Missy Parkin's Blog

Check out Missy's Interview on Above180.com

2011-12-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-11-23T10:52:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-23T09:41:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-23T09:14:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

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

2011-11-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

Check out this link for more information.

Missy Parkin Wins 2011 USBC Queens

2011-04-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

Check out this link for all of the details!

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

2011-04-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-23T18:25:00.001-07:00

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

2011-04-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

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

2011-02-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-01-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

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.

2010 - a Year in Review

2010-12-19T15:03:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. As 2010 comes to a close, I thought I'd reflect on the past year - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Let's start with the positives..Definitely topping the list would be getting married to my wonderful husband Drew Parkin on September 18, 2010. Although the wedding planning process was a bit stressful at times and was definitely more difficult that I had expected, the day turned out to be absolutely perfect, as we got married on a yacht in Newport Beach Harbor at sunset.

Next would have to be our unforgettable honeymoon throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, where we visited Italy, Greece, Turkey and Egypt. This past year also marked a few milestones, as I was able to visit a few places that were on my "Top 10 List" of places I had never been to, but wanted to see - Rome, the pyramids in Egypt and the Big island of Hawaii, as well as my favorite place in the world - Venice, Italy!

We also ended out the year adding two additions to our family - a black kitty named Gizmo and a Basset Hound/Golden Retriever mix puppy named Shelby. Both of which are keeping us busy!

Positives in the bowling world definitely peaked with the USBC Queens tournament that was held in April of 2010 in El Paso, Texas. The USBC Queens tournament is one of the hardest TV shows to qualify for primarily due to the difficult format. After qualifying, it all comes down to winning the three-game total pins matches in the double-elimination style bracket, and you definitely want to stay in the winners bracket to improve your chances of making the show. I had some very grueling and close matches throughout the event, but definitely my toughest match had to be against Carolyn Dorin-Ballard. It was the deciding match to see who would make the TV show and with both of us being pretty lined up, our scores were high and striking was at a premium! The entire three-game match came down to the 9th and 10th frame to see who would move on. Carolyn threw a nasty split in the 9th and I filled frames in the 9th and 10th to advance to the TV show finals. We'll discuss the actual TV show later...

The next "good" aspect of 2010 was being invited to compete in the LBO Stop #5 Open in Tokyo, Japan in October of 2010. With a rocky start in the tournament, I came on the final day, bowling very well in the semifinals winning 7 out of 8 matches in the round robin match play format, advancing to 2nd place for the TV show finals. On the TV show, I first bowled Japanese star Hiroko Shimizu and won 236 to 220. Then in the championship match I lost to Shannon Pluhowsky, who threw the front 8 strikes to win the title. So I ended up in 2nd place overall in the tournament, earning a nice paycheck in the process.

The bad...that would probably have to do with my struggle at the beginning part of the year with my pulled groin muscle injury which I incurred during the 2009 Women's U.S. Open. Unfortunately that injury takes a long time to heal and the fact that I was forced to then bowl on it for a month straight during the 2009 World Series of Bowling, right after I had injured it, I'm sure didn't help matters. The nagging injury proved to be a little disheartening and gave me a little setback for the start of 2010.

And the ugly...that's an easy one...who could forget the USBC Queens TV show. Needing only a mark to move on to the semifinal match, I went up and threw what I thought to be a perfect shot off my hand, only to be faced with the dreaded pocket 7-10 split to loose to Kelly Kulick. I will say, that if I was given the opportunity to do it all over again, I wouldn't do change a thing. It was just a very unlucky break at a very inopportune time.

So what does 2011 have in store for me?...We'll have to wait and see...

PCB Mission Hills Mixed Doubles Event

2010-11-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

Hello!

I hope everyone enjoyed a VERY happy Thanksgiving! The weekend before the festive holiday and shopping madness, Scott Norton and I competed in the local PCB Mission Hills Mixed Doubles tournament at Mission Hills Bowl from November 20-21.

The mixed doubles tournaments are always fun and usually draw some pretty big names and great competition. On Saturday, we bowled on A squad for our 9 games of qualifying. I was pretty steady all day and mostly used the new AMF Shred It, shooting games of: 229, 276, 215, 215, 222, 215, 244, 222 and 223 for +261. Scott shot games of 188, 248, 225, 279, 257, 189, 279, 248 and 245 for +358. So combined we were +619 and in first place after both squads of qualifying. The field was then cut to the top 12 teams for Sunday's competition.

On Sunday, we bowled 12 games of round robin matchplay. Each individual game win was worth 10 bonus pins and the team game win was worth 30 bonus pins for a possible 50 extra pins each game. So you can see how important it was to win matches.

During the first 6 matches, we struggled a bit, earning only 160 bonus pins and had dropped to 4th place. The good news was that we were only 100 pins out of first place. We weren't necessarily bowling bad either, we just had some pretty big scores shot at us and couldn't win the needed bonus pins.

We started out strong the next set, each shooting 268 for a nice 536 team game and winning all 50 bonus pins. But we again had some trouble, losing the next three straight matches. We ended up shooting a decent last game to finish in 5th place overall in the tournament. Wendy Macpherson and Dave Wodka won the event in an exciting and very close position round match against Michael Haugen Jr. and Caycee Landers. Congrats to all of the finalists!

Missy Makes TV Show in Japan

2010-11-08T23:48:00.000-08:00

As previously posted (and for those who either don't speak/read Japanese or weren't able to keep up with the late night LIVE streaming) I was invited to compete in the Ladies Bowling Organization (LBO) Ladies Bowling Tour Stop #5 in Tokyo, Japan over Halloween weekend.

On Friday, during the first day of qualifying, we bowled 6 games, then took a lunch break and bowled 6 more games. I didn't throw the ball that well, as I was suffering from the rather hot bowling center conditions and couldn't quite get the ball off my hand well. (However, the scores were VERY high, and I still managed to score well.) I shot 258, 182, 223, 212, 246, 255, 231, 258, 189, 246, 201 and 208 for +309, using my Bounty Hunter Pearl all day, and was in 4th place.

The field was then cut to the top 14 players. The next day we bowled 14 games of round robin match play, with 30 bonus pins awarded for each game win. I decided to change the surface on my Bank and polish it a little, which made it work much better and I was able to use it for most of the day. I started off well, shooting 217, 239, and 237, winning the first 3 matches. Then it was all downhill, as I had trouble winning matches with everyone shooting really high scores at me. I shot 200, 216, 241 and 195 and lost every match. The next set of 7 games, I shot 233 and won. Then I shot 184, 217 and 219 and lost all 3 games. I finally figured some things out, switching to my Profit and shot 245 and won, 224 and lost and ended the day with a 223 win. So even after a disastrous matchplay record of 6 and 8, I was still in 4th place and made it to the top 8 finals for Sunday.

On Sunday prior to bowling the finals, the main sponsor of LBO - DHC - a major makeup and health/beauty brand, came out and did our hair and makeup for bowling that day. It was a lot of fun and I always LOVE getting pampered! SO I really enjoyed the whole experience.

We then bowled 8 games of round robin match play and then they cut to the top 5 for the TV show stepladder finals. I had my game face on that day and came out of the gates with a 245, 259, 229 and 236, winning all of the matches. I then lost my only match of the day to Shannon Pluhowsky - 211 to 224. I then proceeded to win the rest of my matches, including the crucial position round match with scores of 256, 257 and 246. I had moved into 2nd place and was only 30 pins short of the top seed spot for the TV show.

The first match of the TV show, Mai Takasaka defeated Tomomi Shibata 237 to 191. The next match, Mai faced Japanese sensation Hiroko Shimizu and Hiroko won, 236 to 220. In the semifinal match, I then faced the fierce left-hander Hiroko and defeated her using the Bank, shooting 247-233.

The final match, I bowled Shannon Pluhowsky for the title and the nearly $50,000 prize. Shannon just kept striking, throwing the front 7 strikes at me, meanwhile I faced some carry issues and couldn't knock down 10 pins. Shannon ended up winning 255-195. There was also a HUGE prize for shooting a 300 game on TV and we all were cheering for Shannon to do it. If she had strung 12 strikes in-a-row, she would have won $300,000! Just crazy!

When all was said and done, I finished 2nd in the tournament and came home with a nice paycheck. I had an amazing time in Japan, as Shannon and I stayed in Japan two extra days to do some sightseeing. We went to Asakusa one day in Tokyo and the other day we went to Tokyo Disney Sea, which was a lot of fun! I was able to get my Disney fix, even all the way in Japan!

Regarding the entire tournament and organization, I must say that I am VERY impressed with the professionalism and respect displayed by each of the competitors, staff and the entire organization. Just to give you an example, the players all wore matching suits and nice dress shoes whenever in the bowling center and not bowling.

Each day of the tournament, we had an official opening ceremonies, where each player was individually introduced and then following the introductions, Shannon and I were usually interviewed prior to the start of practice. Also, at the beginning and end of competition every day, we went out to the foul line and gave a courtesy bow to all fans in attendance. Then, immediately following competition every day, ALL signed autographs and took pictures with the fans, making the event VERY fan friendly! And there were plenty of fans to fill the bowling center each day, with stadium type seating all along the concourse, which made it even more fun to compete!

Speaking of the fans, many had thunder sticks, similar to what we would see at sporting events. So the bowling center was definitely loud whenever a favorite bowler would strike or spare.

Another noteworthy positive of the LBO tour is the fact that each bowler is individually recognized in some way, by either the way they dress, a nickname, etc., making it even easier for fans to connect with that bowler and choose bowlers to route for. And each bowler has a character drawing of themselves that is then sold on merchandise such as program books, pins, t-shirts, fans, etc. And it's all very girly and super cute! All of the girls either wear skirts or shorts and matching shirts. And all of the bowling attire is very girly and attractive. Plus the official color of LBO is pink! So you can never go wrong with that!

All in all, I was very honored to be invited to compete in this inaugural tour season for LBO and hope to be back again next year!

LBO Ladies International Open in Tokyo, Japan

2010-10-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I am currently in Japan and will begin competing in the Ladies Bowling Organization of Japan (LBO) Ladies International Open starting tomorrow, Friday, October 29th through Sunday, October 31st.

