87-year-old right-hander began his journey at the 1969 event in Madison, Wisconsin, and he was joined Thursday at the Oncenter Convention Center by family, friends and his 16-team group as he was presented a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate his longevity at the tournament.
Falkos was excited to share the experience with his wife of 64 years, Rita, and three sons - Dennis, Daniel and Donald, while his daughter, Gina, celebrated the milestone from afar.
He also was joined on the lanes by Dennis and Daniel, who made their 36th and 21st USBC Open Championships appearances, respectively.
"Having my family here was wonderful," Falkos said. "The presentation was outstanding, and I am glad they were able to be part of it."
From early on in his tournament career, Falkos started working toward Thursday's milestone. Little did he know it would start a half century of bowling, memories and friendships.
"At the time, I had started bowling with a competitive group of guys, and the national tournament came up," Falkos said. "Since it was only about 150 miles away that year, I talked them into going. After the first few years, longevity became my goal. The more places I traveled, the more dedicated I was to return to the event the next year. I am grateful I was able to do so."
Falkos, a member of the Greater Aurora and Illinois State USBC Halls of Fame, quickly became a coordinator for teams each year. While he started out with only a few teams, the numbers grew over the years, reaching a high of 32 teams at the 2009 Open Championships is Las Vegas.
Over the years, Falkos has brought together hundreds of bowlers from 28 states.
While each year has brought many memories for Falkos, his fourth tournament, the 1972 event in Long Beach, California, holds a special place. The trip was a long haul for someone raising four kids nearly 2,000 miles away.
"If it wasn't for that trip, I wouldn't have made it 50 straight years," Falkos said.
While the spotlight was on Falkos during his time at the Oncenter Convention Center, he received many handshakes and congratulations, but one particular moment stuck out.
After their team event, a bowler stopped his wife, asking her to congratulate Falkos, saying he was a first-time Open Championships participant. He hopes his dedication to the sport inspires others to continue their journeys at the event for years to come.
This year in Syracuse, Falkos rolled sets of 322 in team, 302 in doubles and 291 in singles for a 915 all-events total. In 50 tournament appearances, he has knocked down 65,088 pins for a 145.6 career average.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.
USBC Communications
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - For 50 consecutive years, Nick Falkos of Aurora, Illinois, has made an appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, bringing along as many bowlers as he could, while creating countless memories.
The 87-year-old right-hander began his journey at the 1969 event in Madison, Wisconsin, and he was joined Thursday at the Oncenter Convention Center by family, friends and his 16-team group as he was presented a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate his longevity at the tournament.
Falkos was excited to share the experience with his wife of 64 years, Rita, and three sons - Dennis, Daniel and Donald, while his daughter, Gina, celebrated the milestone from afar.
He also was joined on the lanes by Dennis and Daniel, who made their 36th and 21st USBC Open Championships appearances, respectively.
"Having my family here was wonderful," Falkos said. "The presentation was outstanding, and I am glad they were able to be part of it."
From early on in his tournament career, Falkos started working toward Thursday's milestone. Little did he know it would start a half century of bowling, memories and friendships.
"At the time, I had started bowling with a competitive group of guys, and the national tournament came up," Falkos said. "Since it was only about 150 miles away that year, I talked them into going. After the first few years, longevity became my goal. The more places I traveled, the more dedicated I was to return to the event the next year. I am grateful I was able to do so."
Falkos, a member of the Greater Aurora and Illinois State USBC Halls of Fame, quickly became a coordinator for teams each year. While he started out with only a few teams, the numbers grew over the years, reaching a high of 32 teams at the 2009 Open Championships is Las Vegas.
Over the years, Falkos has brought together hundreds of bowlers from 28 states.
While each year has brought many memories for Falkos, his fourth tournament, the 1972 event in Long Beach, California, holds a special place. The trip was a long haul for someone raising four kids nearly 2,000 miles away.
"If it wasn't for that trip, I wouldn't have made it 50 straight years," Falkos said.
While the spotlight was on Falkos during his time at the Oncenter Convention Center, he received many handshakes and congratulations, but one particular moment stuck out.
After their team event, a bowler stopped his wife, asking her to congratulate Falkos, saying he was a first-time Open Championships participant. He hopes his dedication to the sport inspires others to continue their journeys at the event for years to come.
This year in Syracuse, Falkos rolled sets of 322 in team, 302 in doubles and 291 in singles for a 915 all-events total. In 50 tournament appearances, he has knocked down 65,088 pins for a 145.6 career average.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.