February 2016 -
7
SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967
“The Bad Boy of Bowling” to Make ESPN
Debut Online on Feb. 23, On Air on Feb. 26
30 for 30 Films documentary follows life and times of
PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber
By Bill Vint
CHICAGO (Feb. 9, 2016) –
―The Bad Boy of Bowling,‖ an award-
winning documentary centered around the life-and-times of Professional
Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Pete Weber, will premiere on the
ESPN Films
30 for 30 Shorts
website
on Tuesday, February 23. Later in the week, the film will make its
broadcast debut as part of Friday Night Movie Night on
ESPN’s
SportsCenter
on Friday, February 26 during the 6 p.m ET hour.
The ESPN Films
30 for 30 Shorts
documentary, directed by SideStilt
Films’ Bryan Storkel and produced by Amy Storkel and Daniel Judge,
covers the sometimes controversial but always successful career of the
youngest of bowling legend Dick Weber’s three sons. Pete Weber, who
made his PBA debut at age 17, went on to win PBA Rookie of the Year
honors in 1980.
Still active on both the traditional PBA Tour and the PBA50 Tour at age
53, Weber has won 37 PBA Tour titles (fourth-best on the all-time titles
list) and earned more than $3.8 million (second only to Walter Ray Wil-
liams Jr.’s $4.6 million) despite occasional clashes with PBA leadership,
battling personal demons along the way, and never apologizing for his
approach to life and PBA competition.
While capturing the essence of Weber’s career through the eyes of his
fiercest competitors as well as Weber’s own insights, Storkel also pro-
vides ―Bad Boy‖ viewers with a history of PBA competition during the
Weber years.
―It’s been an amazing experience,‖ Storkel said of producing the film. ―I
knew about Pete for a while. I saw him in ―League of Ordinary Gentle-
men: a few years back. When we were asked to do a
30 for 30
film, I
thought about bowling because
30 for 30
hadn’t done a bowling seg-
ment, and I immediately thought about Pete and his father, and how their
lives were all centered around bowling.
―I think having the father-and-son element creates something even non-
bowling fans will enjoy,‖ Storkel added. ―It’s really a human story, not just
a bowling story.‖
After reviewing the film, despite it showing some of his darker moments,
Weber’s reaction was, ―I thought it was awesome.‖
PBA CEO and Commissioner Tom Clark said, ―The story of Pete Weber
is one of the most compelling in sports history. It was a great decision by
ESPN to feature Pete’s story in its artful
30
for
30
documentary series
and producer Bryan Storkel captured the story in a way that will entertain
and inform those familiar with Pete’s career while also introducing him to
those who don’t know much about him.‖
Prior to its debut as part of ESPN Films’
30 for 30 Shorts
series, ―The
Bad Boy of Bowling‖ was shown at more than 25 film festivals across the
United States, where it routinely received rave reviews and won a special
jury prize at the DOC NYC festival, one of the largest and most prestig-
ious festivals.
―The film’s largest screening was at the Maryland Film where it played to
hundreds of fans on opening night,‖ Storkel added. ―We could hear the
crowd laughing out loud, crying… It was pretty special.‖
―The Bad Boy of Bowling‖ will be widely available to fans through
ESPN’s and PBA’s digital platforms and social media outlets following its
formal release.
National High Average, Series Award Winners
Determined For 2014-15 Season
By Aaron Smith
ARLINGTON, Texas -
Former Team USA member Lisa Noor of Mound, Minnesota, and 2013
United States Bowling Congress Open Championships Regular Singles winner Zeke Bayt of
Westerville, Ohio, claimed the USBC Sport Bowling National High Average Awards for the 2014
-15 season.
Noor, 45, earned the women's award after finishing with a 205 average for 116 games at the
Twin Cities Sport League at Country Club Lanes in Tonka Bay, Minnesota. Noor, a Minnesota
State USBC Hall of Fame member, helped Team USA capture gold medals in the team event at
the 1997 and 2005 PABCON Women's Championships.
Bayt, 23, posted a 226 average for 72 games during the Summer PBA Experience league at
Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, to win the men's award. Bayt won the singles title at the
2013 Open Championships with a 795 series.
The Youth Male and Youth Female Sport Bowling National High Average Awards were earned
by Tyler Zogg of Chesapeake, Virginia, and Kaitlyn Eder of Lithia, Florida.
Zogg, 18, averaged 200 for 48 games at the Junior Gold Scratch League at Pinboys at the
Beach in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to earn the distinction, while Eder, 16, finished with a 186
average for 81 games during the BCB Junior Gold league at Brandon Crossroads Bowl in Bran-
don, Florida.
USBC National Standard High Average and High Series Awards
The USBC National Standard High Average and High Series Awards for the 2014-15 season
also have been determined.
Professional Women's Bowling Association and USBC Hall of Famer Tish Johnson of Colo-
rado Springs, Colorado, averaged 238 for 124 games during the NFL Scratch league at Colo-
rado Springs' Brunswick Circle Lanes to secure the Female USBC National Standard High Av-
erage Award for the season.
The Male USBC National Standard High Average Award went to John Delp III of Sinking
Springs, Pennsylvania, who finished with a 255 average for 96 games in the Pepsi Men's Major
league at Colonial-Berks Lanes, also in Sinking Springs.
James Matthews of Prattville, Alabama, and Ashley Dunn of Palmdale, California, earned the
Youth Male and Youth Female USBC National Standard High Average Awards.
Matthews, 17, recorded a 245 average for 81 games during the JMS Scratch league at Bama
Lanes-Prattville, while Dunn, an 18-year-old who recently was selected to join Junior Team
USA in 2016, posted a 218 average for 93 games in the Monday Family Fun league at Bruns-
wick Sands Bowl in Lancaster, California.
Earon Vollmar of Toledo, Ohio, and Hakim Emmanuel of Stoughton, Massachusetts, earned the
Male USBC Standard High Series Award after each rolled a 900 series during the 2014-15.
Vollmar, 27, put together his perfect night during the Monday Night All Stars league at
Toledo's New Glass Bowl Lanes on Jan. 19, 2015. Emmanuel, 39, fired 36 consecutive strikes
at the Thursday Night Patriots league at Westgate Lanes in Brockton, Massachusetts, on Feb.
19, 2015.
Team USA's Bryanna Coté of Red Rock, Arizona, collected her second Female USBC Stan-
dard High Series Award after tying the national record for highest series by a woman after
shooting an 879 series during the Ebonite Elite league at Golden Pin Lanes in Tucson, Arizona,
on Sept. 16, 2014.
Coté, 29, rolled games of 300, 279 and 300 to tie the set posted by Katie Verbil of Wichita,
Kansas, in 2012. Coté also earned the Female USBC Standard High Series Award during the
2009-10 season with an 861 series.
The Youth Male and Youth Female USBC Standard High Series Awards went to Tyler Lewis
of Baltimore and Montana Hughes of Freeport, Illinois.
Lewis, 19, put together games of 265, 300 and 300 for an 865 series during the PH Varsity
league at Baltimore's Brunswick Perry Hall Lanes on Jan. 24, 2015, to win the boy's award,
while Hughes, 17, rolled 267, 248 and 299 for an 814 series during a Northern Illinois Scholar-
ship Series tournament at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford, Illinois, on Sept. 14, 2014.