The tournament will be held at Strikers Nishi-Funa Bowl in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan (just outside of downtown Tokyo).

The format for the tournament is 6 games of qualifying in the morning on Friday, then we take a break for lunch and bowl 6 more games of qualifying. After the 12 game total, they will cut to the top 14 bowlers.

On Saturday, we will bowl 14 games of round robin match play with 30 bonus pins being awarded for each game win and 15 bonus pins awarded for any ties. After the 26 game total (including bonus pins), they will cut to the top 8 finalists.

On Sunday, we will bowl 8 games of round robin match play(again with bonus pins) and after the 34 game total, they will cut to the top 5 for a TV stepladder final. The tournament will be televised in Japan.

To Watch LIVE streaming of the tournament, please visit http://www.lbo.or.jp/
There's a LIVE streaming screen on the right hand side and you can click on it to make it bigger. The website is in Japanese, but you can access the live streaming easily.

www.bowlingdigital.com should be posting scores and updates for the tournament.

Stay tuned...

PBA Regional Spalding G Wathen Memorial Open

2010-10-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

After a nice three-week honeymoon, it's back to work and that means A LOT of bowling is my future!

This past weekend, I bowled in the PBA West Region Spalding G Wathen Memorial Open, held in Fresno, California. We competed on the high scoring Cheetah pattern, and boy was it ever high scoring!

Even though I practiced every day since returning home from the honeymoon (for a little over one week), I was definitely rusty while bowling this weekend. That's exactly why I wanted to compete because I have MUCH bigger events coming up real soon.

So after a not so stellar start (compared to the high scoring pace of the field) - 204, 200, 235, 236 and 214 - I was +89 after 5 games. I started the tournament using my Bounty Hunter Pearl, but after the fast carry-down we encountered, that ball quickly got thrown back in the bag, as it was going too long. We had to play far right on the lane, and the further right and harder you could play, the better you were going to score. i.e. Wayne Garber averaged about 260 for the first 5 games. So I switched to my Bank, which I had polished up for the tournament. It worked a lot better and was more predictable, and I ended up using this ball for the majority of the day.

Then in game 6, I completely fell apart! I missed two single spares (which is definitely not like me!) and I also left a 2-8-10. Needless to say, this game didn't go too well and I shot 161! And lost A LOT of ground on the cut and the cash number. So with two games left, I was +50 and way out of the top 8 cut to match play and still pretty far out of the top 18 cash spot.

So the last two games, I decided to switch balls to my Profit, which has a strong arc, compared to the skid/snap reaction of my Bank. I ended up bowling MUCH better! It also helped that I finally figured out what I was physically doing wrong and was able to start physically throwing the ball a million times better!

So the 7th game, I shot 248 and was +98 and within reach of the cash number. The top 8 cut was already +200 with one game to go. The last game, we hit a little bit of a weird pair (that's always nice and seems to be inevitable when you need a big game). So I got lined up towards the middle of the game and starting stringing strikes together until a stubborn 9 pin stood up in the 7th frame. I then struck out from the 8th frame on and shot 222 to be +120 overall. The cash spot ended up being +127, so I missed cashing by 7 pins. The cut to the top 8 was +255.

Even though I didn't cash in the regional, I did figure out some key physical game factors and also was able to get in some great competitive practice to get ready for my next BIG tournament - The LBO Ladies International Open in Tokyo, Japan.

The tournament in Japan starts on Friday, October 29th and ends on Sunday, October 31st. If you are interested in keeping up with the scores as I compete, please visit: www.bowlingdigital.com (You may have to click on the Asia section.)

Missy Gets Married!!!

2010-09-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

First my apologies, for the lack of blogging in these last few months. As I've already explained in previous blogs, it was hugely due to the major planning of my recent wedding.

For those of you that have ever been married or have ever been involved in the planning process of a wedding, you know how big a feat it is to accomplish! I too used to think, "how hard could it really be?!" Well, I sure found out! It's funny that the littlest things (that you usually don't think about), such as placecards and seating charts to favors and matching cake ribbons, can assume so much of your daily life leading up to that one special and perfect day! And boy oh boy does that day go bye sooooooooooooo very fast!!!

So to answer the million dollar question (which I'm sure you've discovered by now), I am changing my name to Missy Parkin. I hope you all like the new website! Any and all comments are welcome, so feel free to email me or comment on the blog.

Also, I wanted to share with all of you a little bit about our BIG day...

Drew Parkin and I were married on Saturday, September 18th aboard the yacht "Athena" in Newport Beach Harbor in Orange County, California. Our wedding and reception took place aboard the yacht, as it cruised around the gorgeous million dollar houses, harbor seals, and popular balboa island amusement attractions, all night long. And to top it all off, it was a sunny Southern California day with a beautiful sunset, which made for some amazing photos! At the end of the evening, we had a surprise in store for our guests...Drew and I made a unique exit via a white gondola, which circled the yacht a couple of times before taking us on a private mini cruise. The entire wedding was just like a fairytale come true!

Enjoy the photos!

Bowling Update

2010-08-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

With the wedding quickly approaching, I know I have been neglecting my poor blog. So here's an update as far as my bowling is concered...

I have been keeping things a little low-key as far as bowling a ton of tournaments this summer. However, a few weeks ago, I was a little bored on a Saturday and wanted to get away from the wedding planning, so I decided to bowl a quick 6-gamer at Yorba Linda Bowl. We bowled on the Kegel winding road pattern, and the lanes were pretty difficult. I love tough patterns! And this pattern proved to be so, but if you threw the ball well and made a good shot, it went right in the pocket and usually carried. If you didn't throw a good shot, then the odds of leaving a nasty spare or split were pretty high. I ended up shooting +62 for the 6-game block and won the tournament. I also won a few sidepots and block pots, so it ended up being a nice night!

Then last weekend, I bowled the JAT Alumni Reunion tournament at Classic Lanes in Norco. The event was awesome! The Junior Amateur Tour is the scratch junior tournament club that I grew up bowling in and is also where I really learned a lot of key elements that have helped me get my career to the place it is today. During the reunion tournament, I saw so many friends and fellow competitors that I haven't seen in over 10-15 years. It was amazing to see all of the old photos, reminis and just have fun!

The tournament format was 6 games of qualifying, with the top 16 making matchplay. Scott Norton and I lead the 6 games of qualifying with +98. Then we were paired up, bracket style for matchplay, in a single elimination, best of 3 format. I bowled Scott Kraye and won the first game, but then lost the next 2 games, thus being eliminated from the tournament. I was however, the high woman in the field and did earn a nice check for that.

Then, this past weekend, I bowled the PCB Trios event at Fountain Bowl. A lot of bowlers from Arizona, Las Vegas and Northern California came out to bowl the tournament and there were 21 teams total. Now the teams comprised of one man, one woman and one bowler over the age of 45. So I bowled with my best friend Scott Norton and local bowler Eddie Katz.

Well the scores were VERY high for the tournament, as we bowled on the house shot. However, after two games, Scott and I were making the lanes look like the US Open pattern. (Needless to say we weren't having fun!) Our team was -20 total, after 2 games and we were in dead last.

So then Scott and I decided to show up and bowl and give our partner Eddie some help (who had been trying to hold Scott and I up). For the next 7 games, we ended up shooting: 637, 705, 716, 709, 613, 689 and 670 as a team, putting us at +519 overall and making the final 6th position into matchplay. Individually, we bowled pretty even. Eddie shot +177, Scott shot +149 and I shot +193 for the 9-game block. Most of the day, I used the new 900 Global Missing Link.

On Sunday, we bowled 6 games of head-to-head matchplay, with 10 bonus pins for each individual win and 30 bonus pins for the team game win. We shot games of 666, 738, 729, 760, 669 and 666, winning 170 bonus pins. On Sunday, I used my Bounty Hunter Pearl for most of the day, and even had the front 9 with it, until a stubborn 10 pin got in the way. Although fellow teammate Scott Norton, strung all 12 in-a-row shooting a perfect 300 during game 4 of macthplay. Those scores skyrocketed us into a 2nd place finish overall in the tournament.

Til next time...

PBA Saddleback Lanes Open

2010-07-14T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

First, I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone that bowled, supported and/or sponsored our PBA Regional event and pro-am held at Saddleback Lanes. With this being our first PBA Regional event, we were thrilled by the number of professionals, pro-am participants and spectators that helped make the event a big success and we only hope that the event will be bigger and better next year!

As far as my personal performance in the PBA Saddleback Lanes Regional goes...I must say that it is MUCH easier just showing up and bowling. Even though my fiance, Drew was the official host and did most of the leg-work for the event, I still helped out in many regards and I will say that it's A LOT of work! So big props to anyone that hosts a tournament. Please remember that these people put in hours and hours to make the event possible, so give them the gratitude and respect that they deserve!

So...I actually did bowl the practice session this week, seeing as I didn't have to travel 6 hours to the event. I bowled bright and early on Saturday morning, being on A squad and didn't quite wake up for a few games. I physically bowled just okay and finally started throwing the ball well towards the end of the day, which was a good thing because I was close to the projected cut number. My last game, needing a pretty big score to secure a solid spot in the finals, I struck out and shot 244 to be +152 for the 8 games. The cut for the semi's ended up being +101.

That night we had an awesome pro-am event, complete with karaoke in the bar, a house full of pro-am participants and lots of pros showing their skills out on the lanes.

On Sunday morning, we bowled 5 more games of qualifying. I threw the ball a lot better on Sunday and shot +138 for the next 5 games, putting me +290 overall. I qualified in 14th place for the top 16 single-elimination matchplay finals.

The first match I was paired up against Ben Laughlin from Phoenix, Ariz., a former PBA West Region Bowler of the Year and former PBA exempt player. The first round of matchplay is best 3 out of 5 games. I won the first game, 201-175. Ben won the second game 247-228. Then in game 3, it was a high scoring match, but I had a few carry issues in some key frames, so Ben prevailed 257-236. Then in game 4, a must win situation for myself, I needed to strike my first ball in the 10th frame to move on to game 5. I went up, threw the ball perfect off of my hand, loved the shot, but a stubborn 10 pin stood up. So I lost 202-203, coming in 13th place overall in the tournament.

