Massachusetts bowler celebrates five decades at USBC Open
March 31, 2016
RENO, Nev. - What initially was a quest to earn a coveted eagle at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships turned into a lifelong journey for Ed Gagnon of Swansea, Massachusetts, who celebrated 50 years of tournament participation Wednesday at the National Bowling Stadium.
The 68-year-old left-hander got his USBC Open Championships start like so many others - he was invited along by a fellow league bowler. That was for the 1966 event in Rochester, New York, and the experience was memorable enough for him to plan a return visit the next year.
Success at the 1967 tournament in Miami Beach, Florida, and the opportunity to see his name atop the leaderboard before an eventual 21st-place finish in Regular Singles, ensured Gagnon's commitment to the world's largest participatory sporting event.
The last five decades have been filled with coast-to-coast travel, competition and camaraderie, all culminating in an emotional march down Center Aisle in the most fitting venue - the Taj Mahal of Tenpins.
"I've been working toward getting this in Reno because there's no place like this in the world," said Gagnon, who received a chevron, plaque and special lapel pin to commemorate his achievement. "I've bowled good, and I've bowled bad, but I've never missed an event here. It was special, for sure. And, I was scared to death. I'm never at a loss for words, but I just didn't know what to say today."
The Open Championships has given Gagnon a chance to see places he might not have visited otherwise, enjoy the local cuisine in each location and make friends, both on the lanes and in the host city.
At the NBS on Wednesday, 86-year-old Wilbert Bellamy of New Britain, Connecticut, looked on from the next pair of lanes, making mental notes of what to expect when he makes his own milestone march next year at the South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas.
A post-bowling conversation between the two revealed they've actually met before and had many friends in common from their days on the lanes in the New England area, further proving how close-knit the bowling community really is.
"It's such a small world, and so much of the enjoyment has been because of the people I've met and competed against," said Gagnon, also a longtime member of the Professional Bowlers Association. "My fianc‚e, Chris, posted about this on Facebook on Monday night, and by noon Tuesday, I was blown away by all the comments and congratulations, even some by hall of famers. That's been the best part - getting to know and bowl with and against the greats like Dick Weber and Joe Norris."
As a spry and still-competitive 68-year-old, Gagnon has considered the idea of chasing down the tournament's participation record of 71 years, now shared by USBC Hall of Famers Bill Doehrman, Norris and Sylvester Thiel of Lake City, Minnesota, who tied the mark earlier in the 2016 event, but he'll take it one year at a time and continue only as long as he still feels competitive.
This year on the championship lanes, Gagnon shot 590 in singles, 571 in team and 466 in doubles for a 1,627 all-events total. In 50 tournament appearances, he has knocked down 81,345 pins for a 189.6 career average.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
The 68-year-old left-hander got his USBC Open Championships start like so many others - he was invited along by a fellow league bowler. That was for the 1966 event in Rochester, New York, and the experience was memorable enough for him to plan a return visit the next year.
Success at the 1967 tournament in Miami Beach, Florida, and the opportunity to see his name atop the leaderboard before an eventual 21st-place finish in Regular Singles, ensured Gagnon's commitment to the world's largest participatory sporting event.
The last five decades have been filled with coast-to-coast travel, competition and camaraderie, all culminating in an emotional march down Center Aisle in the most fitting venue - the Taj Mahal of Tenpins.
"I've been working toward getting this in Reno because there's no place like this in the world," said Gagnon, who received a chevron, plaque and special lapel pin to commemorate his achievement. "I've bowled good, and I've bowled bad, but I've never missed an event here. It was special, for sure. And, I was scared to death. I'm never at a loss for words, but I just didn't know what to say today."
The Open Championships has given Gagnon a chance to see places he might not have visited otherwise, enjoy the local cuisine in each location and make friends, both on the lanes and in the host city.
At the NBS on Wednesday, 86-year-old Wilbert Bellamy of New Britain, Connecticut, looked on from the next pair of lanes, making mental notes of what to expect when he makes his own milestone march next year at the South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas.A post-bowling conversation between the two revealed they've actually met before and had many friends in common from their days on the lanes in the New England area, further proving how close-knit the bowling community really is.
"It's such a small world, and so much of the enjoyment has been because of the people I've met and competed against," said Gagnon, also a longtime member of the Professional Bowlers Association. "My fianc‚e, Chris, posted about this on Facebook on Monday night, and by noon Tuesday, I was blown away by all the comments and congratulations, even some by hall of famers. That's been the best part - getting to know and bowl with and against the greats like Dick Weber and Joe Norris."
As a spry and still-competitive 68-year-old, Gagnon has considered the idea of chasing down the tournament's participation record of 71 years, now shared by USBC Hall of Famers Bill Doehrman, Norris and Sylvester Thiel of Lake City, Minnesota, who tied the mark earlier in the 2016 event, but he'll take it one year at a time and continue only as long as he still feels competitive.
This year on the championship lanes, Gagnon shot 590 in singles, 571 in team and 466 in doubles for a 1,627 all-events total. In 50 tournament appearances, he has knocked down 81,345 pins for a 189.6 career average.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.