Check out Missy's Interview on Above180.com

Check out Missy Parkin's interview with Tim Burg on Above180.com

Click here to listen to the interview.

Missy Comes in 2nd Place in Japan!

After conducting all of the clinics in Malaysia and Japan, I traveled to Fukuoka, Japan, the southern most part of the country, to compete in the DHC Ladies Bowling Organization of Japan Ladies Bowling Tour stop #5 tournament at Hakata Star Lanes from November 17-November 20th. Shannon Pluhowsky, Diandra Asbaty and myself were invited to compete in the tournament. Upon my arrival to Hakata Star Lanes, an 85 lane wood center, spanning three different floors, I had to weigh-in bowling balls and attend a brief meeting. We then had a two-hour break before the official practice session, so I was able to check-in to my hotel, which was only a 10 minute walk from the bowling center.

After practice, I was exhausted from the busy schedule of the weeks prior and just had a quick dinner and went to sleep around 9pm.

The next day, we bowled two 6-game blocks of qualifying and then the field was cut to the top 14 bowlers. The lanes were pretty tough and it was hard to carry. During the first 6 games, I started with my Bank Roll and shot 237, 231, 184, 226, 206 and 227 for +111 and was in 1st place. Then the next 6 games, I used my Bank of 900G and shot 188, 258, 222, 188, 256 and 243 for +266 overall. Shannon bowled amazing that block and pulled ahead of me, so I was in 2nd place.

The next day, we bowled 14 games of round robin matchplay with 30 bonus points awarded to the winner and 15 points awarded for a tie. I struggled a bit that day during the afternoon block, as the lanes were very tight. My matchplay record was 8-5-1 and I shot games of 258, 206, 231, 171, 216, 221, 219, 171, 192, 234, 232, 194, 225 and 249. I was in 2nd place, 300 pins behind Shannon in 1st place and only 70 pins ahead of Yuka Tsuchiya in 3rd place. The field was then cut to the top 10 bowlers. It was a big bummer because Diandra finished 11th and was alternate by 27 pins.

The next day, we bowled 10 more games of round robin matchplay and the field was then cut to the top 6 bowlers for the TV finals. I started the day on fire, winning my first 8 matches. At that point, I had even caught up to Shannon and was only behind 1st place by 1 pin. But then I lost my next two matches and was 2nd seed for the TV show. So my matchplay record was 8-2 for the day and I shot games of 206, 234, 210, 224, 216, 252, 235, 213, 171 and 194.

DHC, the main sponsor, had girls come in to do our hair and makeup for the TV show. They put my hair in a cool braid and curled it and just touched up my makeup.

During the TV show, I bowled Yuka Tsuchiya my first match. She had just shot 275 the match before. In the 7th frame, I was 2 pins ahead of her and then I left a pocket 4-9 in the 8th frame and missed it. She doubled in the 8th and 9th frame, but then left a pocket 4-5 in the 10th frame and missed it. I had struck in the 9th frame and needed to throw the first strike in the 10th frame and get good count to advance to the championship match. I was up on my bad lane and threw the ball really well and struck. I advanced, shooting 204-201.

The championship match, I faced Shannon Pluhowsky. We both struggled that game and it came down to the 9th and 10th frames. I left a 10 pin in the 9th frame, which meant Shannon could go up and strike out to lock me out and win. She threw a strike in the 9th frame and a strike on the first ball in the 10th frame, but then left a 7 pin and spared. That meant I had to go up, again on my bad lane, and throw the first two strikes to win. I made a great shot and left the fast 8 (4,7 spare) to loose. I was pretty bummed. I bowled really well all day and that’s all you can do. So next time!

The LBO threw a party for us after the TV show and it was fun to hang out with all of the girls. The next day I spent sightseeing around Fukuoka. I went to Shofukuji Temple and saw Japan’s second largest Buddha. I then went to Kawabata market and picked up a few souvenirs. Then I headed to Ohori Park to see the beautiful scenery and check out the old castle ruins of Fukuoka Castle. Finally, I headed to the Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome, home of the Softbank Hawks baseball team and also stopped in Hard Rock Café Fukuoka before heading back to my hotel to pack and go to sleep.

I had an amazing trip overseas and am very fortunate every day that I get the opportunity to travel, coach and bowl for a living…Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Til next time….

900 Global Clinics in Japan

After our 900 Global clinics in Malaysia, Dave Smart and I traveled to Japan to conduct more clinics. We arrived into Tokyo in the morning and had the entire day free. Since we couldn’t check into our hotel until 2pm, Dave and I decided to go sightseeing around Tokyo.

Our first stop was Harajuku, a place I’ve always wanted to visit but had yet to see. My main desire to see this area of Tokyo came from the Gwen Stefani song “Harajuku Girls,” and how she talks about this fashionable area of Japan. It was everything I thought it would be – all boutique stores with the latest fashion and girls dressed up so cute and all decked out! I REALLY loved one of the stores! They had the cutest winter coats (not that I really need that living in California), but they were pink, with bows and frillies. I didn’t buy one because they were quite expensive - $300, but looking back on it now, I wish I had!

Our next stop was Akihabara, the electronic city. This is where I bought my camera last year. I was looking for a case for my kindle, but kindles aren’t popular yet in Japan so I was out of luck. From there, we visited Zojoji Temple and saw the Tokyo Tower, which looks like a white and red Eiffel tower. Then we headed back to our hotel to check in and rest. We had shabu shabu for dinner. I LOVE shabu shabu! You cook all of your meat and vegetables in boiling hot water. It’s really yummy! That night we went to Roppongi and found the Hard Rock Café, as I like to collect their t-shirts.

