The impact of bowling at Grinnell

Within the rugged white walls of the Bowladrome, Grinnell’s only bowling alley, meaningful, positive relationships have formed throughout its years of operation. The Bowladrome is not simply defined by the immense ball and pin effigy above the door, the colorful jukebox inside or by Buffy’s bar. 

“Bowling is empowerment”, said Emma Kumano-Maloney `25. “Watching those pins fall gives me a sense of grandeur, of power.”

Justin Kim `28 tightens his grip around the ball as he draws back to strike during a bowling class at the Bowladrome. (Chhayachhay Chhom)

The Bowladrome opened in 1947 and was bought by Joseph Buffum in 1956. The Buffum family has owned and operated this venerable institution ever since. Mike Kriegel, Joseph’s grandson and the current manager of the Bowladrome, has been working in the alley since he was 16. 

“I grew up here,” said Kriegel. “I’ve been running around here since I was a little kid.” Grinnell community members, professors at the College, students, teams from Eldora, Montezuma and other farflung Iowan towns, and out-of-state teams from Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana all arrive at the Bowladrome, either on Saturday open-play nights or to participate in the bowling league, which meets every other night. 

“My favorite part of running the Bowladrome is that I get to meet so many different people from different cultures,” said Kriegel.

From 2010 to 2019, Professor Erik Simpson competed on a team of Grinnell College faculty, friends and students  every Wednesday night in the Bowladrome league. 

“We did take the bowling seriously,” wrote Professor Simpson, in an email to The S&B “We all learned a lot about the sport, and at the team’s peak, we hung in there pretty well.” 

Simpson recalled that although team conversations mostly centered around families, home lives and bowling itself, every now and then the nerdiness of being a professor at a liberal arts college would express itself ––

“I remember one Wednesday night where [Professor] Joe Mileti,our best bowler, spent about an hour and a half trying to help the rest of us understand the nature of various kinds of mathematical infinities,” he wrote. It was a great conversation, minds were blown –– bowling performances for the night however, were unfortunately ruined.”

Each semester for the last 15 years, Coach Brian Jaworski, the head coach of Grinnell’s men’s soccer team, has taught a physical education bowling course at the Bowladrome, which he describes as a “really good physical exercise, even if it doesn’t seem like it.” 

“My office is north of 10th Avenue,” said Jaworski. “So I don’t often get to meet a lot of the student body. In the bowling class, I get to play with and against students, and bring a sense of camaraderie.” His mentality regarding the course is simple –– it is a space to enjoy yourself, and to receive instruction, if you want it. “I bring positive energy, and don’t take myself too seriously,” he clarified.

“Coach Jaws changed my life,” Kumano-Maloney, who has taken three semesters of the bowling course, said “That man can make you feel really good about a really awful bowling session.”

One of the most pivotal moments in recent Grinnell bowling memory is when Lilli Lewis `25 triumphed over Jaworski. “We were all like, show him how it’s done, Lilli,” said Kumano-Maloney. 

“I had this really focused mindset against him, which I didn’t have as much while playing against anyone else,” said Lewis. “I was at the very top of my game playing against him.” The game ended with Coach Jaws scoring in the 150s, and Lewis scoring in the 170s.

Although camaraderie and enjoyment are the primary aims, sincerely improving at bowling is important to most students in the course, and bowling tips are willingly shared. Tips such as, “Bowl as straight down the lane as possible” and “Wind up your body so that your arm is over the track when you release,” were provided by Lewis.

Oscar Angell `25 unfurls his fingers as the ball leaves his grasp during a bowling class at the Bowladrome. (Chhayachhay Chhom)

““Don’t aim for the gutter, you moron,” said Kumano-Maloney, sharing her key bowling tip.

“The hottest people you know are probably bowlers,” said Kumano-Maloney. This hotness of bowlers appears to be nurtured by the welcoming atmosphere of the Bowladrome. 

“Mike lets students play the jukebox for free during the class,” said Coach Jaws. Kesha is a popular pick, conducive to bowling and a bearer of good luck for many students. Coach Jaws is known to lean more towards 80s power-pop like Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. 

“Mike remembers shoe sizes, provides free water,” said Lewis, “He’s really a sweetheart.” 

Over the years, the business of bowling, which peaked in the American Midwest in the 1960s, has changed. “Everything’s gotten expensive,” said Kriegel, “business gets really slow.” The Bowladrome still attracts 300 to 400 customers a week, and Grinnellians still love bowling. “My bowling balls and shoes are still in the garage, waiting to get back in action,” wrote Professor Simpson. 

“Bowling made me a better, happier, more fulfilled person,” added Kumano-Maloney. “The Bowladrome has my fucking heart. I’d rather be bowling right now.”