AROUND HOME : Bumper Bowl

BUMPER BOWL WAS the brainchild of a Texas bowling center proprietor, Phil Kinzer, who used carpet rolls and even sandbags to create a game of bowling in which a gutter ball was impossible. The idea became such a success (especially for children’s games) that it went national almost immediately, and the makeshift methods soon began to be replaced by inflatable vinyl tubes manufactured solely for the purpose of blocking gutters.

“Bowling is a family activity, and bumper lanes make it possible for every member to participate,” says Bob Johnson, tournament coordinator for the Southern California Bowling Proprietors’ Assn. There are now bumper-bowl leagues for bowlers between the ages of 4 through 8. Children even younger can get in on the act if they can manage the 6- to 7-pound ball.

The number of bumper-bowl leagues is growing as rapidly as the members (who then graduate to the juvenile leagues). Saturday morning is the busiest time slot, but some bowling centers also feature after-school and early-evening bumper-bowl league opportunities. (Several bowling center managers claim to be too busy to bother with the little leagues. Others admit they’re not located in areas with a big supply of young families, and so have little demand for bumper bowl.)

Bumper-bowl lanes are often available at certain bowling centers during open bowling hours so that entire families can bowl together. A bumper-bowl lane can be set up at no extra charge, but bowlers should telephone ahead of time to make arrangements.

Bowling centers that offer bumper bowl (and some bumper-bowl leagues) include Mar Vista Bowl in Mar Vista; Midtown Bowling in Los Angeles; Sports Center Bowl in Studio City; Panorama Bowl in Panorama City; Corbin Bowl in Tarzana; Woodlake Bowl in Woodland Hills; Covina Bowl in Covina; Concourse Bowl in Riverside, Buena Lanes in Ventura; Orchid Bowl in Goleta; Orange Bowl in Orange; Garden Square Bowl in Garden Grove; Westminster Lanes in Westminster, Frontier Lanes in San Diego. Make sure to call ahead for bumper-bowl hours.