The next day, we drove 2 hours northwest to Takasaka in the Gunma prefecture of Japan. We went to Parklane Takasaki for a clinic, seminar, demo and pro-am event. Dave and I had a group clinic full of 25 women, which was fun! The pro-am event was a hit and I bowled very well in the 3 games.

The next day, I got to take my first bullet train ride on the Shinkansen. The bullet train ride was an hour-and-a-half to Nagoya station and then a 45 minute car ride to Tomei Bowl. We conducted a group seminar and clinic and later that night had a demo and pro-am event. This bowling center was a newly remodeled 48-lane center with a huge pro shop. Check out the picture above with the pro-am sign that was hanging in the pro shop. Also during the pro-am, I met the youngest 900 Global staffer – Ren Sameshima. He is 12 years old, has three 300 games to his credit and throws the ball absolutely amazing. Check out the video below.

The next day, we got to go sightseeing a little in the morning as we visited Nagoya Castle, which was originally built in 1610. It was absolutely gorgeous! Most of the castle was unfortunately destroyed during the air raids of WWII, but they rebuilt the castle in 1959. Much of the castle was a museum, but one floor was dedicated to showing how the inside of the castle may have appeared. Surrounding the castle was a moat and a lake. The moat was shrubbery and there were deer down in parts of it.

After sightseeing, we went on another bullet train to Odowara station, a one-hour ride and then drove an hour to Atsugi Tsumada Bowl, a 24-lane wood center in Kanagawa prefecture. We had a one-on-one clinic and then a pro-am event that night. Just before the pro-am event, I warmed up on the lanes using the new Bank of 900 G (international ball). I struck on my first shot and kept striking. The bowlers started counting my strikes and I threw 12 strikes in a row, alternating lanes! Everyone was really excited!

Early the next morning, we flew to Fukuoka, where I was dropped off at Hakata Star Lanes for my tournament.

I loved helping with the 900 Global clinics! I think we really helped a lot of people improve their games and understand some critical fundamentals of bowling.

Clinics in Malaysia

Over the last few weeks, I have been traveling overseas in Asia. During the first part of my trip, I flew to Malaysia to conduct clinics, seminars and pro-am events with Dave Smart and Robert Smith on behalf of 900 Global.

On the day of our arrival, I was able to meet up with my old roommate Shalin Zulkifli and have dinner with her and her husband. I also got to meet her cute little baby girl Aleya, who is 4 months old. It was so nice to be able to meet up with her and catch up, since it had been nearly 2 years since we had seen each other.

The next day we had our first event, which took place at Tropicana Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This bowling center was part of an exclusive membership club and had a 12-lane wood center inside the complex. We had around 50 people attend the classroom seminar and on-lane clinic. Later, we had a 2-game pro-am event and then had an additional game where I bowled against the highest female player and Robert bowled against the highest male player. Everyone seemed to have a great time!

The next day, we traveled 4 hours East by car from Kuala Lumpur to the city of Kuantan, Malaysia, where we conducted another classroom seminar, on-lane clinic and pro-am event at Premium Lanes Kuantan. We had about 25-30 people attend and everyone seemed to be really appreciative. We had a very nice dinner at a seafood restaurant and then went back for the pro-am. Robert and I didn’t get any practice shots and they wanted us to bowl for score right away without warm-up. So that was different, but then everyone waited for us to throw out the first ball. It wasn’t too pretty to start, as the lanes were really dry too. Robert and I both shot about 160 something that first game, but then it got better after that. I shot 210 and then 258.

The next day, the bowling center managers took all of us to sightsee around Kuantan, prior to our flight to Penang. On the way to our destination, we saw a big alpha male monkey walking around on the side of the road. That was pretty cool! Then we drove to Teluk Cempedak Beach. There was a trail along the gorgeous beach that would take you to a secluded little cove and on the way back from the cove, right by the trail, we saw about 10 little monkeys playing in the trees and also saw an endangered black squirrel up in the trees as well. That made my day!

After our sightseeing and a yummy lunch, complete with watermelon juice – my favorite! - we then took a small propeller plane for our one-hour flight to Penang island, Malaysia.

The following day, we had another seminar, clinic and pro-am event at Premium Lanes Penang. The attendance was a big majority of youth bowlers who were also a part of the Penang state team. We saw a lot of talented boys and girls and that’s always a pleasure to see! Robert and I also did a few individual lessons, prior to our formal clinic/seminar. I had a lot of fun in Penang and met a lot of really great up-and-coming bowlers!

The following day, we attended a youth tournament and gave out all of the prizes to the boys and girls. Then we headed back to Kuala Lumpur, a 5-hour trip by car. Dave and I flew out that night to Tokyo and Robert stayed the night and then flew back to Hong Kong, where he is currently working.

We had a lot of fun in Malaysia and the weather was nice too - Mid-upper 80's but about 90% humidity. :)

Missy Going to Malaysia and Japan

If you're wondering why Missy Parkin is not bowling in the World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas, Nev., it's because she is out of the country. Missy will be traveling to Malaysia and Japan from November 5th-November 22nd. She will first be conducting clinics and seminars with 900 Global in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as well as Penang, Malaysia.

Missy will then be traveling to Japan to conduct clinics in Gunma, Japan at Parklane Takasaki, in Nagoya, Japan at Tomei Bowl and lastly in Kanagawa, Japan at Atsugi Tsumada Bowl, before heading to her tournament.

Missy will be competing in the DHC Ladies Bowling Organization of Japan Ladies Bowling Tour stop #5 tournament in Fukuoka, Japan at Hakata Star Lanes from November 17-November 20th.

Click here to watch live streaming of the LBO Tournament in Japan, once it is underway.

Missy Shoots 806 Series

Missy rolled games of 258, 269 and 279 for an 806 series on Friday, October 28th during the 590 Classic scratch league at Linbrook Bowl. Missy used a 900 Global Bank Roll the entire set, which is currently one of Missy's favorite balls. Check out the layout, above. This is Missy's sixth career 800 series, with her highest being 869.

