Brunswick Quantum Skins Game

With the re-release of the Brunswick Quantum coming up, I received several messages and reminders of the 1993 Quantum Challenge Skins Match. On the telecast were Brian Tinsley, Lonnie Waliczek, Mike Neumann, and myself. I honestly don’t remember all the details of how I qualified for the event. I do remember there was semi-finals with three game total pins with about 60 bowlers. I was fortunate enough to finish in the top four and make the telecast. And I will tell you that during that show were some of the most intense shots I have ever thrown in my bowling career.

As part of the semi-finals, each bowler was required to use one of the three Quantums that were on the market at that time. There was a Navy and Green, which were both reactive, and a Scarlet which was urethane. I already had a Green Quantum in my bag. I did drill the Navy and Burgundy for the semi-finals however. I ended up using the Navy Quantum all 3 games of the semi-finals.

The format on the show was a skins format. In a skins format no spares are shot. It’s all about strikes! The total amount we were bowling for was $22,500 and a brand new Bayliner Boat. Each frame was worth a different dollar amount with the first frame being worth $500 and going up to $10,000 for the 10th frame. If two bowlers strike in a frame, then all tie and the money from that frame is carried over to the next frame. However, each of us still took our turn in the rotation to try and throw a strike. The bowler with the most amount of strikes at the end of the match won the boat. So even if you didn’t win a skin, you could still win the boat. So every shot mattered.

Also adding to the excitement of the telecast was who was part of the announcing team. Denny Schriener, who was the announcer for many years of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the PBA Tour telecast on ESPN, and Hall of Fame bowler Johnny Petraglia. Johnny was one of my bowling idols as a kid growing up and watching the PBA Tour on Saturday afternoons on ABC Sports. To meet Johnny for the first time was a privilege. To now call him a friend is an honor.

If you have never seen the show, I really don’t want to give anything away. But let’s just say there was quite a bit of money carried over until the 10th frame. I bowled ok on the show. Not great. But I did throw some good shots at key times. My favorite shot on the show was the 9th frame. Let’s just say it was one of my better shots of my career.

Hard to believe that was 23 years ago. I look at some people in the audience and they are friends that I still keep in contact with to this day. Good times and lifetime friends from the great sport of bowling.