LIHUE — Todd Ozaki said they signed up three new bowlers Sunday at the Kauai Bowling Concept in Lihue. The Kauai Junior Blazing Bowlers started its league with a roster of about 25 young bowlers ranging from 6 years old
LIHUE — Todd Ozaki said they signed up three new bowlers Sunday at the Kauai Bowling Concept in Lihue.
The Kauai Junior Blazing Bowlers started its league with a roster of about 25 young bowlers ranging from 6 years old to 20 years old.
“We have the older bowlers being team captains,” said Ozaki, one of four coaches. “Their primary task is to help the younger and more inexperienced bowlers with the sport. The team captains take their responsibility seriously, and it’s a good feeling to watch them help the younger bowlers progress.”
The league meets Sundays from 1 p.m. and there is a weekly fee of $10.
Format is three-person team with a portion of the time spent on stretching, team instruction, and bowling.
Registration is open to anyone wanting to learn the sport of bowling.
Ozaki said the coaches — Marilou Knight, Becky Williams, and Collyne Murata — are experienced bowlers and collaborate to create new challenges while keeping the game fun.
“The coaches, some of whom are former pro bowlers, love to work with the young bowlers and do it voluntarily,” he said.
Among play Sunday, the first day of the league, two of the bowlers demonstrated their two-handed technique.
“This is a new type of bowling which was made famous by the No. 1 bowler, Australian Jason Belmonte who is considered the Tiger Woods of bowling,” Ozaki said. “You use two hands to launch the ball. I only recently tried adapting my bowling to this style which gives you more power and makes the sport much more exciting.”
Shayden Peralta, 11, said he learned the style from his father after bowling for about six years. Kaikoa Carvalho-Ki‘ilau said he has been bowling for less than a year and likes the style.
“We call ourselves the Two-Handed Bandits,” Carvalho-Ki‘ilau said.
Another bowler, Dana Murata, is an eighth grade student at Kapaa Middle School. She hopes to make the Kapaa High School bowling team when she gets there.
“I want to bowl for them,” Murata said. “But it’s up to the coaches. I just hope I am good enough.”
Murata, in April, won the 12 and Under division at the Pepsi tournament, considered one of the top bowling tournaments in Hawaii, Ozaki said.
“The win earned her eligibility to participate in the national tournament in Indiana,” Ozaki said. “She only recently returned from that tournament that is considered the best in the country.”
During the four-day preliminaries, Murata met some pro bowlers.
“On the first day, I was so nervous, I was actually shaking,” she said. “But I got better as I bowled.”
Ian Luis is one of the players who already graduated from high school.
“He was the No. 1 boys bowler for Kauai High School when he graduated in 2015,” Ozaki said. “But he’s still bowling and loves working with the younger bowlers.”
Ozaki said the teams usually bowl three games each week, the program ending around 3 p.m.
However, he said bowlers have the option of bowling more games because the coaches are still around.
Information: Todd Ozaki (647-1292), Marilou Knight (651-7220), Becky Williams (651-5884), Collyne Murata (635-9337).