Missy Named to Top 100 Coaches List

Missy Parkin was named as one of the "100 Top Coaches" in the world by Bowlers Journal International magazine for 2011. This is the third time Missy has been named to the 100 Top Coaches list.

For the full list of coaches, click here.

Caribbean Cruise Vacation

Drew and I just celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary, which is crazy to believe! It went by so fast! To help us celebrate, we went on an 8 day/7 night Caribbean Cruise (sans bowling balls) with our two close friends Scott Norton and his fiancé Craig Woodward.

We cruised out of Fort Lauderdale, FL on the Carnival Freedom cruise ship with three ports of call on our itinerary - Cozumel, Mexico; Costa Rica and Panama. The cruise was so relaxing because we didn’t have too many ports, so we were able to actually relax on our days at sea.

In Cozumel, Mexico we took an excursion to the Mayan ruins of Tulum. In order to get there, we took a 45-minute ferry ride and then a little over an hour bus ride. All of the traveling was well worth the wait! The ruins were absolutely breathtaking, as the entire city was well preserved and situated on a hill overlooking the aqua blue coastline. Much of the ruins were intact, with “the castle” sitting atop the hill as the main attraction.

There were also several iguanas everywhere! It was crazy how many of them were all over the ruins. Drew had a close encounter with one rather large and hungry iguana. Drew decided to sit on a rock and get a sandwich out of his backpack and shortly after, a rustle in the bushes sounded and an iguana was less than a foot away from his lunch. I’ve never seen Drew jump up so quickly. See the picture above!

I loved the ruins, but the weather was a little unbearable. The temperature was probably about 90 degrees with 93% humidity and little shade to offer any cooling. I’ve never been so hot in my life! However, a shady, fan-filled taco lunch and air-conditioned bus ride back helped calm the heat a bit.

Our second port was to the beautiful country of Costa Rica. I absolutely loved this country and hope to one day go back there solely for vacation. The lush rainforest and mountain range offer spectacular views, not to mention the gorgeous aqua blue waters.

I was heavily talked into an adventure excursion on this outing, as we went ziplining atop the trees of the Costa Rican rainforest. It was quite an adrenaline rush to say the least! As nervous as I was to zipline, I became even more frightened by the gigantic spiders that popped up all over the rainforest. Check out the photo above!

We went down 12 ziplines in all, with the longest being roughly a ½ mile long. After two or so ziplines, I started enjoying the experience and was a lot less scared. I would definitely try it again. Check out the video!

Our last stop was Panama where we were able to see the magnificent Panama Canal. Our tour actually took us onboard a ferry that went through two of the three main lock systems of the Panama Canal. The journey took 4 hours in total, as our ferryboat was raised, in all, 85 feet above sea level to the Gatun Lake. The entire journey across the Panama Canal (which we didn’t do) usually takes 12 hours to complete.

Knowing that this industrial monster was built back in the early 1900’s is such a feat when you actually experience the lock system. The steel doors of each lock are 7 feet thick. Once the water starts rushing in, rising up each vessel, it takes about 8 minutes to complete the entire water raising process. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that all of us enjoyed tremendously.

During our sea days, besides relaxing and sitting out by the pools, we enjoyed the water slide, as well as the mini golf course, shuffleboard area and late night piano bar that the cruise ship had to offer.

It was definitely a much needed, relaxing vacation with the luxury of not having to travel with bowling balls!

Hawaii Bowling Clinics and HI TV Bowling Tournament

This summer, I had the opportunity to travel to the beautiful Hawaiian island of O’ahu where I conducted two clinics and also provided one-on-one coaching sessions. While there, I also competed in the Hawaii TV Bowling Open Doubles tournament at Hickam AFB.

The tournament was a lot of fun, as I was able to visit with many bowlers that I used to compete with in junior bowling tournaments during the annual summer Hawaiian Brian Billiard’s Aiea Singles Championships. The format for the Open Doubles event was three games of qualifying with both partners’ scores combined. The field was then cut to the top 20 teams for matchplay. Matchplay consisted of random draw for pairings and then a one baker-game single elimination format until 5 teams remained for the top 5 TV Show finals. So pretty grueling, as we didn’t bowl many games, combined with the luck factor of the random draw.

I bowled with Christine Kato, a good friend of mine that I’ve known for many years. She also happened to be 5 months pregnant at the time. We bowled very well in the qualifying portion of the tournament, shooting +66 overall. We competed on the PBA Scorpion pattern, which started off playing really straight and pretty oily. I used my Eagle to start. However, if anyone has ever bowled at Hickam AFB, then they know how quickly the lanes break down. By the second and third games, I was already playing near 4th arrow, hooking the ball, using a polished Bank Roll. We qualified 6th overall. Then in matchplay we ended up losing our 1st match in a close finish 192 to 201. I needed to strike out in the 10th frame to lock out our opponent, but I left a stubborn 10 pin instead. They struck out to beat us.

I did manage to get two days off in the midst of my rather hectic schedule. On my first day off, Drew and I drove to the North Shore side of the island and went into the historic surfing town of Hale'iwa for lunch. We then headed to a tiny beach that is known for sea turtles. There were several sea turtles around on that day and one big sea turtle laying on the sand. Drew and I waded in the waters of this beautiful little beach and were surprised to find several sea turtles curiously coming up to us in the water. Check out the video! After our sea turtle encounter, we hit up the yummy shrimp trucks for a quick bite to eat and then headed to Pali Lookout for the gorgeous views, before heading back to Waikiki for the night. On our second free day, we visited Kualoa Ranch and took the movie tour, discovering where many famous movies and TV shows have been filmed, such as Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, Pearl Harbor, Wind Talkers, and Lost, to name a few.

