Memory "Lane"
Memory "Lane"
During the past 40-plus years I have been in Bowling, I have collected a lot of bowling-related things that are now priceless to me, and also thrown away a lot other stuff that I wish I had saved.
Here, I can share all of it with you in a way that would have otherwise been impossible. I hope you enjoy this and check it often because it probably will be under construction forever.
Billy
The above pictures are of three Brunswick Advisory Staff Members during the 1950's and 60's. Back then, they actively competed in "Championship Bowling", as it was called when it eventually became televised, and toured around the Country between tournaments.
Usually, the cost for having one of these famous bowlers was around $300 for a 2-day exhibition and instruction forum. If he or she had recently won a Championship on TV, the price automatically doubled! Here is a brief description of each one of the three.
Andy Varapapa - Andy had basically retired from actively bowling on the "Tour" and was working for Brunswick as a promotional "trick-shot" bowler. He could do some amazing things with either one or two bowling balls (as you see above). He could either make the balls cross each other without touching, as he is doing in the picture, or make them deflect off one another and pick up the 7-10 split. He is best remembered for the term he gave us for any 12 strikes in a row, the "Andy Varapapa 300!" He visited us in 1959 or 1960. His accuracy at making difficult shots was amazing!
Marion Ladewig - Marion "opened" us up in 1958. When the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company was still what eventually became The Brunswick Corporation. This lady was already a Grandmother when she visited us and possessed a phenomenal accuracy, never missing the "pocket". You have to remember, back then there was only rubber bowling balls to use and you either were accurate with your shots or you didn't score.
Bill Lillard - Bill visited us around 1961 or 62. The biggest thing I remember about him is he was such a Gentleman with a wonderful personality, patient and possessed a real sense of wanting to help people with their game. The ball he is shown holding is the first plastic ball produced by Brunswick, the Crown Jewel. It originally came only in a black pearl color, but other colors soon followed. I saw the first one in October, 1961 at the Brunswick Management School in Chicago prior to it's official release for public sales.