Hi everybody, welcome to Chuck Miller’s version of “TV Tournament Time,” as sponsored by your local Capital District Bowling Proprietors Association, and by the New England Candlepin Bowling Association. And in the immortal words of Howard Tupper, hi to all the small fry out there.
Chris White, the archivist over at WRGB, was kind enough to put up an episode of TV Tournament Time, WRGB’s old bowling show, as part of the “Retro 6” series of vintage video clips from Channel 6’s broadcast history.
So, as the hand of Charlie Bechard keeps score once more, I found ten of the craziest bowling shots ever filmed. These are the kind of things you wish you could do when you’re staring at the pins and all you’ve been able to accomplish is to graze the 7-pin after your ball has clunked into the gutter.
| 4-7-10 “FLYING EAGLE” SPLIT CONVERSION OVER TWO LANES
Not only does this guy pick up three pins on two different lanes; he launches the ball with a corkscrew delivery that would make Luis Tiant proud. |
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| STRIKE FROM A RAMP
Okay, you have to make this strike – while shooting the ball over a ramp and clearing two parked bowling balls on the lane. No problem. |
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| LAUNCHING YOUR SPARE BALL BEFORE YOUR STRIKE BALL
Norm Duke is famous for this little trick. And it’s cool to watch, also. |
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| A STRIKE WITHOUT HITTING THE HEAD PIN
Check out this candlepin bowling shot. The guy actually hits the 4-7 pocket, and watch as the pins fall down like dominoes. Very slow dominoes. |
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| THE 3-4-7-10 CONVERSION OVER THREE LANES Yeah, like this comes up all the time in bowling. But if it ever does, I’d like to have this guy on my team. |
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| HEADSTAND AND STRIKE
This guy spins on his head and then pushes the ball down the lane at the same time. I guess this is the only way you can bowl if you didn’t pay for bowling shoe rentals… |
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| THE CANDLEPIN BOWLING “SPREAD EAGLE” SHOT
The most difficult candlepin bowling conversion would be to somehow convert the 2-3-4-6-7-10 split. And believe it or not, someone did. |
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| HITTING THE BIG FOUR The tenpin bowling version of that above shot would be trying to convert the 4-6-7-10 split. And you know what… legendary bowler Walter Ray Williams Jr. nailed it. On TV, yet. |
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| OVER A CHAIR FOR A STRIKE I’ve seen trick shot bowlers roll the ball so that it goes through a chair’s legs, but how about if it goes OVER the chair itself?? What would be more cool would be if someone was sitting IN the chair and facing the bowler as the ball was launched. |
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| BOWLING 200 IN ONE THROW
Of course you would need 200 bowling pins… and a very strong arm… but this guy did it. I wonder, though, how long it would take to set up the next frame… |
Okay everyone, now go out to the lanes and have some fun!
Chuck The Writer 
Haven’t bowled in years, but when I was a kid, I was in a league. Bowled a 186 when I was 10 – all downhill from there…
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Holy cow, Chuck – these were GREAT! Back in the day, I was a bowler…I even coached bowling (junior league) for awhile. Naomi would be proud that I did finally throw out my trophies!
I’m sure I had some pretty hysterical moments, but those were days before digital and flip (probably just black and white!).
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