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A Little Bit of Duckpin History

Shown here are a couple of Press Banners to be worn on the lapels from the 1930 and 1931 annual National Duckpin Congress Tournaments

K.C. and the Sunshine Band Makes Guest Appearance at Fellowship League’s 50th Anniversary

KC and the Sunshine Band performing at Martin’s Crosswinds for the 50th Anniversary celebration banquet of the Friday Fellowship League

A Dependable Historical Resource

It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Paintings are also some the world’s best, and most accurate, history tracers, as shown in this 1655 portrait by Jan Steen, which depicts the game of Ninepins as a typical recreational outlet for the average citizen. The cylindrical pins leave little doubt as to the inspiration for the game of Candlepins.

The Kegelbahn

When it came time for the sport of bowling, a/k/a “Kegel” to become an indoor sport, the game of Skittles was played inside a protective shelter, known as a Kegelbahn.

Indoor venues also include taverns and pubs, but the Kegelbahn was essentially either a standalone structure, or an annex to an existing residence or business.

The Kegelbahn was to its native land, Germany, practically what the Covered Bridge is to the USA — a valuable historical landmark for a nation’s culture.

Shown in the photo here is an older, restored European structure for the game of Skittles/Ninepins.

An Advanced Toy from the 1960s

Some of my followers may remember my raving over a bowling game from my early childhood. Well, this is it! The Eldon Bowl-a-Matic! What’s special about this product is the presence of a pinsetter, which also enables an automatic ball return. I recently saw that this game was reproduced in Tokyo, Japan, under the toy manufacturer name, “Bandai”. A lot more will be written on this in a soon-to-be-included article here.

Shown here is one of the early 1960s newspaper advertisements for the Eldon Bowl-a-Matic

The European Game of Kegel (Ninepins)

In the areas of Germany and Hungary (and others close-by) resides the popular, tournament game of Kegel. Different from the North American games are a couple of specifics taking place at the foul line. First, notice the cord across the foul line. A fairly delivered ball must roll underneath the cord. And secondly, bowlers don’t slide at the line, but rather they come to a complete stop and plant their foot at delivery.

A Nice Article on Earl Anthony
(From Bowling Digest in 1991)

Rubberband Duckpins in Quebec

Note the cord stretching across the lane several feet beyond the foul line, insuring the ball isn’t lofted too far down the alley. This most certainly goes a long way to preserve the lane surface.

WorldLeagues’ Website Gets a Facelift

The WorldLeagues.Net site has been minorly modified. On the home page are now a couple of videos for the public’s consumption. On the left side is a daily offering of randomly selected videos from the web. On Mondays will be Duckpins, then Tenpin Tuesdays, Candlepin Wednesdays, Rubberband Duckpin Thursdays, Fivepin Fridays, International Saturdays, and Celebrity Sundays. On the right side will be a daily selected clip from This Day in Bowling History’s podcast.

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