I’d like to thank Hickam AFB and Barbers Point Bowling Center for helping me to coordinate everything and for being so hospitable.

If you’d like me to come to your hometown and conduct clinics and one-on-one lessons, please contact me at missy@missyparkin.com for details.

Summer Regional/Tournament Wrap up

Hello,

This summer I was able to compete in several PBA Regional events. Here's a summary of each regional:

-PBA West\Northwest Region Don Johnson Memorial in San Jose, CA from June 3-5
Format: Bowl 8 games of qualifying, cut to the top 12 for 12 games of round robin match play, then top 5 stepladder final
I qualified 9th, shooting +83. The scores were low, so shot making was a premium, along with picking up spares. In Sunday's match play finals, I didn't physically bowl as well and therefore didn't win as many matches, which is crucial in this type of format. I came in 9th overall in the tournament.

-USBC Open Championships in Reno, NV from June 16-17
I bowled the USBC Open Championships with my same team (minus one due to being exempt). The team is comprised of: Virginia Norton, Frank Bellinder, Bryan Norton, Drew Parkin and myself. In team event, we hit a bad pair with the left lane being pretty tricky all night. I shot games of 198, 215 and 177 for a 590 series and used my Bank by 900 Global. Our team shot 2808 overall. Then in the doubles event, I bowled with Bryan Norton. I shot games of 226,214 and 215 for a 655 series. We already had to play deep inside and I used my Eagle by 900 Global for most of that event. We shot 1266 overall. Then in singles, I shot games of 199, 236 and 210 for a 645 series. I again started with my Eagle and then switched to my AMF OMG Pearl. For all events I shot 1890.

-PBA West/Northwest Regions Wine Country Open in Rohnert Park, CA from June 17-19
Format: Bowl 8 games of match play, cut to the top 16 for head-to-head single elimination matches
I bowled this tournament right after competing in the USBC Open Championships in Reno, NV. We bowled on the high scoring Cheetah pattern. It took +153 to make the cut to matchplay. I didn't fair so well at this event, shooting +46 and missed the cut. We did, however, manage to go to wine country and visit one of my favorite new wineries - Castello di Amorosa. Check out the pics!

-PBA West Region Vanessa Brown Homes Open in Modesto, CA from July 1-3
Format: Bowl 8 games of match play, cut to the top 1/3, bowl 5 games of semifinals, then cut to the top 16 for head-to-head single elimination matches
We bowled on the Viper pattern for this event. Again the lanes were very high scoring, as it took +196 to make the semifinals. I bowled well, but not well enough in this event to make the semifinals, shooting +144. I did, however get to meet the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Alex Smith during the pro am event. That was pretty cool! Check out the pics!

-PBA West Region Saddleback Lanes Open in Mission Viejo, CA from July 8-10
Format:Bowl 8 games of qualifying, cut to the top 16 for 16 games of round robin match play, then top 5 stepladder final
We bowled on the Scorpion pattern for this event. The lanes were much more challenging for this regional then the past couple. I bowled well in qualifying, shooting +71, as it took +41 to make matchplay. Then in the 16 games of matchplay, I had trouble winning matches, so I didn't fair too well on Sunday. I came in 12th place overall in the tournament. This regional was hosted by my husband and held at the bowling center where we have one of our pro shops. It's always nice to bowl well in your own center, in front of your hometown friends and family!

-PBA West Region Ebonite Open Presented by Del Rosa Lanes in San Bernardino, CA from July 29-31
Format: Bowl 8 games of qualifying, cut to the top 1/3 for 5 games of semifinals, cut to the top 16 for head-to-head single elimination matches
We bowled on the Viper oil pattern and the scores were pretty low for this event. I didn't have to fun this day, and ended up missing the cut. It took +32 to make the semifinals and I shot +6 for the 8 games.

There's a recap of my summer PBA Regional events! Hope everyone enjoyed their summer!!! :)

900 Global Wins GEICO PBA Team Shootout, Manufacturers Cup

Click here for the full story

If you missed all of the action, the GEICO Team Shootout will re-air multiple half hour shows on ESPN 2 during the following dates and times:

-Saturday, July 9 at 1 p.m.
-Sunday, July 17 at 1 p.m.
-Saturday, July 23 at noon
-Sunday, July 24 at 1:30 p.m.
-Sunday, July 31 at 2 p.m.
-Saturday, Aug. 6 at 1 p.m. All times are Eastern.

U.S. Women's Open in Dallas, TX

Last month, I bowled in the Women's U.S. Open in Dallas, Texas. The event was the most highly anticipated women's bowling tournament of the year.

Qualifying consisted of three 8-game blocks. However, the catch was that there were three squads per day and the tournament only oiled the lanes once, in the morning. So you had to bowl one squad on the fresh oil, one squad on the burn condition and one squad on the double-burn condition.

As it worked out, I was scheduled to bowl my first squad on the double-burn condition. With the lanes already playing inside of 4th arrow to start, I knew this squad would be the one that could either break you or make you in the event. The scores from the first two squads of qualifying were SUPER high, especially for a U.S. Open oil pattern. The current leader for the day, after only 8 games was nearly +400, averaging 249.25 So knowing that I needed to somehow score on this super burnt condition, definitely didn't help matters when I started out of the gates shooting games of 167, 215, 170 and 178.

Finally switching to my new AMF OMG Pearl, I was able to get the ball down the lane and get it to recover on the backend and open up the lane a little bit. I ended up shooting 229, 279, 203 and 208 for +49 for the eight-game block, which wasn't bad for how I had started, but wasn't great for the scoring pace of tournament. I was in 124th place out of 286 bowlers, a field which presented the highest amount of entries into the prestigious tournament.

