THUNDER BAY -- A group of passionate bowlers from across Canada congregated in Thunder Bay for the week to compete and celebrate their love of the game.
In the end, it was Geoff Born of Team Manitoba who won the week’s final event -- the men’s singles’ -- for the first time in his career.
He’s been bowling for 51 years, and he’s finished second place two times in the Master Bowlers Association of Canada Nationals.
This year was different.
“When you fantasize about bowling, this what you think of,” Born said. “I needed two strikes to win. I just needed to keep the ball in the middle.”
He trailed Bradly Tytgat of Team Alberta for most of the 10 frames, but made a comeback down the stretch.
“I wiped away the memory of bad shots, made an adjustment and dwelled on those good ones.”
Born won two of the three games, and edged out Tytgat in the final frame by three points.
Team members of every province made for a raucous crowd inside the cramped confines of the Superior Bowladrome. Nearly every shot of the carried the intensity of a championship throw.
“I was trying to pretend I was practicing on Sunday nights,” Born said in regards to how he stayed calm in the hectic environment. “It was electric. I was so happy everybody was making so much noise.”
When the throw did come, the entire association was there to celebrate with him.
“We’re all a big community in general,” president of MBA Ontario Mike McNamara said. “Even though we’re opponents, at the end of the day we celebrate.”
“Everyone’s family. From the plane, to getting there, and bowling through tournaments throughout the year… it’s fantastic,” Melissa Llewellyn said.
In the women's singles’ event, it was Llewellyn of Team Ontario who came out on top.
“I’ve been bowling since I was two years old,” she said. “It’s a great feeling. It’s incredible to see everybody ”
As a whole, the six-day event was a resounding success for bowlers and organizers alike.
“There were zero problems this week,” McNamara said. “Everything is ran well at every bowling centre here in town.”
