Life is Just a Bowl

by Jim Provenzano
Bay Area Reporter

Japantown is Mecca for lesbian and gay bowlers. It's a fun safe place to have a good game. But on any given Monday night, chances are you won't get a lane, unless you're one of over 700 bowlers in a lesbian and gay league.

"We started working on this since 1994," said Team rep Miguel Thurman. "We started with eight teams, and in the last five seasons, we grew to 20 teams, and often fill the entire space of Japantown bowl." Out of that group of 100 over half are going to Amsterdam. "It's a very good mix of men and women, and some of the best in our bowling community," said Thurman. "It's attracted a high caliber" of bowlers.

Despite losing many members to AIDS in the last decade, and a period where they didn't re-group, the league has thrived, and has consistently won six to eight medals per Games.

Thurman says he has 63 registered bowlers ready to bowl their way into Amsterdam. "We have primarily A and B division bowlers. Out of that group I think we have at least five bowlers who have an over 200 average. 25-30 bowl over 180, which means we should hopefully bring home some medals."

But Thurman emphasizes that the competitive aspect is not the focus, and considers bowling is "more of a social sport." Bowlers' teams vary from trios to five-men leagues, a women's business league, and several community leagues.

Thurman has been bowling for 20 years. He received a Cable Car Award in 1996 as Bowler of the Year. Other outstanding bowlers include Sara Lewenstein, Don George, Debbie Carmona, and Tim Kneis.

Previously from Washington DC, where he bowled as well, but stopped for a few years, Thurman moved to the Bay Area six years ago. He re-discovered gay bowling through volunteer work with the AIDS Health Project. "It was a nice way of meeting people through volunteering."

Thurman is quick to credit the help of others in the league who have made it such a success, such as Rudy Maglenty, a league organizer, and Kathy Patterson, who has acted as President, as Thurman did, for several years. Bowler Chuck Verana helped develop the savings plan program, which helps bowlers store away money to offset fees and expense of Gay Games.

"Bowling lends itself to camaraderie more than other sports," he said. "You have an opportunity to get to know people at a leisurely pace, you're able to get to know you're fellow players more than other sports. Our community is also very active in the charity work, for AIDS causes, such as SFBEAR, the Bowler Emergency Aid Relief fund, which is perpetuated from weekly donations for bowlers with life-threatening diseases. "

How are the preparations for Amsterdam? "We're psyched. I think a lot of people are thinking more about it, now that 1998 is here, finally. We're all excited. It's wonderful to have the mother of the games with us," he said, speaking of multi-medal athlete Sara Lewenstein, a co-founder of Gay Games.

"The only thing being worked on is airfare," said Thurman. "Plus working on our own skills, and purchasing new equipment. One key feature in our sport is to gain more experience on synthetic lanes. Japantown Bowl has only wooden lanes. We encourage people to practice at places like Serra Bowl in Colma, and Sea Bowl in Pacifica, which have synthetic lanes." The lanes at the Amsterdam facility are synthetic. "With synthetic lanes, you tend to have to slow the ball. It's more exact. Conditions don't allow for as much leeway. I consider synthetic lanes unforgiving. You have to be more accurate."

This includes getting bowling balls that work well under versatile conditions. "Certain balls are good on all conditions, but tend to be more expensive A really high quality ball can $175 to $300."

Thurman adds that the pro shop at Japantown has been generous with helping bowlers make their equipment work. "It helps with the high caliber of bowling you see." Perfect games have been rolled in the 700 series, which means a bowler's averaging 233 or higher per game in a three-game series. You have to be rolling a lot of strikes.

Japantown bowl is a favorite hangout for the ten gay leagues that now bowl there. So much so that Japantown Bowl has offered to sponsor and donated $2800. So the teams will have official shirts and other backing.

Thurman says it's "their gratitude for filling the Monday night lanes for over four years. I guess that was their way of saying thank you. There's already been discussion for after returning from Amsterdam that the league will be re-named Sydney 2002. There's a kind of precedent that's gonna continue."

For more about bowling in San Francisco, call Don George at (415) 255-9401 or Miguel Thurman at (415) 771-6677.