Thanks again to everyone who came out and bowled, supported and/or sponsored the event! We can't wait until next year!

Saddleback Lanes to Host PBA Regional and Pro-am Event

2010-06-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Saddleback Lanes in Mission Viejo, Calif. will be hosting a PBA regional event and Pro-am tournament on July 9-11th. The event marks the first time in over 10 years that a PBA event has been held at this center. Saddleback Lanes is the bowling center that I practice and give lessons at, as well as the site for my father's pro shop.

The practice session will be on Friday, July 9th from 1-3pm. Tournament competition for the PBA Regional begins at 8am on Saturday, July 10th with A squad and then B squad will take the lanes at 2pm. The finals will conclude on Sunday, July 11th, starting at 8am.

The PBA Pro-am event will take place on Saturday night, July 10th at 7pm. The format is 3 games of 9-pin No-Tap and each participant will be able to bowl with 6 different PBA pros. Cost is $79 for adults with the option of upgrading to a bowling ball package for $179, which includes a 900 Global Bounty Hunter Pearl. Junior and Senior bowlers pay an entry fee of $59, with an optional bowling ball package of $139, which includes a 900 Global Link S30. Winner of the adult pro-am will win $300. Winner of the Junior pro-am will earn $100 scholarship and the senior pro-am winner will take home $100. Please contact Saddleback Lanes at (949) 586-5300 for more information or to sign up.

All of the PBA events throughout the weekend will be free for spectators.

2010 USBC Open Championships

2010-06-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I bowled the 2010 USBC Open Championships in Reno, Nev.

We drove the nice 9 hour drive in to Reno on Thursday and arrived just in time for the 2nd half of the NBA Finals game and watched the Lakers win the championship. To be completely honest, I'm not a huge basketball fan, but when it's the playoffs, I will watch and cheer for the Lakers.

On Friday, a few of my teammates and I decided to bowl the side events- the Bowlers Journal and BTM tourneys, at the Grand Sierra. I didn't post any stellar scores at either event and really used the tourneys as practice and warm up for the next two days.

Friday night was a lot of fun, as our whole team stayed up until midnight because fellow teammate Bryan Norton turned 21. So we naturally embarrassed him a little bit and sang him "Happy Birthday" right in front of all of the pit tables and then he proceeded to play some blackjack.

Saturday night we bowled team event. Our lanes were kind of squirelly and changed quite a bit throughout the 3 games, but by the end, they had opened up nicely if you could keep up with the moves about every 3-4 frames.

I shot 198, 211 and 220 for a 629 series and our team shot 2954.

Then on Sunday (Father's Day), we bowled doubles and singles. I got to bowl with my dad which is always a lot of fun! In doubles, I shot 166, 225 and 205 and we shot 1139 as a team. My dad actually bowled pretty well, he just didn't score very well and wasn't getting any breaks.

Then in singles, I shot 228, 200 and 206 for a 634 series and had 1859 for all-events. So it wasn't one of my better years, but we all still had fun and that's what it's all about!

Black Oak Casino PBA Regional

2010-06-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I know it's been forever since my last post and I thoroughly apologize! All of the wedding planning has been eating up all of my free time!

During the end of May, I bowled in the Black Oak Casino PBA Regional event in Tuolumne, Calif. The scores were super high, as we competed on the Viper Oil pattern.

For the 8 games of qualifying, I was +377, averaging 247.12 for the 8 game block and was in 4th place after both A and B squads.

The next day, we bowled 5 more games of semis. I shot another +165 over for that five games, being +542 overall and was seeded third for matchplay.

My first match, I faced Scott Kraye. This match came down to a final game five finish, after an unusual decision made by my opponent in game 4. Needing 8 pins to win and 7 to tie, he decided to pick up his spare and throw it straight at the headpin for count. He then proceeded to miss the headpin, leaving 6 pins. So I actually won game 4 by a single pin.

Game 5 came down to the wire, as I was ahead the whole game. Then Kraye struck out 8th, 9th and 10th to force me to mark in the 10th frame (a very similar situation to the Queens TV show match). So I went up and made a good shot and left another pocket split!!! And again lost. So needless to say, after a few bad breaks in-a-row in some crucial situations, I took a couple of weeks off from bowling to clear my head a bit.

I finished 10th overall in the tournament.

2010 Women's U.S. Open

2010-05-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

This week all of the ladies and I are in Fort Worth, Texas at Cityview Lanes for the 2010 Women's U.S. Open.

We are bowling three 8-game blocks of qualifying, with the field then being cut to the top 24. We will then bowl 24 games of round robin matchplay over two days. The top 5 TV show finals will be determined by the 48 games of total pinfall, plus the bonus pins for matchplay. Each match win is worth 30 extra bonus pins.

For complete coverage and to watch live streaming, check out www.bowl.com

Missy Makes Queens TV Show - Watch LIVE on Wed., April 28th at 5pm PST on ESPN 2

2010-04-27T21:25:00.001-07:00

Tune in to ESPN 2 to watch Missy Bellinder LIVE in the USBC Queens tournament on Wednesday, April 28th at 5pm PST. Missy is the No. 3 seed in the tournament, after some huge scores and great matches in the matchplay portion of the tournament.

The Queens TV show begins with No. 5 seed, contender's bracket winner, Michelle Feldman facing No. 4 seed Kelly Kulick. The winner facing Missy. No. 2 seed is USBC Hall of Famer Anne Marie Duggan, with the top seed going to fellow Orange County, Calif. native Tennelle Milligan.

For complete results and videos, visit The Queens homepage on www.bowl.com

USBC Women's Championship in El Paso, Texas

2010-04-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hello from El Paso!

Great food, lots of wind and a whole lot of bowling sums up the city of El Paso, Texas. Being able to see Juarez, Mexico from my hotel room, is a little on the strange side. I actually had no idea just how close the border was to downtown El Paso, which boasts the El Paso Convention Center, site of the 2010 USBC Women's Championships and 2010 USBC Queens tournament.

Yep, the Rio Grande and border are just blocks away (or though it seems) from the tournament site. High above on the hills of Mexico are white rocks spelling out -
Juarez
La Biblia es la verdad
Leela
(Translating - Juarez, the Bible is the Truth, read it!) I was pretty interested to figure out what was on that mountain, as I could only make out the words through using my zoomed in camera, despite the windy conditions almost toppling me over.

My dad and I decided to make a road trip out of the tournaments, making the 12 hour drive from Southern California to The Lone Star state. Although we hit some cross wind and nearly missed a dust storm, it was mostly smooth sailing all the way.

So far, I have bowled all of the events for the Women's Championship- team, doubles and singles. Last night, we bowled team event, comprised of myself, Lynda Barnes, Tennelle Milligan, Lisa Pawlak and Missy Klug. (I must say I'm definitely not used to bowling with another Missy because it just isn't that common of a name; so i did a lot of double takes throughout the two days when someone would yell "Missy".)

We bowled very well in team event, despite the rather high scoring pace, shooting 3345 (+345) for the three games. We shot very consistent games of 1109, 1119 and 1117. I personally wasn't as consistent, shooting 203, 278 and 192 for a 673 series.

Then today in the doubles event I was paired up with long-time friend Lisa Pawlak. We shot 1280 as a team and I shot games of 245, 221 and 228 for a 694 series.

Then we bowled singles and everyone on our team bowled really well! If that would have been our team scores, we would have killed them! LOL! I shot 199, 257 and 258 for a 714 series. Fellow teammate Tennelle Milligan is currently leading singles with a 779 and my doubles partner Lisa shot 745.

So for all-events, that put me at 2081 (+281) for nine games. Scores aren't up-to-date yet, so I'm not sure where that puts me and my teammates on the leader board. But seeing as the tournament isn't over for a few months, I'll just have to wait and see.

Tomorrow begins the 2010 USBC Queens tournament. Check out www.bowl.com for complete coverage. Til then...

"Dare to Compare" Day at Saddleback Lanes

2010-03-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that 900 Global and AMF will be showcasing the latest and greatest products from each line in a special "Dare to Compare" Day to be held at Saddleback Lanes this Friday, April 2nd from 5-7pm. Cost to attend the event is $20.

Another words, you will be able to "test drive" the following bowling balls before purchasing them:

900 Global -
Bounty Hunter
Bounty Hunter Pearl
Break Out
Breakpoint Pearl

AMF -
Clutch
Clutch Pearl
Sideways
Mega Recovery

So come on out and see what these great products can do for your game! Special bowling ball prices will be available on this day only.

Precision Pro Shop
(located inside Saddleback Lanes)
25402 Marguerite Parkway
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
(949) 454-9922

Missy Shoots 20th 300 Game!!!

2010-03-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I subbed in the Friday morning 590 Classic scratch league at Linbrook Bowl. It definitely proved to be a good start to the day, as I shot 266 my first game (with the front 7). I then proceeded to shot 300 the next game, using my 900 Global Bounty Hunter Pearl! This marked my 20th 300 game!

The lanes got a little tricky the 3rd game and with no carry and a stubborn pocket 4-9 split in the 9th frame, I only managed a 205, missing another 800 series.

The last game (this league bowls 4 games a week), I switched to by 900 Global Break Out, moved left and opened up the lanes, shooting 236 the final game for a 1007 series.

Be sure to check out the Bounty Hunter Pearl and all of 900 Global's equipment at www.900global.com

Til next time....

Orange County Tournament

2010-03-09T11:29:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, I competed in Orange County Tournament. Although the event is all handicap now (and I usually steer clear of non-scratch events, I still find this tournament a fun source of competitive practice. I've bowled with the same group of ladies since I turned adult at age 18. I call them "My Moms" (seeing as they all have kids around my age) and I think they all have adopted me as their daughter. Although our team changed a bit this year, we still had a lot of fun and bowled really well! Original team member, Virginia Norton and I paired with new members Rachel Hickenbottom and Samantha Jimenez, who just turned adult this season.

We decided to bowl all three events - singles, doubles and team - all on the same day. Each event consists of three games and the tournament runs over a few weekends. At the end, total pins in each event wins.

