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EBONITE INTERNATIONAL DOMINATES USBC OPEN
Sep 21, 2010
The winning team of the Regular Division of the 2010 USBC Open Championship was nearly an all Ebonite International brand affair with four of the five team members using three of the company’s four bowling ball brands.
The winning team, Bowlers Edge Pro Shop, was comprised of Brad Kuhr, Tim Rice, Dan Paul, Kenny Kempf and Jason Wendt.
A Columbia 300 staff player Kuhr rolled 653 to add to the team’s 3408 total.
“I started out using the Columbia 300 Full Swing for early control and to play straighter with the boards, but switched to the Bedlam to move in and open up the lane,” he said.
The move reaped excellent rewards.
“The balls worked perfectly,” he said. “When I switched to the Bedlam I struck 16 out of the last 18 balls.”
Kuhr said that having Columbia 300 products in his bowling bag gives him an advantage on the lanes, regardless of conditions.
“They have a great mix of bowling balls that give you a full complement of options to play on any lane conditions,” he said. “I am proud to be a part of the Columbia 300 family and part of Ebonite International.”
Track staff member Dan Paul was another member of the USBC Open Championship team.
“I’ve been a Track-only bowler for at least the last 20 years; since they were in Ohio in the early 90’s,” he said. “They make the best balls on the market.”
Paul started out using his 930T, which is always his go-to ball on a fresh set of lanes, whether he is bowling a tournament or league, he said. As the lanes began to break down, he moved to the 715C for a little more backend performance.
Paul added 637 for his team’s victory.
Although not staff members, Jason Wendt and Tim Rice both used the Ebonite Mission.
Wendt, who led the team in scoring with a 727 series, said he used the Mission during the last two team events.
“It’s a very aggressive ball and doesn’t over-react in the backend of the lane,” he said. “I’ve always had very good luck with Ebonite in the past. The Mission is very versatile. You can play inside or on the outside. It’s definitely a ball to have in your arsenal.”
Wendt said he was most definitely going to give the Mission 2.0 a try when it releases Oct. 7.
Tim Rice, who added 716 to the team’s score, has always been an Ebonite man.
“I’ve tried some of the others, but I always come back to Ebonite,” he said. “You always go back to your favorite brand.”
Rice had two Missions for the USBC Open Championship, each with a different drilling and a slightly different finish for when lane conditions changed, he said.
“I used it all nine games and it performed as expected,” he said. “I’d had both balls for a couple of weeks and I’d also bowled the PBA Experience league so I was prepared.”
Three members of the Bowlers Edge Pro Shop team — Kuhr, Rice and Wendt — were part of the team when it won the USBC Open in 2003 in Knoxville.
For Paul, though, the experience remains surreal.
“It’s a dream come true,” he said. “It’s unbelievable and an incredible experience. Winning a tournament is something I’ve been trying to accomplish since I was 18 years old and to finally do that, to get an Eagle, it’s incredible.”
The team will defend its title at the 2011 USBC Open Championships in April.
About Ebonite International
Ebonite International is a privately-owned company that services bowling centers, distributors and retail outlets domestically and internationally. The company’s consumer product brands include Ebonite,Hammer,Robby’s,Columbia 300,Track and Powerhouse™; its commercial product brand is Ebonite Bowling Center Direct.
