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Author Topic: Remembering the Showboat  (Read 8592 times)

bradl

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Remembering the Showboat
« on: January 16, 2014, 05:41:57 PM »

Something interesting, historic, and entertaining at the same time.

As we all know, Las Vegas loves to do things over the top. That is why some people have a young boy's dream job: Make money to blow stuff up.

In 1993, to build the Bellagio, Steve Wynn blew up (actually, imploded) Dunes. In 1997, for Mandalay Bay, they blew up Hacienda. More hotels followed: Aladdin. El Rancho. Imperial Palace. Sands.

In following that tradition, an anniversary really went unnoticed in the bowling world. 5 days ago, it was 8 years to the day that the Castaways Hotel and Casino was blown up (imploded).

For those not old enough to know about it, the Castaways was the Showboat Hotel and Casino, host to many a PBA, PWBA, LPBT, and Collegiate tournament. I bowled many a tournament there myself. If I remember correctly, it was a 106-lane facility, which you could walk through the place and smell the history of greats who had won there. Everyone from Salvino to Anthony, Roth to Aulby, Weber to Voss, Mazza to Williams, to the Showboat's last winner, Lonnie Walicek.

Here's a couple of good articles on the 'Boat, its tournament, and the effect of its closure on the PBA and bowling world:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/1997/mar/07/pba-tour-visits-showboat/

http://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/597

Even more so, what brought this up was an article in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal, which has video of the last 3 casinos that were imploded in Vegas; one of which is the Showboat/Castaways. Enjoy.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/nevada-150/boom-years-las-vegas-witnessed-implosions-many-closed-resorts

BL.
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JOE FALCO

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Re: Remembering the Showboat
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2014, 05:57:57 PM »
Interesting ... Thanks!
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tommyboy74

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Re: Remembering the Showboat
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2014, 10:43:35 PM »
I still remember seeing many great tournaments there.  Lots of great history to say the least. 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Showboat one of the earlier places that installed synthetics?  I remember seeing online that Nelson Burton Jr. mentioned something about how the center had different lane construction that was fused and sealed in the 1988 Showboat Invitational.
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itsallaboutme

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Re: Remembering the Showboat
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2014, 04:43:53 AM »
The place was great………til they painted the bowling center black.
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Mighty Fish

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Re: Remembering the Showboat
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2014, 10:56:05 AM »
I was living in nearby Boulder City, Nev., at the time Showboat Lanes opened in 1959, and I bowled there soon after it opened. Great memories. And in more-recent years, long after moving from Nevada, I enjoyed the Showboat casino, staying at the Showboat hotel and bowling at Showboat Lanes.
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bradl

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Re: Remembering the Showboat
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2014, 12:50:55 PM »
Quote from: tommyboy74 on January 16, 2014, 10:43:35 PM
I still remember seeing many great tournaments there.  Lots of great history to say the least. 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Showboat one of the earlier places that installed synthetics?  I remember seeing online that Nelson Burton Jr. mentioned something about how the center had different lane construction that was fused and sealed in the 1988 Showboat Invitational.

Yes it was, and it was around that time that bowling alleys were getting synthetic lanes.

I don't know if it was just the time in between, but when I joined my hometown's Jr. Traveling Classic league (1989), there were only 3 alleys that were synthetic out of 21; one of which was the Air Force Base just south of town. The rest were all wood.

Fast forward 9 years (1998), when I moved to Vegas. Out of all the alleys in the city at that time (IIRC, sunset Lanes, Showboat, Sam's Town, Orleans, Gold Coast Santa Fe Station, Jerry's 300), let alone the region (Boulder Bowl in Boulder City had just closed; Riverside Lanes in Laughlin, and Virgin River in Mesquite), only one house was wood. The rest were synthetic. Suncoast, Texas Station would soon pop up, followed by those that we see now: Redrock Station, South Point, Sunset Station. But I believe Jerry's at the Silver Nugget is still the only one that is wood for that region (the SNBA covers everything from Laughlin to Mesquite).

The whole thing has me wonderhing now.. The Showboat was the largest bowling center in the world, with 106 lanes.. now that it's gone, what is the largest now?

BL.
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MI 2 AZ

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Re: Remembering the Showboat
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2014, 05:28:02 PM »
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/3000/largest-bowling-alley


Guinness World Records confirms that the largest bowling center in the world is Inazawa Grand Bowl in Japan, featuring 116 consecutive Brunswick Bowling wooden lanes on a single floor, which are being replaced and upgraded with Brunswick Pro Laneâ„¢ synthetic lanes in early 2010.





The Tokyo World Lanes Bowling Center used to have 512 lanes (five hundred and twelve), but actually it had several bowling centers in one place.

http://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/598
« Last Edit: January 17, 2014, 05:29:38 PM by MI 2 AZ »
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avabob

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Re: Remembering the Showboat
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2014, 10:49:04 AM »
I think the center in Pennsylvania ( also long gone ) was bigger than Showboat.  Still a vacant lot where the Showboat stood.  Not sure which was sadder, seeing the place demolished, or seeing what a dump it had turned into as the Castaways. 
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Bowling 300 900

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Re: Remembering the Showboat
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2014, 11:21:15 AM »
Willow Grove Lanes had 116 lanes.   It was outside of Philadelphia, Pa.   
Edison Lanes had 112 lanes.  It was located in Edison, NJ


Brunswick Carolier Lanes has 82 lanes.   Operational in North Brunswick, NJ.
30 Strike Lanes has 80 lanes.  Operational in Stratford, NJ
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David Lee Yskes

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Re: Remembering the Showboat
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2014, 02:27:26 PM »
I always loved watching The Showboat, back in the late 80s and into the 90's, it always seemed to be one of the better shows to watch.

Now on the another note, did anyone notice on the Vegas Sun article in 1997, they stated

"However, recently there has been some grumbling about whether or not ABC is going to stick with the PBA Tour in the near future. CBS reportedly is interested in gaining the rights, but ABC's tenure with bowling still makes it the most viable option. But everyone agrees that to survive, the PBA needs a national network behind it."

and this is 17 years ago lol....
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Bigmike

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Re: Remembering the Showboat
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2014, 06:16:42 PM »
Quote from: Bowling 300 900 on January 18, 2014, 11:21:15 AM
Willow Grove Lanes had 116 lanes.   It was outside of Philadelphia, Pa.   
Edison Lanes had 112 lanes.  It was located in Edison, NJ


Brunswick Carolier Lanes has 82 lanes.   Operational in North Brunswick, NJ.
30 Strike Lanes has 80 lanes.  Operational in Stratford, NJ

The old Palisades Palace in Wickliffe, OH had 96 lanes. Freeway owns it and then got rid of 12 lanes for Bocce ball so now it is 84 lanes.
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