We bowled doubles and singles first at Valley View Lanes. Oh the memories at this bowling center... This center brought me into the world of adult bowling, as it used to host a big ladies scratch league, which I bowled every year after turning adult. However, sadly to say, the league folded around 2004.

We bowled doubles event first, and I was paired with Virginia Norton. I shot games of 259, 255 (with the front 7 both games) and then 222 the last game for a 736 series. Virginia shot games of 216, 212 and 187 for a 615 series. Combined we shot 1351 and were unofficially in 1st place.

Singles was my lowest set (as it usually is for some reason), as we switched pairs and I shot games of 225, 203 and 244 for a 672 series. Both sets, I used my Bounty Hunter and was able to open up the lanes, moving inside of everyone and hooking it out to the dry, allowing me to create some area.

Then in the afternoon, we bowled at Irvine Lanes for team event. I had never bowled at this center before, except to practice once or twice. Well we started with a BANG, shooting 997 the first game for our four person team. I shot 268 (with the front 8 using my Bounty Hunter Pearl), Virginia shot 205, Rachel shot 224 and our rookie Samantha shot a perfect 300! Our second game we shot 887, as I shot 238. And our last game, we ended with a 874, as I shot 257. So in total, we shot 2758 for our team of four ladies. I shot 763 in team event, which put me at 2171 for all events.

Unofficially, we are in 1st place for team event. Virginia and I are in 1st place for doubles event and I am in 1st place for all events.

Not bad for a team of scratch bowlers who just wanted to have some fun...

PBA Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles

2010-02-21T14:04:00.000-08:00

This week, the PBA and PBA Women's Series ventured to Denver, Colo. for the PBA Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles event held at Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge.

The event marked the last PBA Women's Series event for the 2009-2010 PBA Tour season. With 32 women competitors and 64 men comprising the field, the bowlers competed 14 games of qualifying separately.

We bowled 7 games of qualifying the first day, and I personally struggled and had yet another roller coaster block. Not being lined up well to start, I shot 173, 202 and then a disastrous 148. Finally switching to the Bounty Hunter Pearl, throwing it very slow and playing very straight and inside, I shot 209, 209, 254 and then hit a bad pair for a 184 finish. I ended the day at -21 and was 42 pins out of the top 16 cut.

The next day, we came back for our final 7 game block of qualifying. After making several surface adjustments on my bowling balls (i.e. sand blasting quite a few), I had a much better second block. I used the Clutch Solid all day and played the tightest line inside, keeping my ball speed down as much as possible. I had started with the wrong ball the first few frames, leaving a pair of splits, then switching to the correct ball and shooting 183, 224, 207, 238, 267 (with the front 8), 229 and 201 for +128 overall and shooting +149 for the block. This block rocketed me to 7th place.

With the women finishing the 14 games of qualifying first, it was then a waiting game to see which of the men would finish in 7th, thus being paired with me for the duration of the tournament. That bowler ended up being exempt player Steve Harmon.

The next day we bowled 16 games of round robin baker match play, meaning that we alternated each frame to complete the game. Steve anchored for the most part, as his look on the lanes was MUCH better than mine. Unfortunately, we struggled to win matches and with 30 bonus pins on the line, that proved to be devastating. We only won 5 out of 16 matches, although one win was against the dominating team of Jason Belmonte and Michelle Feldman. We finished 13th overall.

A few side notes and reflections for the season...
Although this was the first season that I failed to make a TV show for the women's series, I am not totally disappointed. I was badly injured for the majority of the World Series of Bowling, which comprised 5 out of our 7 stops. And I still managed to just fall short of the TV show for the PBA Women's World Championship, coming in 3rd place overall.

I'm not entirely sure if the World Series of Bowling concept is such a good idea, simply due to the fact that we only competed in one bowling center the entire time. This highly favors any bowler whose natural game matches up with that center's characteristics. No matter what pattern that was put out, those bowlers were still going to have the advantage. I think that the concept would have been better if the tour went to somewhere like Las Vegas and competed at a different bowling center every week, but still remained in the same city for an extended period of time.

Another change for this season, was the complete separation of the men and women bowlers each tournament. The women either bowled at completely different times or as in the World Series of Bowling, competed in a completely different area (the Arena Bay) than the men, making it more difficult for fans to watch both the men and women. Prior to this season, the women competed qualifying mixed in with the men and shared paddocks/ball workout areas. This year, everything has been separated between the men and the women, which in a way feels a little like the women have been pushed aside. I will say that having our own paddock and work out area was definitely a plus, but the rest was a little disheartening.

Lastly, I'd like to thank the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) for it's continued support of women's bowling! Without USBC we wouldn't have had the PBA Women's Series for the last three seasons.

I do have one HUGE favor... anyone who is happy seeing the women back in action on TV, can you please send an email or write a letter to USBC stating that fact. In these hard times, you never know what next year brings and bowling needs to not lose professional women's bowling again. Please pass this along to all of your friends.

United States Bowling Congress
Attn: Jeff Boje
621 Six Flags Drive
Arlington, TX 76011

jeff.boje@bowl.com
darlene.baker@bowl.com

Thank you!!!!

PBA Del Rosa Regional

2010-02-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

Over February 5-7, I competed in the only regional that is relatively close to my house - the PBA Del Rosa Regional. We bowled on the Viper pattern. However, the scoring paced proved to mimic more of a house shot, as it took +178 to make the semi's.

Many touring pros bowled the event, as the regional fell inbetween the Dick Weber Open and the USBC Masters, which added a nice touch. The regional is always a great event to bowl in because of the great job done by Del Rosa Lanes Owner Nicole Ellison and Manager Dave Wodka.

On Sunday, the top 37 bowlers came back for 5 more games of semi's and then the field was cut to the top 16 for single elimination match play.

In the 8 games of qualifying, I shot +320, using the 900 Global Break Out and was in 4th place overall. The next day, we bowled 5 more games of semi's. I shot +220, using the Bounty Hunter Pearl for those 5 games and ended up in 2nd place overall at +540, averaging 241.6 for the tournament.

In the top 16 match play finals, I was seeded against 15th seed Vance Sisk. In the Round of 16, it's a best 3 out of 5 single elimination format. With the lanes re-oiled, I couldn't seem to get matched up. In the first game, I lost 184-248. I then switched balls, moved left and slowed it down, but still lost 242-269. In game 3, I decided to throw it hard and straight and play outside. This theory proved to be better, as I came back to win 233-184. However, in game 4, I again lost my look and eventually lost 211-234.

I ended up in 10th place in the tournament, as Patrick Allen captured the title.

This week, I'm bowling in the PBA Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles event in Denver, Colo. Check out pba.com for results and to watch live on Xtra Frame.

Til next time...

PBA Dick Weber Open

2010-02-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

This past week, I competed in the PBA Dick Weber Open in Fountain Valley, Calif. Making the event more special is not only the fact that the event is named after one of bowling's "Greats"- Dick Weber, but also the fact that this event marks the only PBA National Tour event that is close to home.

With many friends and family in attendance, I wanted to have a good showing at the tournament. With this tournament being only my second event back at almost 100% after my leg injury, I still had high expectations.

We bowled three 5-games blocks of qualifying. The first day, everyone bowled two squads - one block on freshly oiled lanes and one on the burn (meaning that the lanes weren't re-oiled after one squad).

I bowled on the fresh first, and had the most roller coaster block I think I've ever had. I started out strong shooting 199 and 235, which was good considering the scores were lower. Then I had a mental lapse and absolutely made the wrong decisions with some ball changes. Everything I tried resulted in a split or washout, as I shot 161 and 139! Yes 139! I finally got lined up in the 10th frame of the 139 and was upset at my self enough that I decided I wasn't going to miss the next game. I ended the block with a nice 248 game, leaving me at -18 for the 5 games.

Then we had a LONG break and came back for the night block on the burn. Keep in mind that the lanes started out the day hooking pretty good, so by the time the other squad finished and we started on the burn, I was already playing 20 at the arrows (to start). So you can imagine all of the guys lofting the left gutter cap by the end of this block.

I bowled really well on the burn, shooting 225, 213, 244, 177 and 199. By the end of that block, they got pretty nasty. I was already walking around the ball return on the right lane, throwing it hard and trying to loft it. So the last game I even decided to go to my plastic ball on the right lane and struck for a key turkey to save the game. I ended the day at +40 overall.

The next day, we came back for our final qualifying block and everyone bowled on the fresh. I knew I needed to shoot about +120 to make matchplay, which was the goal. I made a bad decision to start and started out playing the wrong part of the lane with the wrong ball, ultimately shooting 164 my first game. Not the start I had hoped for!

I then switched balls and angles to play straighter up the track and had a much better reaction. I then shot 246, 199 and 246. Going in to the last game, I needed a BIG game to jump into the matchplay number. I ended up on a bad pair and grinded out a 181 to finish the block. I ended the tournament in 42nd place overall at +76, cashing in the event, but missing the top 24 match play.

All-in-all it was a good week. I bowled pretty good, had our first guests stay at our new house and had a successful house warming party. Til the next event...

PBA Tournament of Champions

2010-02-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a little over a week since Kelly Kulick became the 1st woman to win a PBA tournament and not only win, but defeat one of bowling's great players, in a MAJOR event.

I was on hand that week at the Tournament of Champions held at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas, Nev. I was consequently in town to cheer on my best friend Scott Norton, who earned a berth into the prestigious tournament through winning the Regional Players Invitational (RPI) in early December. (The win also grants Scott an exemption on the PBA tour for next year.)

I attended the qualifying rounds of the event, mostly cheering on my friend, but every once in a while going to check on Kelly. She was amazing that week - very confident, throwing the ball very well and had a happy demeanor throughout the competition. The other real treat was that her mother had flown in to watch her bowl and was on hand the entire week.

Now, for those of you that aren't aware, women have NEVER been able to bowl in the PBA Tournament of Champions. This year, the PBA decided to change that rule by awarding a berth into the T of C to the winner of the PBA Women's World Championship, which was held at the World Series of Bowling this past summer in Detroit. Kulick defeated Shannon Pluhowsky for the title. (On a side note... Kelly defeated "yours truly" in the round of 4 to make it to the TV show.)

