BATON ROUGE - I never thought last Monday when I was contemplating the end of the final shift of the USBC Open at the Raising Canes River Center that a single word would be on every social media account after the announcement of the oil patterns.

GLIDE. 

Okay, so it appears in the hidden patterns of the Junior Gold in Green Bay and the USBC Championships, the oil used was “Glide.” I find it fascinating that the USBC would use an oil that as of Sunday night on the KEGEL supply site was listed as “coming soon.” The patterns as they were set up were difficult, extremely difficult in the case of the team event, but if the USBC really didn’t want people to understand how to put the patterns down to practice on, they succeeded because they used a conditioner no one could get their hands on.

Fascinating. Let me say, if Glide was used at All Star Lanes for the Bowlers Journal, which uses the doubles and singles pattern, it turned those lanes into a bowling palace for high scores in an event that featured nearly 40 perfect 300 games.

Frankly, my knowledge of oil types and volumes as a 170 average bowler aren’t much. I know when the lanes have been oiled and haven’t, so don’t expect this to be a primer on oil types. As I always explain, I am a writer who bowls, not a bowler who writes. There’s a difference I believe.

The other word I kept hearing was “topography.” Now my colleague at 11thframe.com Jeff Richgels pretty much explained that the reports done by a new system may not have been a true or accurate representation of what were brand new leveled lanes at the River Center. Either that or someone needs to look at the concrete floor of the Exhibit Hall at the River Center because it is uneven.

In reality, whether the conditioner or oil pattern was known, whether topography was that important or that the USBC Open saw its first Baton Rouge “speedbump” by the pattern designers, what did happen in our city at the River Center for 150-days was pretty special.

It is impossible to highlight 150 days of the 121st edition of the tournament but here are a few thoughts.

The tournament saw over 11,500 teams take to the lanes, the biggest turnout for the event since the 2012 event in Baton Rouge. The big question, which I thought there was no chance of happening a year or so ago, that now must be asked is whether there is a final encore ahead? 

USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy said he has met with Mayor Sid Edwards during the tournament, and Visit Baton Rouge and the Mayor announced the tournament had a $125 million economic impact. It was a total win for BR. To bid the tournament again has several steps including building availability and most importantly, money.

But the city and VBR were happy with the results and another run at it is on the discussion table, more likely for 2034.

For now, the venue which took two months to convert into a 54-lane bowling venue will be back to its normal state in probably another week. The nice thing is that salvageable materials will be donated to Baton Rouge’s Habit for Humanity.

How about Marc McDowell of Black River Fall, Wisconsin, getting his third Eagle in regular singles. More importantly, it was his second in Baton Rouge. McDowell also had one of the 18 300 games in the River Center in rolling his winning 795 series.

McDowell’s first win at the Open Championships took place in 2005, as he joined USBC Hall of Famers Jeff Richgels and Mike Shady, Gail Myers Jr. and Steve Richter to win Team All-Events with a 9,698 total.

The performance of Andrew Anderson was the highlight of the event in my mind, capturing the all-events total in the regular division at 2,184, highlighted by the topper in team of 763.

There were also champions in the standard and regular division and all are listed at Bowl.com.

There were other moments. I was at the River Center the night 88-year-old Clinton Zavakos of Henderson, Nevada made his 70th consecutive appearance at the USBC Open. Glenn Allison, the leader at 72 years, didn’t make the trip this year because of the distance but it has been reported this week that the 95-year-old plans to bowl next year in Reno.

Again, the event showcased some of the greatest bowlers alive today, but it also allowed family and friends to get together again to bowl as we have seen in all three events here in Baton Rouge. Even again, it was amazing to watch the best in the PBA bowling with wives, brothers, fathers and mothers.

There are a lot of levels to the Open Championships. We’ve been very lucky to experience it three times in 20 years.  I don’t know what the exact future holds for another year in the River Center, but I know in Reno next March those family and friends will get together again. Many know they have a 1 percent chance to win, but they don’t care. The experience is all a big part of it and Baton Rouge delivered on the experience once again for over 55,000 people.

Thanks USBC. See you again in nine years?

Thanks to Keith Dumphy and his great USBC OC Facebook page for his charts, comments and sharing of our column. Also thanks to USBC PR pro Aaron Smith for the information he provided along the way.

Oh. and maybe the Bowlers Journal people left a container of Glide oil at All Star Lanes for a little practice use. Back with you next Monday and we’ll get back to our regular coverage of everything happening in Baton Rouge area bowling.

Until then, good luck and good bowling,

                                              Kent Lowe