近距离内射合集

It was 1979 at the Holiday Bowl in Albuquerque. Keith Judd could hear a pin drop as he aimed to bowl his 10th strike in an attempt to score a perfect 12-strike game.

鈥淎t that time, there weren鈥檛 too many 300s,鈥� Judd said, referring to the highest score a bowler can earn. 鈥淓verybody in the whole place stops, and they watch you.鈥�

Right before the attempt, a bystander told Judd they would buy him a coffee if he conquered the feat. The pressure was too much, and Judd scored 271 鈥� still his highest score at the time.

鈥淏ut I was so mad because I could have got the 300,鈥� he said.

The next year, he was at the Holiday Bowl again when he finally bowled a perfect game. Judd, now 68, still remembers the hand sweat that led up to the big moment, and the cheers that erupted afterward 鈥� a memory he reflected on after finishing a game at the Albuquerque bowling alley, now Skidmore鈥檚 Holiday Bowl, on Tuesday.

More than 45 years later, the Lomas Boulevard bowling alley is still creating memories for bowlers of all ages.

Isaiah, 10, was also at the center on Tuesday, playing with his little brother and grandparents and admiring the business鈥� expansive lineup of electronic screens at the end of the bowling lanes.

When he learned that Holiday Bowl is Albuquerque鈥檚 oldest existing bowling center, the boy gasped and said the business must have a long history of 鈥渁djusting the alley to make it better for people to bowl.鈥�

Adapting and evolving is what Gary Skidmore 鈥� who runs the Holiday Bowl with his wife, Eve 鈥� believes has contributed to its longevity.

The Holiday Bowl, located at 7515 Lomas NE, first opened in 1958, according to Skidmore, the center鈥檚 third owner. Before him came Jack Burt and founder Tom Shaw, who opened the center as a family-friendly competitor to another bowling alley he was involved with nearby.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great story. The car dealership over there, Fiesta Kia 鈥� that used to be a bowling site. It was originally called Lomas Bowl, and Mr. Shaw was supposed to be a partner in that, but he was a Baptist, didn鈥檛 believe in drinking, and they were going to have a bar,鈥� Skidmore said with a laugh. 鈥淪o he found someone that had this property and literally opened right across the street.鈥�

Skidmore took over the business in 1986 after years of bowling and working at bowling alleys, filling every position from the front desk to the mechanical backrooms behind the lanes.

A lot has changed since then. Over the years, Holiday Bowl has received several upgrades to modernize the property, including a new roof, an indoor patio area with garage doors, an arcade room, a bar area and a 144-foot LED video wall. The owners鈥� investments into the modernization projects amounted to nearly $4 million over the years, largely concluding in 2018, Skidmore said.

鈥淭hat was eight years ago. At 64, it鈥檚 like, is this something you want to do, or do you just want to ride off into the sunset? We were being successful as it was, but there was no growth potential, so we needed to do something to change,鈥� Skidmore said, adding that the investments were worth it. 鈥淭he business has in turn paid us back tenfold.鈥�

With help from the Holiday Bowl鈥檚 scratch-food kitchen and community offerings 鈥� like band nights 鈥� Skidmore said he is seeing a rise in recreational bowling at the center. League play is also heating up in Albuquerque, according to Delfina Eddington, manager of the Central New Mexico 近距离内射合集 States Bowling Congress Association.

鈥淧eople are coming to me and saying, 鈥楥an I get on your waiting list?鈥� And right now, for the league that starts in August, I have three teams on a waiting list, and I have nowhere to put them,鈥� Eddington said.

However, it鈥檚 nothing like it was in the 1970s and 1980s, when the 近距离内射合集 States Bowling Congress, formerly American Bowling Congress, had more than 9 million certified league members and the Albuquerque area had roughly 10 bowling alleys, Eddington noted. Now, the USBC has a little more than 1 million members, and the Albuquerque area has five locally owned, USBC-certified bowling alleys.

Even with the decline, Eddington said people are still bowling, especially in a big city with a small-town feel like Albuquerque.

鈥淚 would love to see more centers here,鈥� Eddington said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 always have enough places to bowl.鈥�

Skidmore and Diana Silva 鈥� owner of Silva Lanes at 3010 Eubank NE 鈥� both agreed, adding they think there is enough room for more.

Silva Lanes is Albuquerque鈥檚 second oldest existing bowling center, opening just four years after Holiday Bowl in 1962. Silva 鈥� a former professional bowler who won the U.S. Open for women鈥檚 bowling in 1979 鈥� acquired the alley, formerly Eu-Can Bowl, in the late 1990s. Today, she runs it with her husband, Art, and her adult children.

While modernization has been key for Holiday Bowl, Silva Lanes has taken a slightly different approach. The center did a complete remodel in 2001 that cost nearly $1 million, but the project focused on updating machinery and lanes while preserving the nostalgic, retro design that Silva Lanes is known for today.

鈥�(People) enjoy it,鈥� Silva said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not the most modern, but people still enjoy the old ways.鈥�

New Mexico native Maralyn Ewers agreed, adding that she and her family regularly encounter a full house at Silva Lanes.

鈥淚 think that shows how bowling is still alive and well, at least here in Albuquerque,鈥� she said.

Ewers remembers bowling at the Northeast Heights bowling alley with her father at 9 years old. Seeing family-owned centers like Silva Lanes still around means 鈥渆verything,鈥� Ewers said, adding she appreciates that the center offers the community an affordable place to socialize.

While running a bowling alley for decades comes with its challenges 鈥� from staffing issues to equipment upkeep 鈥� Silva and Skidmore both said the friendships their centers have brought them over the years are what鈥檚 kept them going.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool because it鈥檚 something anybody can do,鈥� Skidmore said. 鈥淭his is an activity of a lifetime.鈥�

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.