News

10,000-team competition has Magic City hopping

BILLINGS — The sun still rises and sets here, but for now it has three finger holes.

The American Bowling Congress Championships Tournament is in town until June
23, adding about 3,000 people to the city’s population every day. Restaurants are
full. Motels are booked. Beer is flowing faster than a free keg at a fraternity party. If
it isn’t bowling, it isn’t anything.

By SONJA LEE
Tribune Staff Writer

Nearly every business in town is begging a bowler to spare a moment. Bottom line,
Billings is striking it rich. The 10,806 bowling teams, with five members each plus
families and friends, are expected to spend close to $60 million in the region by the
end of the tournament in June. During the 2000 ABC tournament in Albuquerque,
N.M., bowlers dropped $60.3 million.

Most everything in Billings these days revolves around the men and women in
butterfly collars tossing balls at the MetraPark Expo Center. The Bud Light that
used to be on tap at the Montana Brewing Co. has even been replaced by a new
brew — 10 Pin Ale.

"We are definitely a big fish in a little pond," said Brian Lewis, ABC bowling
tournament director. "Have you seen the banners around town? The businesses and
local people have made our bowlers feel so welcome. The bowlers recognize that."

As the tournament passes the halfway point of its 4Þ-month stay in the Magic City,
most are savoring the additional spending and smiling at the multitude of minivans
packed with bowlers zipping around town.

"God bless the bowlers," said Kevin MacIntyre, owner of the Billings Club Sports
Bar and Grill.

Bowling for dollars

Bowlers at the tournament stay in Billings an average of three to four days. By the
end of the tournament, about 54,000 are expected to have passed through.

"The bowlers are a great boost to the economy here," said Linda Stevens, sales
director at the Sheraton Billings Hotel. "Occupancy levels have gone up 10 to 15
percent, plus our restaurants and lounges are enjoying the revenues."

At the Applebee’s across from the Metra, a steady crowd moves in and out. The
wait in line is a tad long for midafternoon on a Tuesday.

"We brought in a lot of extra help to make sure we could accommodate the
increase in business," said manager Jason Lytle.

Lytle compares the bowling traffic to having a Bulls hockey game at the Metra every
night for four months.

Scott Ostrum, daytime bartender at the Montana Brewing Co., said business is
great.

"We generally have a good lunch crowd, but now we get more business from 2 p.m.
to 5 p.m.," he said. "And they like to drink beer."

The bowlers also like Billings.

"The people are very, very courteous," said Lou Maestas of Cheyenne, a bowler who
was passing some time at the Expo Center.

His team had only positive things to say about the Big Sky experience, other than a
half-hour hunt in Wal Mart to find a watch battery. The bowlers reported eating some
tasty chicken wings and having a good time, according to Bill Jefferson, a bowler
from Aurora, Colo.

"I love it, and I love the snow," said Vicki Soper, who traveled from Richmond, Va.,
to watch her husband bowl. "It’s our vacation."

The bare, brown hills are a huge change from the miles of oak and maple trees that
Renee King sees back home.

And Soper said the highlight of the trip had to be in North Dakota, where she
passed a sign that said, "Beware of buffalo. They aren’t friendly." As a blizzard set
in, she and her husband pulled into a rest stop to wait it out.

"And I got out of the car and said, ‘Is that what I think it is?’" she said. "My husband
said, ‘Well, based on that sign, I would say so’."

Stories to tell

The 2002 ABC tournament is the fourth largest tournament ever held. It is also the
largest tournament held outside the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.

Lewis, ABC tournament director, said the Montana "mystique" seems to be drawing
in big numbers. The open arms that Billings has offered also has made a difference,
he said.

The bowlers who hail from 50 states and six countries have great stories to tell, said
Ostrum, who works at the Brewing Co.

At least one team from the Marysville, Wash., area will repeat all the stories you
would ever want to hear. They even claimed to be bowling with a John Adams,
formerly, very formerly, of Pennsylvania Avenue.

After bowling at 7 a.m. Tuesday, the group decided to pass the time around an
indoor picnic table near the food and drink counter at the Expo Center.

"It gets us out of town, and it is fun," said Ron Solberg, of Marysville.

The bowlers said the annual tournament is a chance to travel to a destination that
they wouldn’t generally pick, like Billings. Next year the "Super Bowl" of bowling
tournaments will be in Knoxville, Tenn.

Jim Lonneker of Marysville said he hopes to come back to Montana and do some
fly-fishing. And he said one of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Little Bighorn
Battlefield National Monument south of Billings.

Lonneker isn’t the only one visiting the sites. Michael Stops, chief ranger at the
Little Bighorn Battlefield, said the number of visitors has been picking up, especially
for late March.

"It may or may not be the bowlers," he said. "We have been up since early fall. It
could be the mild weather, growth in the area or the better gasoline prices."

But reasoning aside, the number of visitors in March was 7,255, compared to 5,819
visitors in March 2001. For the year to date, the number of visitors is up about 26
percent, he said.