Now back to the T of C...if you watched even one block of that tournament, it was pretty obvious who had the fans. The bleachers were always full behind her lanes and cheers galore could be heard anywhere in the center if she simply knocked down all 10 pins. The entire atmosphere was one to remember and I'm sure one Kelly will never forget.

Everyone either saw, heard or read about the TV show. Kelly was poised and determined. No one was going to beat her that title match. And as a result, she is now touring the country, going from talk show to talk show, interview to interview, and hopefully changing the public's view on our sport and getting more respect for what we do on a daily basis. Congrats to Kelly for making history and reinvigorating the sport we all love!

Earl Anthony Memorial Classic

2010-01-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

First, I want to apologize for my lack of blogging. I hope to keep my blog more current now that the PBA tour is back in action.

So, let's talk about this past week and the demanding lane conditions at the Earl Anthony Memorial Classic...

Fortunately for me, this year the PBA Tour opened up the second half of the season in Dublin, Calif. So that meant a 6 hour drive up to Northern California as opposed to another plane trip. To break up the monotony of making the same boring drive up the center of California, my fiancee and I choose to take the scenic and much LONGER route up Hwy 1.

If you've never had the opportunity to travel up or down the coast of California via Hwy 1, it's definitely a trip you want to take some time in your life. Much of the journey is up steep cliffs, 20 mph turns, but the view is absolutely gorgeous - huge cliffs right alongside crashing waves from the ocean. We made a few stops along the way. We first drove around Morro Bay and saw the HUGE rock protruding out of the ground around the bay and into the ocean. We also stopped at an elephant seal safe haven and saw the magnificent creatures lying on the beach, flopping around on the sand and playing in the water. The amazing part was that little elephant seal pups had been born not that long ago, so there were numerous baby seals on the beach nursing from their mothers. We also managed to stop at an inlet that takes you on a small hike to a gorgeous waterfall and then finally made it into Dublin, Calif. after passing Monterey Bay and the 17 mile drive of Pebble Beach.

Well, last year when we competed on the grueling Earl Anthony lane condition in Medford, Oregon, it proved to be challenging, but nothing compares to how the pattern played this year at Dublin Bowl.

I have had the pleasure of bowling in some PBA regional tournaments at Dublin Bowl in the past, and there was always one common denominator - the lanes were always HARD! The conditions, no matter what pattern was put out, always relied on repeating shots - making good first shots and picking up your spares. So with the combination of a tough pattern combined with a naturally tough bowling center, I knew we were going to be in for a grind out shot. And that was saying it mildly!

With this tournament being the first full blown tour stop that I had competed in since the World Series of Bowling, I was concerned about my leg holding up through the entire event.

In the off season, I spent most of my 3 1/2 months rehabbing my leg and working out on a bike, trying to recover from a pulled groin muscle at the Women's U.S. Open in August. I bowled a few tournaments, one of which I re-hurt my leg at in October. So after injuring my leg again, I decided to stick with more rehab and less bowling. I finally started throwing the ball like my old self only one week before the Earl Anthony Memorial Classic. Although I didn't get in much practice, I still felt really good throwing the ball and was pretty confident that I would bowl well at the Tour Stop, having success at Dublin Bowl in the past.

However, my assumption proved to be wrong as carry problems combined with a tough tough pattern just didn't match up for me this week.

The first day, I shot -81 for 7 games and that was one of the most grueling days of bowling for me. I actually bowled really well, but couldn't seem to knock the 10 pin down. Then every little mistake was multiplied as I would split or leave a washout for barely missing the target or throwing the ball a little slower or harder. So when you split once or twice a game and can't seem to get a double, that's going to make for some low scores. We've all been there.

So I made some surface adjustments and was ready to start striking the next day. Well, the next day I didn't really throw the ball that well. I struck a little more when I did hit the pocket, but I just wasn't throwing the ball consistently well the entire day. And on a pattern like the Earl Anthony pattern, you can't afford to have one of those days. So I ended up shooting -102 for the day and ended up in 14th at -183 overall. I can't tell you how long it's been since I've shot that much in the negative, but I know I wasn't the only one.

However despite the low scores, I did have one very BIG positive out of the week. I bowled all 14 games and my leg never bothered me once. So that is great news! Now I can start to practice more and get geared up for the Dick Weber Open at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif.

Til then...

Missy Shoots 300 with New Bounty Hunter Pearl

2009-12-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

Last night, I shot 300 using the NEW 900 Global Bounty Hunter Pearl. I shot my 19th perfecto while bowling in my "fun" league with my parents and fiancee at Saddleback Lanes in Mission Viejo, CA. The NEW 900 Global Bounty Hunter Pearl would be an awesome addition to anyone's game. The already highly sought after and successful Bounty Hunter, now has a pearl duo to compliment it and is now available. The Bounty Hunter Pearl rolls up nice in the mid-lane and has a STRONG arc motion, which is hard to find in a pearl cover. The Bounty Hunter Pearl will allow you to use a pearl cover in more oily-medium conditions, providing a strong hook and powerful hit. There is also an added bonus to buying both the Bounty Hunter and Bounty Hunter Pearl. Both balls are part of a $50,000 reward to bowlers shooting a 300 game using either ball. For complete rules, see: http://www.900global.com/thebountyhunter/ Christmas is just around the corner, so be sure to ask Santa for a Bounty Hunter Pearl! ;) I hope all of you are getting ready for the holidays and enjoying all of the festivities involved with finding the perfect gift, getting that amazing tree and putting up Christmas lights. Happy Holidays!

Mission Hills WWPB Mixed Doubles Event

2009-11-25T22:09:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I competed in the WWPB Mixed Doubles event at Mission Hills, CA with my partner Scott Norton. As defending champions of the event, we were not only there to defend our title, but also to support a dear friend of ours. My team and the team of Drew Parkin and Virginia Norton all wore special shirts for the event to show our support and love for our dear friend that is currently going through Breast Cancer. Scott and I wore "Team Strength" on the front of our shirts, as Virginia and Drew wore "Team Hope."

In the event, Scott and I qualified in 8th place after the 9 games of qualifying with +505 overall. My partner and I's qualifying scores were pretty even with Scott shooting +262 and myself shooting +243 for the 9 games.

Needless to say, the lanes weren't too hard. Score were high and it became more of a carry fest. It took +476 to make the top 12 cut to match play.

The next day, we bowled 12 games of round robin match play with each individual winner receiving 10 bonus pins and an extra 30 bonus pins for the team win. So 50 bonus pins total were up for grabs each match, making it extremely important to win as many matches as possible.

We did just so-so in match play, breaking even with a matchplay record of 6-6 for team wins. We did however bowl a HUGE last game, shooting 545 (I shot 267 and Scott shot 278), which moved us up into 6th place overall in the tournament.

Although we didn't successfully defend our title, we did however show support for our friend and I personally managed to bowl 21 games in two days without my leg bothering me. So things are looking up...

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Missy Joins 900 Global

2009-11-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

Missy Bellinder joins the 900 Global team as one of the professional staff members. Missy joins the likes of Walter Ray Williams, Jr., Michael Haugen, Jr. and Steve Jaros on the 900 Global pro staff team.

Look for upcoming ball reviews on the new Bounty Hunter Pearl, which is set to release on November 16th.

If you have any questions about any of the 900 Global bowling balls, please feel free to email me at missy@missybellinder.com

http://www.900global.com/home/

Yosemite Vacation

2009-11-08T13:17:00.001-08:00

This week, I took a little vacation with a few friends and we ventured to Yosemite National Park for a few days. For those of you that haven't ever been there, you need to make sure you visit this amazing National Park at least once.

While on the trip, we were able to see amazing waterfalls, gorgeous views and we even stumbled upon some deer, as we walked along one of the trails. With it being fall, the waterfalls weren't near as full as when I had been to Yosemite in the Spring, but the leaves were beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red. Although we didn't spot any bears, we did see plenty of chipmunks, squirrels, ravens and other various birds.

Above are a few photos from the trip.

Upcoming Clinics by Missy

2009-10-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I will be holding two clinics coming up at Saddleback Lanes in Mission Viejo, CA. Both clinics are Saturday, November 7th AND Sunday, November 8th.

The first clinic is a beginning-intermediate clinic for bowlers averaging 175 and below. The cost of this clinic is $125 total for both days. The clinic will be held from 9am to noon both days and will be broken up into a classroom portion and then on-the-lanes practice. Some of the topics discussed include: timing, ball fit, finish position, alignment and spares. This clinic is limited to the first 20 bowlers, so be sure to sign up today!

The second clinic is an advanced clinic for bowlers averaging 175 and above. This clinic will be held from 1pm-4pm both days. The cost for this clinic is $150 total for both days. Saturday will feature one-on-one time with Missy working on individual's game. Personalized assessment, along with practice time will be given. Then Sunday features a special tournament utilizing new skills. Prizes will be awarded. Bowlers will practice on different oil patterns both days. This clinic is limited to the first 10 bowlers, so be sure to sign up today!

To sign up or if you have any questions, please email Missy at missy@missybellinder.com Payment for the clinics can be paid by cash or check the first day of the clinic.

PBA Fresno Regional

2009-10-27T13:19:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I bowled a PBA West Region event in Fresno, CA. My leg had been feeling better and I was certain, that even though I would be bowling a lot of games, that my leg would hold up OK.

Since being home from tour, I have only bowled one tournament and just been bowling 3 games a week in league and no practice. So I've been staying off of it and letting it heal.

Well, I started the tournament very well, shooting 279 (with the front 7) and then 233 to start the day. I was leading after 2 games at +112. We were bowling on the Scorpion PBA pattern and I was able to use my 900 Global Bounty Hunter all day. I ended up hitting some trouble in the middle games and ended the 8 games of qualifying with +196 and was in 5th place.

We bowled our semifinals that afternoon (so 5 more games). During the 7th game of qualifying, my leg was starting to bother me a little bit. Then during the semifinals, I could barely bowl the final game. I ended up +203 and in 11th place. So i had qualified for the top 16 Sunday matchplay finals, despite being in a lot of pain.

