Bowled Over

“‘You guys are in first place,’ and we all went hog wild.”

Matt Landis, Bowler from Walden, Colorado 

Photo by Stefan Grazer

Walden, Colorado (population 594) is so small it doesn’t have a stoplight, but it does have a bowling alley. And that’s all it took to get this little town on the map. Well, that and five guys with some wickedly good bowling abilities.

The five guys bowl together at the Paradise Lanes bowling alley in Walden. They decided to take their game on the road and pit their talents against the best of the best at the national championships in Reno, Nevada. This tournament is not for the weak or the impatient; it goes on for six months. The guys from Walden had their turn in March. They bowled a solid set—knocking down a score of 2,910—but then had to face the toughest part: waiting. Ten thousand teams across the country took their shot at the title, and the action wrapped up last month. When the final pins were counted, the five guys from Walden, Colorado came home with the trophy and bragging rights as the best in the country.

Hey guys, now that you’ve won the national bowling championship, what are you going to do? Going to Disney? Nope, not these guys. They’re planning a trip to a tattoo parlor to commemorate the occasion, as soon as they can agree on a design.

Read the article ® Small town of Walden home of national bowling champs