News

Will anti-smoking law have bowling rolling?

Posted February 09, 2008 10:00 pm

By Dave Heun

When the state's ban on smoking in all public places started last month, owners of restaurants and bars were certain to be the first under the microscope in gauging the financial impact of the new law.

But most of the talk filtering my way has been about bowling alleys. For whatever reason, several people have mentioned they are anxious to go back to bowling alleys that they previously avoided because of billows of smoke.

So how are the bowling alleys faring during the first month of smoke-free business?

"The ones that are taking advantage and marketing to the fact that they are smoke-free are going to do well," said Dan Borgie of Geneva, a long-time sales manager for Brunswick's bowling division.

Borgie, who was a topic in this column last year when he was named to the bowling Hall of Fame in his hometown of Fargo, N.D., said that many bowling alleys in this area were already smoke-free, but those that weren't are finding another advantage to the new law.

"The cleaning bills should be down," Borgie said. "A high percentage of cleaning in bowling alleys was due to smoke because the nicotine residue gets on everything -- the alleys, the ceiling tiles, the carpeting."

Better for families:

Anne Kijowski, an employee at St. Charles Bowl for the past 15 years, agrees that the no-smoking law makes for a cleaner atmosphere at her center, adding, "it smells better, too."

Kijowski feels that bowling has become family entertainment more so than a competitive sport, so the no-smoking laws makes it easier to cater to the 1,000 youngsters in summer programs.

"It's also just easier now to accommodate people," she added. "Before, if a family came in on a crowded night, and the only lane open was one next to a few guys who were smokers, it was hard."

Kijowski is hoping that the smokers who are in league play will somehow adjust and continue to show up at the lanes.

"It's going to be tough for some of those league bowlers," she said. "They are not going to go outside to smoke in January … with bowling shoes on."

Use the thumb

Also on the bowling topic, a friend told me his son was getting interested in bowling. But he was concerned because his son threw the ball without his thumb in the bowling ball hole, and he figured maybe that was illegal.

Oddly enough, my son throws a bowling ball the same way. It always struck me as a rather strange way to toss a ball at the pins.

Dan Borgie gave me his opinion on the matter, saying it was not illegal to hold and throw a bowling ball in that manner. It's more a question of consistency.

"You can make the ball do a lot of things with your thumb outside of the hole, but consistency is not one of them," Borgie said. "You will always have trouble picking up the spares."