I got matched up against PJ Haggerty the first match, in the best 3 of 5 single elimination format. Starting off the day, I seriously thought I was going to have to withdraw. My leg was really bothering me (and I can withstand a lot of pain) and I shot 128 the first game (obviously losing).

However, during the second game I figured out a way to still have some timing and not have my leg hurt so bad. I came back with a 234, but lost to PJ who threw the front 9 at me. I then came back and won 222-186. The next game the lanes changed just enough for me to start out with opens for the first 3 out of 4 frames (a pocket 7-10, a 2-8-10 and a 2-4-8-10). I ended up rallying back that game, shooting 201, but lost to PJ who shot 214.

So although I bowled well, it was a very disappointing tournament because my leg isn't quite healing as well as I had hoped. So I am definitely taking some time off of bowling for at least two weeks and then starting back up again with just 3 games a week. The goal is to be fully healed by tour in January.

I also wanted to thank all of you for the support and well wishes! I really appreciate it!!!! =)

In the Off-Season

2009-10-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

First off, I'd like to thank all of you that tuned in to watching the U.S. Women's Open TV Shows. I really appreciate all of the support and love hearing from all of you.

Now that I am in the off-season and am not bowling a whole lot (as you can see from my calendar), I thought I'd mention what I've been doing in my spare time. =)

Due to my leg injury, which I must say is healing well, I haven't been bowling as much or practicing a lot. Unfortunately, the only way for a pulled groin muscle to heal is by resting it. So...I have been doing just that. I am happy to say that I can bowl 3-4 games without wrapping it and it doesn't hurt. So little by little it is getting back to where it should be, and I should be 100% when the tour starts up again in January.

So, besides giving a lot of lessons, I have been keeping busy with two main things - ONE - the wedding (since I got engaged in July) and TWO - buying a house. Both of those things are VERY time consuming and can be fun and a little nerve-racking at the same time.

The very first thing I did after returning home from being on tour was to set a wedding date and secure a location for the big day. We set the date - I am getting married in September of 2010. And the venue is rather unique.

My fiancee, Drew and I only went to one wedding venue and immedately knew that was the place. We decided to get married on a yacht in Newport Beach Harbor. This was definitely not what I had pictured, but upon visiting the site and knowing my love for the beach, it was all but perfect!

As for the housing situation, we are still working on it.

Stay tuned for more updates...

Watch Missy in the Final Four of the Women's U.S. Open this Sunday, Oct. 18th at 2pm EST on ESPN

2009-10-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

Missy Bellinder defeated Liz Johnson 212-202 and then went on to face tournament leader Shannon O'Keefe in the quarter finals TV Show of the Women's U.S. Open. Bellinder threw 11 out of 12 strikes to defeat O'Keefe 279-213 and just missed out on the $25,000 bonus for shooting a 300 on TV.

Watch Missy face Tammy Boomershine in the final four of the Women's U.S. Open this Sunday, Oct. 18th at 2pm EST on ESPN.

Watch Missy on ESPN this Sunday, Oct. 11th at 2pm EST

2009-10-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Catch all of the action as Missy Bellinder takes on Liz Johnson in the U.S. Women's Open this Sunday, October 11th at 2pm EST (11am west coast time).

The winner will face top seed Shannon O'Keefe, with the winner then advancing to the top 4 finals to be aired on Sunday, October 18th.

Check it out!!!

Good ending to a long month

2009-09-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

The World Series of Bowling came to an end after the culmination of the PBA World Championship. The event featured three separate tournaments - the Women, the men and the Senior World Championship.

The PBA Women's World Championship featured three 6-game blocks of qualifying, with the field then being cut to the top 20 women. After which, we bowled another 6 games to determine seating and the top four players (which received two byes into matchplay).

The entire tournament I was close to being in the Top 4. However, I didn't fair too well during the last round of six games. I ended up being seated 14th and paired up to bowl Wendy Macpherson the first round of matchplay.

For all of matchplay, we then were moved into the main bay of the bowling center, so the ESPN crew could get the TV show pairs ready in the arena bay. We hadn't bowled in the main bay of the bowling center at all during the entire month and it played completely different. So the first round of matchplay was a bit of a guessing game, whoever guessed right the fastest, was most likely going to win.

Fortunately, I had some help from Dave Smart from 900 Global and figured out some bowling balls and strategies that would work pretty well on the condition. I ended up using the Bounty Hunter for most of matchplay.

In the best 4 out of 7 matchplay finals, I got lined up pretty early against Wendy and ended up winning the match 4-1.

The next day, I then faced Lindsay Baker. In this extremely close match (our first game I won 268-251) we kept going back and forth with some high scores. The match ended up going to game 7, and I advanced, winning 212-180.

In the Super Round of 8, I bowled against Michelle Feldman. We must have bowled on the tightest pair in the center. I was throwing a Bounty Hunter, sanded with 360 grit and then re-sanded with a burgundy scotch brite pad. Needless to say, the ball was a snowball. So not only was I throwing charcoal, but I was also pointing the ball more than I have in a really long time (i.e. standing 6 and aiming at 7).

I didn't figure out how to play the pair until after the first game (i shot 145 the first game). I then rallied back to win the match 4-2.

The next match was the Round of 4, in which the winners would make the TV show. I faced Kelly Kulick and in this difficult match it was Kelly who ended up beating me 4-2.

I guess with a hurt leg, bowling 19 games the last day of matchplay and 48 games total the last tournament, I was pretty happy with how I ended the World Series of Bowling.

The World Series of Bowling concluded this weekend with the taping of all of the World Series of Bowling tournaments over this Labor Day weekend. The shows will air throughout October-December as tape-delayed shows for the first half of the PBA Tour season.

I plan on taking some time off to let my leg heal, but should be back on lanes in no time. Til then...

Scorpion Championship

2009-08-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we did have a bit of a break prior to starting the Scorpion Championship. Some bowlers (that had the convenience of being close enough to home) decided to take a mini break and have a few home cooked meals and sleep in their own bed for a few nights. My roomie and I are a bit too far away for that convenience.

So instead, we hung out with a lot of the other girlies out on tour. There were numerous trips to the Fairlane Towne Center mall, along with chick flick movie nights. Yes, we saw "The Ugly Truth," (which I might add I think guys would also get a kick out of) and we saw the "Time Traveler's Wife."

Beyond that, we also had makeovers at the Mac store and then went out for a really entertaining karaoke night, with many of us singing the night away. Yes, we do have a Whitney Houston amongst our 20+ group that ventured out, and even the lead singer for Bare Naked Ladies.

So on with the tournament...for those of you that watched Xtra Frame or watched the scores online, you could tell that the lanes were pretty difficult and low scoring. Minor mistakes were magnified and missing the pocket often resulted in a split or difficult spare conversion.

I definitely had the roller coaster of scores going on - a few decent games, then 150, another good game, then 160. (All of which was very easy to do depending on what pair you happen to be on.)

With my leg feeling better, I was in contention for making the cut pretty much the entire time. Towards the end, there were about 7 of us that were vying for that final 8th spot into match play. I had dropped down a bit, due to a bad 5th game, but was rallying to make it.

Our pair was one of the last to get done. I could strike out for 267, putting me at -5. I didn't think anyone else had gotten to that number. (The cut was in the -30s going into that game.) I was bowling with Adrienne Miller (also in contention) and she struck out to put herself at -16. I knew I needed to double in the 10th to beat her. For those of you who watched Xtra Frame, you know what happened next. I threw the ball perfect off of my hand (you know, one of those shots you just know that you pured) and the stubborn 10 pin decided to stand.

Yes, I was upset, but all you can do is put the ball there and hope the bowling gods cooperate. I guess my leg needed more time to heal.

Our next event starts on Thursday with practice and qualifying on Friday. Be sure to check it out.

Chameleon Championship

2009-08-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Chameleon Championship started on Tuesday, August 18th with the practice session and qualifying on Wednesday, the 19th. I chose not to bowl in the practice session, but instead watch, in order to give my leg a little more healing time.

First I must tell you a little bit about the center we are bowling in. All of the women's series events are being conducted in the arena bay section of Thunderbowl Lanes. The arena bay is basically a 20 lane separate bowling center that has tiered seating and a vaulted ceiling (with normal scoreboards), which acts almost like a mini National Bowling Stadium with decor from the 70's. Complete with plush sparkly gold and pink vinyl couches in the settee area and leopard print stools at the top deck viewing areas, it is definitely a venue unlike any other.

Participating in the arena has it's advantages and disadvantages. It's nice to bowl in a setting where we are only crossing with the women (which is unlike every other year of the women's series, where we were inter-mixed with the men during qualifying). The lanes tend to break down better because we don't have all of the traffic of the men's high rev rates pushing all of the oil all over the place.

However, in this setting it feels as though we are put in a corner all by our selves (like we're on time out) and no one really knows that we're competing in there. The men bowl at the exact same time and in a completely different bay of the bowling center (lanes 41-90), which leaves spectators the choice of watching the men or the women bowl, not the convenience of watching both at the same time. Not to mention that in order to find where we are bowling it is much like an obstacle course or Where's Waldo book.

Other differences this year on tour, include our own paddock, located just behind the arena (which is normally used as a comedy club). It's nice not having to battle for tools when working out equipment or waiting so long to use the spinner, but it also has it's disadvantages too. With separate competition and paddock areas, the men and women really never get to see each other much. It's almost like "Over there is their area and this is our area." So it's a really weird vibe this year out on tour.

Another added bonus is that we are bowling on a REALLY old surface in the arena. For those of you that have watched Xtra Frame, you can see that we are not lacking in friction. This week we had 20% more volume and by the end of the 7-game block Tammy was in front of the ball return and pretty much everyone was inside of 4th arrow. (Yes the pattern is 39 feet, but there are only 20 of us and we're only bowling 7 games, NOT 14 games without re-oiling.)

