Story and photos by Eric Gorton, contributor
String bowling has arrived in Harrisonburg.
The emerging technology for resetting bowling pins connected to strings is being added to the bowling alley at 3106 S. Main St., formerly named Valley Lanes.
So far, six of the 32 lanes at Interstate Bowl North, the alley’s new name, have been converted to string pinsetters where the pins are tethered throughout play; the rest continue to feature free-falling pins set by traditional mechanical pinsetters. Another eight or so lanes could be converted to string pinsetters by next spring, said Shawn Lavender, who purchased the bowling center Sept. 1 from Roth Enterprises. Eventually, all 32 lanes will be converted, he said.
Lavender and his family also own Interstate Bowl in Bristol, Virginia and renamed Valley Lanes to have consistent branding between their two operations. The new pinsetters are part of a complete overhaul of the bowling alley that has been in business since 1960. Lavender said Interstate Bowl North is the first bowling alley in the Shenandoah Valley to install string pinsetters.
Joining Lavender in running Interstate Bowl North are his wife, Sharon, and their children, Maddy, Colton and Riley.
Lavender said he’s not making changes to court a different clientele than Valley Lanes, “just chasing the family atmosphere, where if the family wants to come out and bowl or they want to come out and watch a game there’s a very nice, clean environment for them to come out and be entertained.”
In addition to the new string pin lanes, Interstate Bowl North already sports freshly painted walls and new 75-inch TVs in the bar, which has a new menu. New flooring, carpeting and seating will be installed in the coming months and a new arcade will feature about 40 games. Lavender also will be adding more lighting for moonlight bowling, he said, and adding inventory to the pro shop.
Fiber has been installed to improve the Wi-Fi experience and a new, modern website, where customers will be able to book events and find information, will be coming online soon. Interstate Bowl North can be found on Facebook.
Lavender, 55, got his start in bowling at a young age after his father purchased Wayne Lanes in Waynesboro. He’s optimistic he can have success at Interstate Bowl North. “My belief is that it’s all about customer service and trying to do the right thing, and if you treat people right and you provide a good product, they’ll come out,” he said. “We’re into pushing birthday parties, group outings and things like that.”
Interstate Bowl North has hosted the Rocktown High School football and volleyball teams for events and a James Madison University sorority. Another sorority event has been booked. Also on the books is the long-running “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” fundraiser for Big Brothers, Big Sisters in February. This summer the center will begin a “KIDSBOWLFREE” promotion where children under 18 can bowl two free games a day. Sign-ups for the program will start in March. A family pass will be offered so parents can bowl with their children, Lavender said.
Open bowlers, who come in only occasionally for fun, most likely won’t notice a difference between string pins and free-falling pins that have been used since the alley’s beginning. Among league bowlers nationwide, though, string pins have been controversial because they react differently than free-falling pins. Studies have shown bowlers make fewer strikes with string pins and face more multi-pin spare situations. String pins untouched by the ball or other pins are knocked over by the strings on occasion.
Lavender, a member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), says he understands the skepticism from league bowlers. “I’m a bowler so I get it,” he said. “I like the free falls, but this is business.”
String pinsetters cost significantly less to maintain and cause fewer in-game disruptions due to mechanical hiccups. Developed in the 1960s and common in Europe and other parts of the world, the stringsetters have about 75 moving parts compared to hundreds in the mechanical pinsetting systems. In addition to being costly to maintain, mechanics who service the free-fall pinsetters are getting harder to find.
“You run out of people and I can’t do it all nor do I want to,” Lavender said. “I did that from when I was a kid, I crawled on those machines probably until I was 40, 45. I don’t want to do that much more.”
The string machines Lavender is having installed are certified by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) and the PBA.
“It’s not like I’m doing something that’s crazy. Just trying to get people to understand it’s all about the experience, and when we’re talking about open bowlers, if their experience is good, they come back, if it’s not, they don’t,” he said.
Interstate Bowl North opens daily at noon. A tournament on the string lanes is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 28.
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