The next day, I bowled on the burn condition. Figuring out the lanes much quicker, I shot games of 189, 247, 246, 201, 225, 237, 258 and 258 for +261 for the block and +310 overall, ending the day in 48th place overall.

My last day of qualifying was finally on the fresh oil and most of the scores had been coming off of that squad. Needing to make the top 32 for the next cut, I knew I needed to throw a lot of strikes. I used my Bank for most of the morning, then switched to my 900 Global Nuts towards the end of the block. I shot games of 247, 222, 190, 223, 246, 246, 258 and 247 for +279 for the block and +589 overall and ended up in 25th place overall, making the next cut to the top 32.

The next morning, we bowled 8 more games in the semifinal round. The cut would then be made to the top 16 bowlers, for 16 games of round robin matchplay. With the scoring pace staying high, I knew I needed to strike a lot in order to advance to matchplay. Making matters worse, after only one frame of the first game, both my favorite ball (a 900 Global Bank, which I used to win the Queens tournament) and my spare ball got chewed up by the lanes in an unfortunate mishap. My spare ball was still usable, but my poor Bank was definitely not. I was forced to switch balls and couldn't use the ball which I had used for most of the fresh oil block. I still managed to shoot games of 231, 195, 202, 251, 247, 180, 219 and 257 for +182 for the block, but it ended up not being enough, as I finished tied for 20th and missed the cut to match play by 70 pins.

I stuck around the Dallas area and attended Bowl Expo functions, both as a pro shop owner and as a 900 Global staffer. It's always nice to attend Bowl Expo and see all of the neat new things that the bowling industry has come up with. I also visited the Hall of Fame and saw the newly opened 50 years of Women's Bowling exhibit. Check out my idol and favorite female bowler in the above photos!

However, the week ended on a high note, as I attended the televised finals of the U.S. Women's Open. The finals - bowling lanes constructed on the 50 yard line of Cowboys stadium - was by far the biggest stage women's bowling has ever been on. The atmosphere, sheer excitement and number of spectators made for one amazing TV show! Congratulations to Leanne Hulsenberg for winning the prestigious tournament, a title that the Hall of Famer had yet to achieve. Job well done! :) And I think everyone would agree that her little son Baron stole the show at the end!

Enjoy the photos!

Watch Missy in the GEICO Team Shootout on ESPN Starting this Saturday, June 25

Watch Missy and the rest of the 900 Global team as they compete in the GIECO Team Shootout starting this weekend! Along with Missy Parkin, the 900 Global team is comprised of Steve Jaros, Brian Voss, Robert Smith and Michael Haugen Jr. Watch the team as they battle against rival teams Ebonite International, Brunswick and Storm Products.

Although the action starts on Saturday, June 25th from noon to 2pm ET, Missy will be featured during the following telecasts:

Sunday, June 26th from 4pm to 6pm ET in the first match, which features an alternate shot doubles format. Missy will be competing with Michael Haugen Jr. in this portion of the competition.

Missy will also be featured in the final match of this telecast, in which Team 900 Global takes on Storm Products in a one game baker match.

Watch for Missy on ESPN again the following weekend, as she competes in the first of three singles matches on Saturday, July 2nd from 4:30pm-6pm ET.

Then watch as the GEICO Team Shootout concludes with a baker style stepladder finals on Sunday, July 3rd from 2:30pm-4:30pm ET.

Be sure to tune in!

USBC Open Championships in Reno, NV

Last week, my team and I traveled to Reno, Nev. to compete in the USBC Open Championships. My visit to Reno was pretty short, all in all. Prior to bowling in the tournament, a few of my team members and myself went over to Grand Sierra to bowl in the Bowlers Journal side tournament. The lanes were pretty difficult this year, as the shot played deep inside and it was very advantageous to have a lot of revs. I definitely struggled to find a good line and when I did hit the pocket, then I couldn’t carry very well. However, it was good practice.

Later that evening, we bowled the team event portion of the USBC Open Championships. Our team – Parkins’ O.C. Bowling Supply – didn’t fair too well, shooting 2808. I used my Eagle and Bank, shooting games of 198, 215 and 177 for a 590 series.

Then the next day, we bowled the doubles and singles portion of the tournament. In doubles, I bowled with Bryan Norton (Scott Norton’s brother) and we shot 1266. I played inside, using my Eagle and Shred-It and shot games of 226, 214 and 215 for a 655 series.

We then switched lanes and bowled singles. Our singles pair was pretty brutal, but I still managed to stay consistent playing deep inside, using my Eagle and shot 199, 236 and 210 for a 645 series. So for all events, I shot 1890.

Immediately after finishing doubles and singles, Drew and I left Reno and drove to Rohnert Park to bowl in the PBA Regional tournament that was going on that weekend up in wine country. Although the PBA Regional didn’t go too well for Drew or I, we still had a lot of fun enjoying the gorgeous scenery of wine country. Check out some of the photos.

Missy on Cover of US Bowler and Bowlers Journal International

Missy Parkin is featured on the cover of both the US Bowler e-magazine and the Bowlers Journal International for the month of June.

Check out the articles!

US Bowler e-magazine link

Missy to Conduct Coin Toss at Chicago Fire MLS Soccer Game

Missy Parkin will conduct the coin toss with Michael Haugen Jr. at the Toyota Park in Chicago on May 28th before the 7:30pm San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire MLS soccer game to promote the GEICO PBA Team Shootout at 10pin bowling louge May 29-June1st.

Check out the game and see Missy LIVE on TV!

Missy Named to 900 Global Team for Geico PBA Team Shootout

Check out this link for more information.

Missy Parkin Wins 2011 USBC Queens

Check out this link for all of the details!

Watch Missy LIVE on ESPN 2 on Wednesday, April 27th at 7pm EST!

