Roger Dalkin, who earned Miami Herald All-City honors while bowling at North Miami High in 1967 and '68, is going to raise the bar for any executive who runs a sports organization by entering two big tournaments.
It's no joke: Roger Dalkin can flat out bowl, even at age 50.
Most people who know Dalkin, executive director of the 1.8 million member American Bowling Congress, picture him sitting behind a desk in Greendale, Wis., where the ABC national offices are located.
But come January, Dalkin is going to put aside his executive duties and fly to Reno, Nev., to compete in two tournaments at the National Bowling Stadium—the ABC Senior Masters (Jan. 2-6) and FIQ (Federation Internationale des Quilleurs) International Senior Open (Jan. 7-14).
"Many times the head of a sports organization has little involvement in the actual sport," said Dalkin, who won the 1971 AMF World Cup in Hong Kong. "As you know, bowling is my life, and I love to compete."
Dalkin, who was selected as North Miami High's Silver Knight winner in athletics in his senior year, has no illusions about winning.
"I would love to make the cut and take my chances in the match play portion of the tournaments," said the right-hander who bowls in two leagues a week. "Endurance definitely will be a factor because I have not bowled that many games at one time in many years. I do plan to run, exercise, and bowl more so that I don't embarrass myself."
Dalkin is from the old school like Don Carter and Dick Weber and plans to take only two balls to the tournament rather than six or eight, which is the custom today with most players. "I am taking two instead of one is because my ABC bag is a two-ball bag," said Dalkin, who carries a high league average of 232 in what he refers to as a "recreational league." In other words, the lanes are easy to hit and roll high games.
"I adjust speed, hand positions, and my line to throw strikes," Dalkin said. After the tournaments are over, I would like to think that the other bowlers will have a new respect for the position that I hold at the American Bowling Congress."
One thing is sure: Anybody who competes in the inaugural FIQ is going to have new respect for the international amateur organization.
"In creating international events, we found we had neglected our senior bowlers (50 and over)," said Jerry Koenig, president of FIQ. "Our rules in this International Senior Open will not be so rigid because we want everyone to have fun." In other words, bowlers do not have to go through qualifying competition in their native countries to enter. All they have to do is sign up.
Competition will be divided by age brackets—50 to 56, 57 to 66, and 67 and over—and will include singles, doubles, mixed doubles, and four-player teams.
A gala opening ceremony is planned, and a giant banquet will be staged after the final ball has been rolled in this first international amateur event for seniors. The Reno/Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority plans to roll out the red carpet for the international cast, and most of the hotels/casinos in Reno have thrown their financial support behind the event. It should be a winner.
To enter, call 719/636-2695 or visit the FIQ Web site. The deadline for entering is Dec. 31.
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Showboat is now Castaways — Over the past 30 years, the 106-lane Showboat Bowling Center in Las Vegas gained an international reputation through its tournament association with the Professional Bowlers Association, the Women's International Bowling Congress, and the High Roller organization.
But that has changed. The new name of the old Showboat hotel/casino/bowling center will be the Castaways, which was the name Howard Hughes used when he built his defunct hotel on the Strip not long after World War II.
VSS Enterprises, which bought the Showboat from Harrah's Entertainment, had a year to select a new name under the purchase agreement. The name Castaways was big in Las Vegas and Miami Beach back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Speaking of Las Vegas, a new 70-lane bowling center will open at Texas Station Dec. 15. Unlike most large cities in the United States, bowling is growing right along with the exploding population in Las Vegas.
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Bongiorno back and running — In the old days, PBA players would call Sal Bongiorno back in Hollywood, Fla., for tips about which greyhounds they should bet in the casino's sports books. He was not always right, but his old tour buddies had faith in Bongiorno's knowledge of racing greyhounds.
No longer, Bongiorno has returned to the tour as a cashing PBA Senior player. And he's getting better with each event.
Bongiorno, who made cameo appearances on the regular tour in his young days, won his only title in Portland, Ore., way back in 1975.
Dick Evans is a member of the ABC and PBA Halls of Fame.