One of the first to go was New College Park Bowl, where I worked for a year as a Manager Trainee, and later for a brief stint as Manager while AMF shuffled around management candidates before finally deciding upon Mike Monyak. With the exception of Sam’s Town, all of the bowling centers that were in existence when I lived in Las Vegas are gone.
The Showboat was also one of the most famous stops on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, where many pro’s gave up the fight and decided to retire in the city known for high temperatures, lo w living expenses, and a fascination with bowlers.Īs Bob Johnson (former editor of the California Bowling News, and now Senior Editor of Bowlers Journal International) looked back upon the Showboat in a recent article entitled “Ghosts of the Showboat” (Bowlers Journal International, December 2018), I could not help but reminisce about the years of enjoyment that I had working in bowling’s 21st century capital.
For anyone that is over the age of 40, the name Showboat conjures up the game of bowling, where thousands of Californian’s enjoyed their sweeper bowling event, from leagues that promoted a weekend in Las Vegas following a season of bowling enjoyment in their hometown.