Meat-and-potatoes people

A few blocks from the Metra, a group of seven retirees gathers daily at the Target
food counter. A cup of coffee and a cookie costs only 39 cents, making it the
premier meeting place.

A. Ivan Cottrill of Billings said he took some time to go and watch the tournament.
He struck up a conversation with a fella from New Jersey, who a few days later
e-mailed Cottrill to thank him for the hospitality Billings offered.

"We’re glad to have them here," Cottrill said.

Most of Billings seems happy to have the bowlers in town, long restaurant lines and
all.

In one busy downtown block, nine "welcome bowlers" or some other sign
expressing a variation of "bowler’s received gladly" adorned the storefronts wrapping
around the streets.

Gene Burgad, owner of The Rex restaurant, said downtown business has definitely
increased. Between five and 20 groups of bowlers are coming in every day.

"We built a couple more tables and added some extra chairs," he said. "We were
prepared. This is great. It’s a great thing for Billings and the area."

The bowlers are basic meat-and-potatoes people.

Mike Bolte, owner of the Feedlot Steakhouse in Shepherd, said meat, prime rib in
particular, is a top choice.

"We are having people here from all over," he said. "We have seen folks from New
York, Hawaii, Wisconsin."

The bowlers also know how to spread the good word. Somebody must have said the
Feedlot is tops, because, despite being a 20-minute drive from Billings, the
restaurant has done big business during the competition. Bolte also has circulated
about 600 coupons, offering ABC cardholders a discount. The prime rib cuts and the
big T-bones are increasingly popular, he said.

The casinos in Billings also have rolled out the red carpet for the tournament. The
Prairie Star Gaming Hall is adorned with a giant bowling pin on the roof.

Himmelberger Brewery in Billings brewed a special batch called Kegler’s Blonde
beer to distribute during the tournament.

"We thought it was something we could do to show our recognition and our
appreciation to the bowlers," said Dennis Himmelberger.

Wedding has to wait

Matrimony, like much else, is temporarily on hold.

Mary Aggers and her fiancé, Jeff Snell, of Billings planned to walk down the aisle in
May. But when Aggers started planning last year, she found out bowlers had dibs
on most every block of motel rooms. Aggers regrouped, postponed the wedding a
month and inserted a notice into her invitations. Because of the tournament, guests
are advised to book rooms early and expect higher prices.

"I knew the bowlers would take up a ton of rooms, but I had no idea it would be like
this," Aggers said. "It has been a real learning experience. And it is going to be
really entertaining to find a restaurant for big groups."

Billings bids

To get the tournament, Billings organizations agreed to pay ABC $500,000 over five
years. An economic development authority made the first two payments, and the
MetraPark Foundation raised $300,000. Other organizations also raised money for
the tournament.

MetraPark officials considered hosting a tournament in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
And when plans were developed to expand the Metra in the early ’90s, bowlers
offered support, but only after renovation plans were altered so the building could
accommodate multiple bowling lanes and a tournament the size of ABC’s annual
event.

In March 1996, Billings made its official pitch to land the 2002 tournament. Billings
beat out Corpus Christi, Texas; Wichita, Kan., and Milwaukee, all cities that had
previously been host cities for the tournament.

Prior to the tournament’s start on Feb. 9, 48 temporary bowling lanes, all up to
specifications, also were constructed inside the Expo Center.

More minivans

Billings also worked just as hard to get the bowlers to town.

Logan International Airport geared up for months. The airport basically switched from
winter mode into summer mode for the tournament, said Kevin Ploehn, business
manager. Airport officials also bulked up the maintenance budget at the airport to
make sure the terminals are clean and accommodating.

When the luggage conveyor belt recently broke, rumor had it all those 15-pound
bowling balls were to blame.

"Oh I haven’t heard that rumor yet," Ploehn said. "But I think there are people with
bags heavier than those bowling balls. The belt just had a problem, and the warranty
took care of it."

Nevertheless bowlers, who typically drop into town with five balls, are being charged
an additional $50 to $80 for more than two bowling balls.

Airlines are expected to run at capacity during the last half of the tournament,
Ploehn said. More out-of-state bowlers also are expected as the second half of the
tournament continues, and larger airplanes with additional seats probably will be put
into use.

The Thrifty Car Rental added 250 vehicles to its fleet, said Jeremy Vannatta,
marketing and development director. More than half of those vehicles were full-size
cars and minivans to accommodate bowling teams.

"We did some research and wanted to be proactive," Vannatta said.

The legwork has paid off.

"We have found that they are extremely good tippers," he said. "They aren’t afraid to
give a good tip for good service."

Bowling fever, indeed, is sweeping across Billings.

Bowling’s version of Hollywood’s Tom Hanks and Sissy Spacek are even swinging
by Fireside Lanes to practice in between the more distinguished MetraPark rounds.
Around town interest in bowling is picking up, said Ray Jackson, who works in the
pro shop at Fireside.

"It’s created a lot of interest for the people in Billings," he said. "There is a lot to
watch."

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20020407/localnews/84889.html

Posted in:

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.