On the Lanes with Ron Vokes
April 19, 2010
In the coming months, we'll talk with some of the best-known bowlers at the USBC Open Championships and get their thoughts on their time at the tournament and what it takes to succeed on the championship lanes.
This week, we heard from 2009 Regular All-Events champion, Ron Vokes, who tossed a record 30 consecutive strikes on the way to games of 290, 300 and 267 for an 857 singles series last year in Las Vegas.
Although his singles score didn't hold up (Bo Goergen of Midland, Mich., won with 862), Vokes added 767 in team and 697 in doubles for a record-setting all-events score of 2,321. Stephen Hardy of Manchester, N.H., previously held the record with 2,279, which he rolled on the way to the all-events crown in 2002.
Vokes, a 50-year-old right-hander, has maintained a 204.6 average through 24 tournaments. His previous high all-events total was 1,926, tossed at the 2007 event at the National Bowling Stadium.
This year, Vokes will take to the lanes on April 20-21 as he looks to become the first bowler in tournament history to win back-to-back all-events titles.
HOMETOWN: Racine, Wis.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCES: This is 25.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLES: 1 (Regular All-Events, 2009)
BOWLING BALL WEIGHT: 15
FAVORITE BRAND OF BOWLING BALLS: Track
ONE all-time favorite host city: Las Vegas
TWO best Open Championships memories: 1. throwing 30 straight strikes; 2. winning the 2009 all-events title
THREE keys to success at the Open Championships: 1. working together as a team; 2. getting great information from fellow bowlers from Wisconsin on the lane conditions, what equipment and drillings to use; 3. last but not least, have a great time while bowling
FOURgettable Open Championships moment: None. It's nice to get to meet great people from all over the United States.
FIVE bowlers in history on your Open Championships fantasy all-star team: Carmen Salvino, Marshall Holman, Earl Anthony, Nelson Burton Jr. and Dick Weber
SIX bowling balls currently in your Open Championships arsenal: Track 715c, Track 930t, Track Kinetic, Track 505c, Track 505a, Track 920a
SEVEN cities you'd like to see the Open Championships go to/return to: Las Vegas; Orlando, Fla.; Dallas; El Paso, Texas; Milwaukee; Los Angeles; Sacramento, Calif.
EIGHT favorite bowling balls ever: Columbia Yellow Dot, AMF Night Hawk, Ebonite Turbo-X and now, anything TRACK (they're all good)
NINE other current/eligible bowlers you would choose to join you on your ideal pair of companion teams at the Open Championships: Mike Jamrose, John Bodish Jr., Henry Teetz III, Mike Herron, Lennie Boresch Jr., Gary Daroszewski, Chad Kloss, Bob Greenfield and Mike Fojtik
TEN seconds or less, who is your favorite bowler of all-time?: Marshall Holman- Mr. Intensity
ELEVEN strikes in a row to start a game at the Open Championships, what's going through your head?: Stay down, follow through and pray to the bowling gods
TWELVE years from now, where do you hope to be in your bowling career?: Hopefully still competing and having fun bowling
This week, we heard from 2009 Regular All-Events champion, Ron Vokes, who tossed a record 30 consecutive strikes on the way to games of 290, 300 and 267 for an 857 singles series last year in Las Vegas.
Although his singles score didn't hold up (Bo Goergen of Midland, Mich., won with 862), Vokes added 767 in team and 697 in doubles for a record-setting all-events score of 2,321. Stephen Hardy of Manchester, N.H., previously held the record with 2,279, which he rolled on the way to the all-events crown in 2002.
Vokes, a 50-year-old right-hander, has maintained a 204.6 average through 24 tournaments. His previous high all-events total was 1,926, tossed at the 2007 event at the National Bowling Stadium.
This year, Vokes will take to the lanes on April 20-21 as he looks to become the first bowler in tournament history to win back-to-back all-events titles.
HOMETOWN: Racine, Wis.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCES: This is 25.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLES: 1 (Regular All-Events, 2009)
BOWLING BALL WEIGHT: 15
FAVORITE BRAND OF BOWLING BALLS: Track
ONE all-time favorite host city: Las Vegas
TWO best Open Championships memories: 1. throwing 30 straight strikes; 2. winning the 2009 all-events title
THREE keys to success at the Open Championships: 1. working together as a team; 2. getting great information from fellow bowlers from Wisconsin on the lane conditions, what equipment and drillings to use; 3. last but not least, have a great time while bowling
FOURgettable Open Championships moment: None. It's nice to get to meet great people from all over the United States.
FIVE bowlers in history on your Open Championships fantasy all-star team: Carmen Salvino, Marshall Holman, Earl Anthony, Nelson Burton Jr. and Dick Weber
SIX bowling balls currently in your Open Championships arsenal: Track 715c, Track 930t, Track Kinetic, Track 505c, Track 505a, Track 920a
SEVEN cities you'd like to see the Open Championships go to/return to: Las Vegas; Orlando, Fla.; Dallas; El Paso, Texas; Milwaukee; Los Angeles; Sacramento, Calif.
EIGHT favorite bowling balls ever: Columbia Yellow Dot, AMF Night Hawk, Ebonite Turbo-X and now, anything TRACK (they're all good)
NINE other current/eligible bowlers you would choose to join you on your ideal pair of companion teams at the Open Championships: Mike Jamrose, John Bodish Jr., Henry Teetz III, Mike Herron, Lennie Boresch Jr., Gary Daroszewski, Chad Kloss, Bob Greenfield and Mike Fojtik
TEN seconds or less, who is your favorite bowler of all-time?: Marshall Holman- Mr. Intensity
ELEVEN strikes in a row to start a game at the Open Championships, what's going through your head?: Stay down, follow through and pray to the bowling gods
TWELVE years from now, where do you hope to be in your bowling career?: Hopefully still competing and having fun bowling