Seattlest Bowls, Part 1: The State of Seattle Bowling

Where were you when you heard the news?

In 1965, at the peak of bowling’s popularity in America, the city of Seattle was blessed with 25 bowling alleys. They weren’t a novelty, as they’re often perceived today, but common neighborhood establishments with thriving league play, receiving regular coverage in local sports pages. However, after Leilani Lanes closes this spring, just five Seattle bowling alleys will remain.

That’s hard to believe, especially considering the area’s bowling history. The winningest professional bowler of all-time, Earl Anthony, was born in Kent, lived in Tacoma, and won the first of his record 41 Professional Bowlers Association tournament wins -- the bowling equivalent of Hank Aaron’s 755 home runs -- in present-day Shoreline. The feat took place on June 7, 1970 at the defunct Ballinger Bowl, now the site of a 24-Hour Fitness. (Without getting all sociological, it seems the rise of fitness centers has paralleled the decline of bowling alleys…)

Seattle is also the home of the PBA, competitive bowling’s major sanctioning body. Founded in 1959 in Akron, Ohio, the rust-belt organization was purchased by three Microsoft zillionaires in 2000. They got it out of debt and raised tournament purses, but are still trying to bring the sport back into national prominence. Unfortunately, the closest this year’s tour will come to Seattle is Medford, Oregon, site of this week’s Earl Anthony Classic. Good for them, but that won’t keep any alleys here in the PBA’s backyard off the endangered list.

Seattlest wants a stop to this trend of alley closures -- if not a reversal -- so we’re doing our part. Actually, we’re doing eight parts, as in a weekly eight-part series. We came, we saw, and we bowled at all 20 of the operating area venues sanctioned by the Greater Seattle Bowling Organization (plus a few that aren’t). Over the next couple months, we’ll discuss ‘em all.

In the meantime, some things to consider: wherever you are in town, you’re no more than a 15-minute drive from the nearest bowling center. And, while we realize that bowling itself isn’t for everybody, the better venues have lots of other fun diversions: cocktail lounges and/or sports bars (often with pin-shaped bottles of Budweiser), karaoke, pool, pinball, video games, and Dance Dance Revolution. For you gambling types, a few houses beyond the city limits also have casinos.

It’s winter. It’s dark out. The weather stinks. You should go bowling.