So, knowing that I can't throw the ball hard because of my injury, I decided to have my dad ship me my old Columbia Trooper urethane ball from way back in the day. It came in handy, as I used it the first 4-5 games of both blocks (however not soon enough the first block) and then switched to a Storm Second Dimension when the lanes opened up a bit and I could use enough head-angle to get the ball down the lane.

Well the good news about the Chameleon Championship is that I did finish all 14 games and I didn't hurt too bad afterwards. I think my leg is getting better and I'm definitely ready to give it my all in the Scorpion Championship which starts Sunday with the practice session. Till then...

Viper Championship

2009-08-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

This week I found myself in unfamiliar territory. I had to withdraw from the tournament after only bowling two games of qualifying. I have NEVER withdrawn from a tournament before, so it was an upsetting experience but it was for the better.

As previously mentioned, I had a pulled groin muscle from the U.S. Women's Open. I thought it had enough time to rest, choosing not to bowl from Sunday (after the TV show was taped) until our Friday practice session.

I had stopped limping two days before heading out to Detroit. My leg was feeling a lot better, so I practiced on Friday and everything seemed to be OK. However, that night my leg started hurting pretty bad. So I tried bowling qualifying on Saturday but wasn't able to finish the games.

In normal circumstances I would have loved the condition we bowled on. The lanes were hooking a lot due to the surface we were bowling on and throwing the ball hard seemed to be the advantage. Normally that is right in my wheelhouse, but I wasn't able to really use my legs or stay down at all. So I decided to withdraw instead of risking hurting myself more.

The good news is that I don't bowl again until Wednesday, which is qualifying for the Chameleon Championship. I'm most likely going to skip the practice session on Tuesday and just watch the other girls bowl to see how the lanes are.

The extra days off should help my leg to heal a bit. Til then...

Getting Ready for the World Series of Bowling

2009-08-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Happy summer to everyone,

Just to recap...The U.S. Women's Open will begin airing on Sunday, September 13th and will continue to air every Sunday for five consecutive weeks. My show isn't until October 4th and the finals show will air October 11th. (I know so far away! Not fair!!!) I'll be posting reminders once it gets closer to the air date.

So...as I last posted I pulled my groin muscle during the U.S. Women's Open. Luckily icy hot, wraps and epson salt baths have been doing the trick and today I am finally not limping! YAY! So hopefully my leg will continue to heal as I leave tomorrow for Detroit, Mich. for the World Series of Bowling.

The PBA Women's Series will conduct 5 out of the 7 Women's Series events during the World Series of Bowling, with the remaining two events taking place during the second half of the season.

Our first event starts this Friday, August 14th with the practice session for the PBA Women's Series Viper Championship. Saturday, August 15th begins two 7-game blocks of qualifying.

Keep an eye out for more blogs and watch the action live using live scoring and live videos on pba.com and Xtra Frame.

Missy Makes the TV Show at the U.S. Women's Open!!!

2009-08-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

This week I competed in the U.S. Women's Open at Strike Zone Lanes inside Sunset Station Casino in Henderson, Nev. The grueling format called for 8 games a day for the first three days, as we bowled on the Shark, Chameleon and Cheetah patterns. After two days I was leading the tournament at +398 and then after day 3, I was in 2nd at +521.

However the last game of Day 3, I pulled a muscle in the middle of my approach. I was able to finish the game, but the next day was a big test for me! Day 4, we bowled 16 games. We first bowled 8 games on the Scorpion pattern and then bowled 8 more games on the Viper pattern. With icy hot galore and a big leg wrap, I finished all 16 games amongst being in A LOT of pain.

The good news is that I ended up in 9th place, making the TV show and I get a day to rest. We tape the show on Sunday and it will air at a later date in September.

I bowl Liz Johnson the first match and the winner bowls tournament leader Shannon O'Keefe.

Check out the full story.

Also, check out this video from the U.S. Women's Open. Go to Tournaments - 2009 and then click on 2009 US Women's Open. Then click on US WO Missy Bellinder Video.

Women's U.S. Open Starting this Week!!!

2009-08-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

The Women's U.S. Open starts tomorrow at Strike Zone inside Sunset Station in Henderson, Nev. Practice session is tomorrow, Monday, August 3rd, followed by three days of 8-game blocks on Shark, Chameleon and Cheetah. (I am on B squad.)

After the 24 games of qualifying, the field is then cut to the top 25%. On Friday, the top quarter of the field then bowls 8 games on Scorpion in the morning and then 8more games on Viper. After the total 40 games of qualifying, the field is then cut to the top 12 for the TV finals.

Be sure to follow the action on www.bowl.com

USBC Open Championships - Las Vegas, Nev.

2009-07-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

Over 4th of July weekend, my team and I bowled the USBC Open Championships. Not a bad way to spend the 4th and it ended up being a weekend full of surprises!

A few of my teammates and I went up to Vegas a little early to bowl a few of the side events. So on Thursday, I bowled the Bowlers Journal International Championships at Gold Coast. The lanes weren't easy and I ended up shooting 200, 267 (with the front 8), 214 and a 187 for 868. That is currently one pin above the cash number, so fingers crossed that it stays that way.

Then on Friday, we bowled the Bowling this Month tournament at the Golden Nugget. The lanes were really difficult. For example the tournament has a $10,000 pot if you can throw 40 clean frames, and NO ONE has done it yet! And there have been a lot of bowlers competing for that prize over the last 5 months. I shot 807 for the 4 games, and will cash in singles. My partner Scott Norton and I are currently 33 for regular doubles and in 1st for mixed doubles with 1636.

Later on Friday I got the surprise of my life - I got engaged! I knew that I had to dress up that night for a surprise. (I thought I was going to dinner and to see a Cirque show. LOL!) Little did I know. The evening ended perfectly with a surprise dinner with my entire nationals team, parents and friends as we celebrated the engagement. So everyone was in the know except me...

After all of the engagement excitement from the night before, it was back to business on Saturday and Sunday, as my team bowled nationals at the Cashman Center. We bowled team event on Saturday, the 4th of July. Our team shot 2947 and I shot 173, 224, 257 for a 654 series. That night we hit the strip and watched some firework displays and a horrific magic act that left everyone a little disappointed.

On Sunday, we bowled doubles and singles. I bowled doubles with my dad, which I always enjoy and we shot 1177. I shot 189, 214 and 239 for a 642 series. Then in singles I died. I only shot 205, 184 and 224 for a 613 series. I shot 1909 for all events.

Although I have had a lot of fun competing and traveling to other USBC Open Championships, the 2009 Open Championships in Las Veas, Nev. definitely tops them all.

Bowl Expo 2009 - Las Vegas, Nev.

2009-07-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

This year I attended Bowl Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Only being to the giant tradeshow once prior, it was just as I had remembered - a lot of bowlers, pro shop operators, big wigs from all over the industry and of course ALL of the NEW products for the year.

Prior to the tradeshow, Brunswick and the Ebonite International brands both had special days set aside for pro shops. Monday was a Brunswick seminar with free food and drinks and each pro shop received a FREE Seige bowling ball. Then on Tuesday, we attended the Ebonite International and Etonic showcase, where I was able to demo all of the new balls from Ebonite, Columbia, Track and Hammer. My personal favorites were the Magic Touch and Evolve from Ebonite.

Then on Wednesday and Thursday we had the tradeshow. It's always fun going from booth to booth, seeing the massive variety of companies that attend. From the normal bowling ball companies to pizza vendors, if you can sell or use it in a bowling center, then it was there. My personal favorite booth was a toss up between the slushy machines with free samples and the personalized woodwork of a company which makes bowling pin design tables and artwork.

Be on the lookout for each company's new products, catalogs and posters in your local pro shop.

Rohnert Park and Modesto PBA Regionals

2009-07-07T16:12:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

Sorry I've been lagging with keeping up with my blogs.

Here's a recap of how the PBA Rohnert Park and Modesto Regionals went...

First, I drove to Rohnert Park, which is north of San Francisco, up in Wine Country, Calif. The weekend was full of fun because all of my closest friends came, including my boyfriend Drew. Now, driving back and forth from San Francisco to Rohnert Park proved to not be as fun, as Nascar was having a race up in the area that weekend, which made hotel arrangements impossible. We did get to go over the Golden Gate Bridge though.

Well, we bowled on the new Shark pattern, and I was very surprised to actually see my ball hook a little. The scoring pace was REALLY low, as I shot +26 and was in 13th, after the 8 games of qualifying. We bowled the 5 game semifinals right after, and boy was that fun. (Not really!)

I started out my first game of semis with four straight splits/opens. I managed to shoot 153 that game, but didn't ever recover from that stellar start. The final game, I shot 227, trying to make a comeback, but fell 10 pins short of making the cut to the top 16 matchplay finals. So overall, I came in 19th in the tournament.

On Sunday, we did manage to go around wine country and take in the sights. We went to five different wineries and did sample some of the wine too. The best part of the day was having a picnic lunch at Armida winery on the patio deck that overlooks the whole valley. Simply gorgeous! (See picture above.)

The following weekend, I bowled another regional in Modesto, Calif. I only had to drive 5 1/2 hours up North. LOL! This regional hosted by Wayne Garber and sponsored by Vanessa Brown Homes is always a great tournament to bowl. The bowlers in that area are always excited to have us there and there was even a good size crowd for the practice session. Both pro-ams were full and everyone seemed to have a great time.

As far as the tournament goes... we bowled on the old Cheetah pattern, so the lanes were really high scoring. I shot +274 for the 8 games of qualifying and was in 16th. We then bowled the semis the next day and I shot another 92 over for the 5 games of qualifying, putting me at +366 overall and did NOT make the top 16 matchplay finals. I ended up just missing (again) and came in 18th overall in the tournament.

All in all both regionals were great practice and I'm definitely making up for not driving my car for six months this past year. LOL!

Advanced Clinic at Saddleback Lanes

2009-06-26T23:56:00.000-07:00

Missy conducted an advanced bowling clinic on June 13th-14th at Saddleback Lanes in Mission Viejo, Calif. The clinic, targeting 175 and above average bowlers, was implemented as a training and educational tool to better techniques and learn higher-level skills.

The two-day clinic featured both classroom and on-the-lanes demonstrations and drills. Some of the topics discussed were lane adjustments, lane play, bowling ball dynamics and more.