Watch Missy Parkin LIVE on ESPN 2 on Wednesday, April 27th at 7pm EST (4pm PST) as she competes in the USBC Queens tournament, held in Syracuse, NY.

Missy qualified as the 2nd seed in the top 5 stepladder finals, after winning 5 straight matches in the three-game, total pinfall, double elimination format. Other players in the stepladder finals include top qualifer Elysia Current, third seed Kim Terrell-Kearney, fourth seed Cathy Dorin-Lizzi and the final qualifier Wendy Macpherson.

Check out all the action or set your DVR!

USBC Women's Championships

Hello all!

This week I am in Syracuse, NY bowling in the USBC Women's Championships and the USBC Queens event.

We are competing at the OnCenter convention center in Syracuse, and I have already completed the USBC Women's Championships. We bowled Team event on Thursday night. Our team consists of myself, Lisa Pawlak, a former Team USA member from the Chicago area, Lynda Barnes (who needs no introductions), Tennelle Milligan (who also needs no introductions) and Maxine Nable, an ex-PWBA player from Australia. The carry on our pair was pretty brutal, with everyone on our team leaving at least one pocket 7-10. It was crazy!

I used my Bank, which I had polished and shot 205, 269 and 191 for a 665 series. Lisa shot 573. Lynda shot 633, while Tennelle shot 595 and Maxine shot 598 for a team total of 3064 (+64). Scores are pretty high for team event, so we aren't too high up in the rankings.

Then in doubles, I started out using my polished Bank again, but then later switched to my AMF Shred-IT, as we bowled on the burn (not fresh oil). I bowled with Lisa Pawlak, and we started out with a bang, as Lisa shot 244 and I shot 245 the first game. The second game, Lisa continued to strike, shooting 248 and I shot 210. Needing a big last game to take over the lead, we ended up a bit short, Lisa shooting 180 and myself shooting 236. We shot 1363 (+163) for doubles, which is in the top 15 (as of right now).

In singles, I continued to use my Shred-IT and shot 256, 208 and 202 for a 666 series. I shot 2022 (+222) for all-events, which is also currently in the top 15.

We are now competing in the USBC Queens event that will span from today until April 27th. Check out www.bowl.com for more information, scores and to stay up-to-date.

Parkin Looking Beyond Heartbreak

Check out this link to a recent story on bowl.com featuring Missy Parkin.

Missy and Scott WIN PCB Mixed Doubles event at Yorba Linda Bowl

This past weekend, Scott Norton and I bowled the PCB Mixed Doubles event at Yorba Linda Bowl. The weekend definitely turned out to be one weekend of bowling that I will never forget!

On Saturday, we bowled the qualifying portion of the event, bowling nine straight games. The field was then cut to the top 12 teams for Sunday's competition, in which we then bowled 12 games of round-robin matchplay.

I started out the tournament using the new 900 Global OMG! ball. It was working great, but then the oil pushed down the lane and I needed a ball with a little more backend, so I switched to my newly drilled Eagle by 900 Global. That was the best decision of the day, as I threw this ball the entire time.

Scott and I started out the tournament bowling well. Our first game we shot 473 - Scott shot 248 and I shot 225. The second game we both bowled steady, shooting a 469 - I shot 233 and Scott shot 236. Our third game, I shot 266 and Scott shot 214 for a 480 game total.

Then, during the fourth game, that's when the weekend craziness began. Both Scott and I starting stringing strikes. Before I knew it, we both had the first 9 strikes and we were in the 10th frame! I just couldn't believe it! I went up first and threw the first two shots in the 10th really well, striking in both. Then got up for my final shot and packed another strike, shooting a perfect 300 game! The entire bowling center had stopped bowling and were behind our pair. Scott and I high-fived, the crowd was screaming and Scott turns to me and says "I'm nervous!" (Mind you Scott has shot over 40 - 300 games in his career.) And I looked at him and said back, "No, you're fine!" And then he replied. "No, seriously, I'm really nervous right now! More nervous than I was bowling on the TV show!"

Scott handled himself, as he usually does in pressure situations, and packed the first two strikes flush in the pocket. Now, he was only one shot away from shooting a perfect 300, thus giving us a perfect 600 team score. He went up and packed the last shot for a strike and the entire bowling center went nuts! It was unbelievable! We later found out that it was only the 4th time in history that a mixed doubles team shot a 600 game! Absolutely insane!

I was still using my 900 Global Eagle and Scott was using a Loaded Revolver to shoot our perfect 600 score.

The day continued to go well (at least for Scott), as I had some trouble towards the end of the block. Scott ended up turning his 300 game into an 805 series, as he followed that game up with a 248 and 257. We ended the day at +672 overall, which put us in 1st place, barely edging out Alisha Hill and Joe Staton. Scott shot +420, averaging 246.6 and I shot +252, averaging 228 for the nine games.

On Sunday, we then bowled 12 games of round robin matchplay, with each individual game win earning a 10 pin bonus and each team game win earning a 30 pin bonus, for a total of 50 possible bonus pins per game. Therefore, winning matches was definitely the key to success!

The lanes played a little different on Sunday, which is pretty typical for any tournament, but Scott and I had a bit of trouble getting lined up to start. We shot 185 and 213 for a 398 total and got swept for the bonus pins. This quickly dropped us from 1st place down to 3rd! We then continued to get swept the next game with a 464 team game.

In game three, we finally said enough is enough and started winning the ever important bonus pins. We won 40 bonus pins the next 3 games, shooting scores of 493, 472 and 473. In game 6, Scott won his point shooting 227, but we failed to win any more bonus pins.

However, things really started to heat up in game 7. I shot 256 and Scott shot 258 for a team 514 game and we swept all 50 bonus pins. Then in game 8, I shot another perfect 300 game! It was absolutely incredible! We shot a team game of 505 and won 40 bonus pins. Then in game 9, I shot 257 and Scott shot 234 for a 491 game and we swept all of the bonus pins in that game as well. For those three games, I shot 256, 300 and 257 for an 813 series! I was using my 900 Global Maniac all three of those games, and for most of the day.

By the position round game, we were in first place by 200 pins. I shot 190 the last game and Scott shot 242 and we won 40 bonus pins and won the tournament by over 300 pins.

It was one incredible weekend that I definitely won't forget!

Check out the videos of my last ball to shoot 300 and Scott's last ball to shoot 300 for our perfect team 600 game!

Til next time...

8 gamer at Classic Lanes

Hello!

Recently I bowled an 8-gamer Mixed Doubles/Over-Under Doubles at Classic Lanes in Norco. The 8 game format counted towards both your doubles and your singles score. I bowled with my best friend Scott Norton. Needless to say, he definitely held me up during the tournament.

We competed on the Kegel Sunset Strip pattern. Scott loved it, shooting games of 253, 256, 268, 191, 248, 215, 228 and 215 for +274. I, on the other hand, didn't fair as well shooting games of 194, 207, 238, 210, 196, 209, 193 and 200 for +47 overall.

Scott and I finished 2nd in the doubles portion of the tournament with Kerry Painter and David Haynes finishing in 1st. Scott also ended up in 2nd place in the singles portion of the event.

I guess I'm saving up all of my cary and high scores for next weekend when we bowl the PCB Mixed Doubles tournament together at Yorba Linda Bowl.

Til then...

Orange County Tournament

Hello all!

Recently, I competed in our local Orange County Tournament. Our team decided to bowl the doubles and singles portion of the tournament first and then bowl team event the next weekend.

Each event (Team, Doubles and Singles) is three games and then all 9 games combined acts as your all-events score.

The doubles and singles portion of the event was held at AMF Carter Lanes in Fullerton. We bowled our doubles event first, in which I was paired with Samantha Jimenez. We both started out REALLY well. She shot 255 and I had the first 10 strikes, but then left a stubborn 10 pin for a 289 game. I was using a Bounty Hunter Pearl by 900 Global. Our second game we shot 418 total, Samantha shooting 183 and myself shooting 235. The final game we stepped it up a notch and shot a team score of 490. Samantha bowled a 243 and I shot 247.

For the event, Samantha shot 681 and I shot 771 for a total of 1452. We ended up winning the Doubles portion of the event.

In singles, I again started out throwing a lot of strikes, the first 9 strikes to be exact, but then left another stubborn 10 pin for a 278 game. I followed that up with a 220 and 214 for a 712 series.

The following weekend we came back for team event, which was held at La Habra 300 Bowl. I unfortunately was really sick this weekend and didn't bowl too well. Our team did ok, but didn't place too high in team event. I only shot 588 for these three games, shooting 2071 for all-events. I ended up finishing in 5th place overall in the tournament.

I also bowled doubles and singles in the Open portion of the tournament as well, with another woman - Debbie Barrette. In doubles, I shot 246, 222 and 230 for a 698 series. Debbie shot a 548 series, but with her handicap we shot a doubles score of 1416.

I didn't fait too well in singles because it was the same weekend that I was sick and I pretty much ran out of gas the last three games, shooting 200, 194 and 217 for a 611 series.

Til next time...

USBC Masters

Hello everyone!

After the PBA Tournament of Champions, I decided to skip the Earl Anthony Memorial Classic in Dublin, California and competed in the USBC Masters at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada.

During the practice session, I had a large variety of bowling balls that seemed to work well and I could play a variety of different lines. However, we all know (or should know) that the lanes aren't necessarily going to play the same the next day during competition, so I kept an open mind but had a very positive outlook going into qualifying. I knew I was throwing the ball well physically and everything seemed to be matching up, which is always a bonus.

Now the format for this tournament is rather difficult due to the fact that you only have a total of 10 games - two 5-game blocks, to figure out the lanes and make it to the casher's round. This leaves little room for mistakes or a bad game. With the lower amount of entries into the tournament, the casher's round was cut to the top 65. Then another 5 game block was bowled to cut to the top 63 bowlers, plus last year's defending champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. Then the tournament really began with head-to-head 3-game total pinfall matches, in a double elimination style format.

I bowled on B squad and therefore was able to watch all of my competitors on A squad prior to my start. The lanes were also not re-oiled inbetween squads, so it was very important to watch where everyone was playing on the lanes and especially where everyone was ending up on the lanes towards the end of the block.

After watching, I was pretty confident that it was going to be a good day...So...we started bowling. I had a great look with my polished Bank and shot 208 the first game with a slam 9 pin and pocket 7-10 inbetween strikes and a ring 10 pin in the 10th frame. Then I shot 196 and 202 and decided that although I could hit the pocket well, maybe I should try some different bowling balls to see if I could up my carry. So I switched to the AMF Shred-It. I had a great game going and could strike out for 248. I needed to make a move in the 10th frame, so I did and through it exactly where I wanted to and left an untimely pocket 7-10, to only shot a disappointing 215. My last game I then started out with a pocket 4-9 and later in the game through another pocket 7-10. I ended up bailing out the game, striking out from the 8 frame for a 204 game to end the block and be at +25 for day. Not bad, but very disappointing since my ONLY opens for the entire block were four pocket 7-10s and a pocket 4-9.

However, I was definitely within striking distance of the cut number and would be bowling on the fresh condition the next day. So after a good night's rest and a few surface adjustments to some equipment (I sanded my Bank Pearl to 2000 and my Black Break to 4000), I was ready for a day of good bowling.

However, my day didn't turn out according to plan. I started out shooting 201, but then caught an awful pair and shot a 175. I switched balls, using my 900 Global Profit and shot 225. Needing a couple of big games, the lanes began to transition a bit and alongside that, I still had my carry problem and couldn't get my ball to quite see the lanes correctly, so I shot a 187 and then needed a 250+ game to make it. I threw the ball well, but then another pocket 7-10 stood in my way early on in the game and locked me out of making the cut. So I ended with a 171 game.

All in all I was pleased with how I physically executed. I bowled well and just couldn't quite get lined up well to score.

Until next time...

Tournament of Champions - Las Vegas, Nev.

Hello all and Happy New Year!

Last week, I had the pleasure and honor to compete against the toughest field, in the most prestigious tournament that bowling has to offer - The PBA Tournament of Champions, held at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas, Nev.

This year, the format was changed for the esteemed event, allowing all bowlers you have won either a PBA Regional title, PBA Women's series title, PBA Senior title or PBA Senior Regional title, to bowl in the most lucrative event of the century. I qualified to compete in the tournament, having won two PBA Regional titles in 2007.

Players who were not currently exempt on the PBA tour and had fewer than 5 National PBA Tour titles (such as myself), were required to bowl in the "Champions field" portion of the event. The "Champions field" had to bowl two 7-game blocks, prior to the start of the actual tournament. After the 14-game total, the top half of the bowlers qualified to compete in the Elite field and bowl in the official tournament, and have a chance at the million dollar prize fund and $250,000 first place prize.

The way my first three game of the tournament went, I thought I was going to have a very short-lived week in Vegas. I shot 168, 186 and 181. Needless to say, my armswing wasn't too loose! I then figured things out and switched to a polished Bank, playing inside and shot 221, 235, 173 and finished with a BIG 258, throwing the front 7 strikes to finish out the block. I ended up +22 for the day, which I was very content with, especially after my horrid start.

After struggling on the fresh and on the high-end of the center, I decided to make some surface adjustments to my equipment, taking off some of the surface I had put on the balls the day before.

The next day started off much better, shooting 218 and 188 out of the gate. However in game 3, I had a bit of a meltdown and went braindead for three straight frames, leaving and missing the 1,2,4 then the 1,2,8 and then the 1,2,4,7. It was one of those stop the bleeding already games! I got it together after that shooting 219, 252 and 211.

I was in the cut going into the last game and the lanes had gotten pretty nasty by then. I managed to stay clean until the 10th frame and knew that I probably needed to strike out to make the cut. With many bowlers around me being really close to the number and close to what I was at, the pressure was definitely on! But that situation is why we all bowl - to make the shots when it matters most.

I went up and threw three perfect shots in the 10th, striking out to make the cut! If I would have just gone 9/X, I would have missed by one pin! It was crazy how close everything got at the end, and as it turned out, three people ended up tying for the final spot and had to bowl in a one game roll-off! Corey Husted ended up claiming that final spot, after throwing the front 7 and shooting 258 in the roll-off.

So, I made it into the Elite field and all of our pins were now dropped and everything started all over again. Later that night, we had to bowl our first of four 5-game blocks. After the twenty game total, the top 53 players advanced to the Cashers Round.

The way the squads ended up, I bowled on the burn shot twice and then bowled on the fresh twice. So prior to the start of my first 5-game block, I again had to make some surface adjustments and put some shine on all of my bowling balls. I started off the night shooting 203 and 232.

Then I hit one of the pairs...Let me explain...The challenging part of the entire week was making the correct decisions and moves when moving from pair to pair because each pair was VERY different from each other; it was as if you changed bowling centers every game when simply moving to the next set of lanes. There were some VERY good pairs and there were some VERY bad pairs. It was pretty easy to shoot 140 or 150 on those bad pairs, but when you hit the good pairs, you'd better take advantage of it and shoot a big game!

So...my third game I hit one of those BAD pairs, shooting 141. I wasn't too disappointed as I knew how easy it was to shoot a bad game. I came back that block shooting 189 and ended the night with a 234, using my Long Shot, to be -1 for the block. So-so for my first block.

The next day, I bowled on the burn again and then bowled on the fresh after they re-oiled the lanes. I bowled REALLY well during my second block on the burn. I figured some things out the night before and decided to throw it hard and play straighter to start my second block. Straighter was definitely greater, as I started out with a bang, shooting 268 my first game. I followed it up with a 193, on one of those "bad" pairs and then shot 231, 205 and 237 to be +133 overall. I was right in the cut after that block and feeling really good!

I again made some surface adjustments to all of my equipment because now I would be on the fresh for 10 games. Thinking I had put enough surface on my bowling balls, which clearly wasn't the case, I struggled finding the pocket and getting the right ball reaction all night. I shot 193, 196, 220, 188 and ended with a destructive 151 game. I was pretty upset after that block, especially after bowling so well in the morning block. So I decided to drill up another Bank Pearl, which Michael Haugen Jr. layed out for me.

I needed a HUGE set to make the cut and I definitely gave it my all the next morning. Using the newly drilled Bank Pearl and playing way off the corner, I shot 258, 223, 218, 192 and 224, putting me at +196. I missed the cut by 60 pins, which was disappointing, but overall I know that I threw the ball well all week, just caught a couple of bad games at inopportune times.

I stayed the rest of the week to attend the formal Tournament of Champions and Hall of Fame dinner. The event was a lot of fun and it was nice to see everyone all dressed up and looking their best, instead of the normal bowling clothes look we are all so used to seeing. Check out the photos above!

I attended the dinner with my father Frank, who was able to be there with me during the entire Tournament of Champions week. That was very special considering my father had open heart surgery in early November of last year, so it was his first trip away from home, since his surgery. We both had a blast! The food was delicious, the company was fun and the speeches...well they were ok too.