Keep an eye out for future bowling clinics with Missy!

Fresno PBA Regional

2009-06-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I bowled in the PBA Sierra Open in Fresno, Calif. on the chameleon pattern.

Since we bowled in a bigger bowling center, everyone competed on one squad for qualifying. After the eight games of qualifying, I was in 9th place at +85. The pattern was pretty difficult. It only took +16 to make the cut to the top 1/3 of the field for the semis.

We then immediately bowled the 5 games of semis. The pattern played even tougher, with scores dropping, shot making and accuracy became a must. After the 5 games of semis, for a total of 13 games, I was at +135 and in 6th place. It only took +14 to make the top 16 match play finals.

All day, I played the lanes fairly straight and pretty far outside, which made transitions and adjustments a little easier. I think everyone would agree that they saw too many 2-8-10 combinations, which was really easy leave. I also went old-school and had drilled up two brand new "old" balls, which I ended up using the entire tournament. How many of you remember the old Columbia Ricochet Rebound and Blue Wicked???? Yep, those were the balls I had just drilled and used all weekend. See old balls can still work!

Then on Sunday, I bowled Mason Sherman in matchplay for the best 3 out of 5 Round of 16 finals. I lost the first game 164-236 and then came back to win the next two games 230-160 and 255-200 (I had the front 8 that game). Then I lost the 4th game189-234 to tie the match 2-2. So it all went down to the last game. I bowled well, but caught a few bad breaks and lost my shot on one lane and ended up losing 196-225.

Overall, it was a great weekend and good practice. The lane conditions were very demanding and shot making was at a premium.

Stay tuned for more news...

The Up-Side to Missing the Cut

2009-06-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I competed in a PBA Regional event - Battle at Black Oak Casino in Tuolumne, CA.

It was the first regional I had bowled in since February and the first tournament I had bowled in in almost a month. Well, I was definitely a little rusty, as I started off well - 212, 232, 198 but then faced some bad middle games during the transition - 145 and 177. I finally got lined up later in the block, but it was a little too late.

So needless to say, I missed the cut, which was a bit disappointing.

However, being that the PBA Regional event was really close to Yosemite National Park (and I had never been there before), my boyfriend and I decided to stop by there on our way home.

For those of you that have never had the privilege of going to this absolute natural wonder, I would HIGHLY recommend it. I had always heard of how beautiful the park was, but for some reason or another hadn't actually been there before myself. I was absolutely blown away!

From the first 10 minutes of being inside the park, we saw a small bear cub in one of the meadows. Then five minutes down the road were breath taking views of waterfalls and Half Dome. Many waterfalls, hiking trails and gorgeous views later, we were back on our way home.

Although I would have rather been bowling that day, it was a great alternative and an amazing experience.

Keeping Busy in the Off Season

2009-06-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I know it has been awhile since I've blogged and for that I sincerely apologize.

Since there are not any national PBA or women's events until August, here's an inside scoop as to what I've been up to so far since the USBC Queens tournament...

On May 10th, I was the special guest at a Make a Wish Foundation Bowling Tournament, which raised hundreds of dollars towards granting the wishes of sick children. The event was held at Brunswick Foothill Lanes in Fontana. Check out the picture above with event coordinator Joseph De La Torre.

Then on May 23rd and 24th, I held a beginning-intermediate clinic at Saddleback Lanes in Mission Viejo. The clinic featured both classroom and on-the-lanes tips and demonstrations. Participants ranged from junior to senior bowlers, with everyone averaging 175 or below. All of the feedback was positive and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. Be on the lookout for blogs regarding upcoming clinics at Saddleback Lanes.

Then on May 30th and 31st, I was the special guest, along with Tony Reyes for the PBA Regional event - Battle at Black Oak Casino in Tuolumne, CA. Tony and I bowled in the special pro am event and also met with the youth bowlers from Black Oak Lanes. See photos above.

On June 3rd, I visited the Kindergarten classes of John Muir Fundamental Elementary school. I talked to the kids about being a professional bowler and about the sport of bowling in general. I brought a few props with me - a bowling pin, a bowling ball, my shoes and a few accessories. Afterwards, all 60 kids and I went outside and bowled on the asphalt with a make-shift lane, pins and ball. See pictures above.

During June and July, I will be competing in PBA Regional events, so be sure to check out pba.com and view my blog for updated information.

Queens and USBC Women's Championships

2009-05-09T21:25:00.001-07:00

I ventured to Reno for the USBC Queens and Women's Championships both held at bowling's premiere venue - the National Bowling Stadium. For those of you that have never had the privilege of bowling at the National Bowling Stadium, let me try and describe the experience.

As you take the escalator ride up to the main level of the stadium, you see the enormous Lane 81 bowling pro shop, full of merchandise from every bowling ball manufacturer out there. You may also catch a glimpse of the full-size bowling lane located inside the pro shop, where you can get your game video taped and fully analyzed on the C.A.T.S system.

Then, as you get off of the escalator and approach the bowling lanes, your jaw will drop at the sight of 80 lanes, giant score boards spanning 440 feet total (the longest video screen in the world) and stadium seating much like other sporting events. The ceiling is a measly 5 stories above the lanes, making the bowling center seem larger than life. So you can imagine that when you first step foot on the lanes, it may take a little while to get used to the environment not to mention that your name up on the huge scoreboard can bee seen from about 20 lanes away.

Enough about the venue, let's talk about the actual bowling. First I bowled in the USBC Women's Championships. I bowled team event first and shot 222, 246 and 216 for a 684 series and our team shot 3015 total. Then in doubles, I died. We hit a pretty tough pair and every adjustment I tried didn't work. I only shot 523! (See everyone has bad days!) And then for singles, I rebounded and shot 195, 267 and 233 for a 695 series, giving me 1902 for all-events. Right now, in the classic division I am in 15th in singles, 15th in team event and 47th in all-events.

Then in the Queens tournament, I shot +134 for the 10 games of qualifying and was in 31st going into the final 5 games of round 3 qualifying. I bowled a really good set, shooting +130 and moving up into 9th place. Then the tournament was cut to the top 63 women plus last year's defending champion Lynda Barnes.

That's when the real tournament began. In the three-game total pins, double elimination style match play finals, I first bowled Kristen Warzinski and won 677-610. The next match I faced Jodi Woessner and lost 614-684, knocking me into the loser's bracket.

In the loser's bracket, I faced one of the Japanese pros Reiko Kosuda and won 686-622. The next match I faced fellow Japanese pro Takiko Naganawa and also won shooting 707-588, after being down 30 pins and shooting 170 the first game. Then I hit a terrible pair (which there were a couple of) and I couldn't match up. I lost to Jamie Martin 569-536 and was knocked out of the tournament.

I finished in 17th place overall.

The USBC Queens marked my last tournament for a while. I'll be bowling PBA Regional tournaments throughout the summer until the Women's U.S. Open in August.

Missy Visits Lemoore Naval Air Station

2009-04-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

In early April, Missy visited Lemoore Naval Air Station in Central, California for the second year-in-a-row. After a fun first year visit, Lemoore bowlers asked Missy to come back and requested an even larger field for the clinics. This time around, Missy brought father, Frank Bellinder to help out with the clinics and answer any questions parents may have in regards to helping Missy during her junior bowling years.

Missy first put on a clinic for 20 junior bowlers and then conducted an adult clinic for 15 adults.

If you are interested in having Missy conduct a clinic or make an appearance at your bowling center, please contact Missy at missy@missybellinder.com.

Enjoy the pics!

Missy on ESPN this Sunday, April 12 from 1-3pm EST

2009-04-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Missy Bellinder will be competing in the PBA Women's Series Showdown on ESPN this Sunday, April 12th from 1-3pm EST. Missy was one of six women to qualify for this special bonus event. The event takes place in Lake Wales, FL at the kegel training center. Be sure to tune in!

More fun in Malaysia

2009-04-01T18:59:00.001-07:00

After the Malaysian Open, my roomie Shalin Zulkifli and her husband took me to a few cool places before I headed back home to the States.

First, we went to Batu Caves, a gorgeous Hindu temple that has a HUGE gold statue of one of the Hindu gods. There are a million steep stairs leading up to the top of the cave (272 to be exact.) (They were numbered.) Upon arrival at the top, there's a dark cave with statues of Hindu gods and that leads to another cave that is open-air, allowing sunlight to come in.

Another unique sight was the abundance of wild monkeys around the entire grounds. It must have been that time of year too because a lot of the mothers had baby monkeys hanging on to their bellies as they roamed around and climbed up the trees and stairs. The place was absolutely amazing!

From the hot sweltering outdoors of Batu Caves, we then travelled up into the clouds to the much cooler resort of Genting Highlands. The hotel, casino, theme park resort truly resembles Vegas in a one-stop shop. If you've ever been to Vegas, Genting Highlands takes the best of each Vegas casino and combines it into one. Complete with the Venetian gondola rides and the Rio floats, this place has it all, plus more. Other activities include: Snow World, a room full of real snow for kids and adults alike to play in, along with a toboggan run and a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum.

We even went to the outdoor theme park, but the bad weather had many of the roller coasters closed for the day.

All in all, my entire trip to Asia was a lot of fun! Enjoy the pics!

Also, check out the video of one of the bowlers from Chinese Taipei. For those of you that have never seen a spinner bowl, this will be a treat. But be sure to notice that he's also wearing a big wrist support. I've NEVER seen a spinner wear a wrist support before.

Malaysian Open Results

2009-03-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

First off, let me briefly explain the format for this event. The tournament ran for a little over one week. Qualifying consisted of three games with your two best 3-game blocks counting towards making the finals. So you can bowl as many times as you want to try and improve your scores.

The top 3 from the local Malaysian bowlers and the top 3 from the overseas bowlers got one bye in the finals. Then there are 7 more bowlers from each the local and overseas pool that qualified for the finals. And finally, if you didn't make it through either of those ways, then there's another mixed pool of the next 12 highest bowlers.

I qualifed 2nd in the overseas pool with sets of 726 and 737, so I was automatically seeded into Round 2 of the finals. Round 2 consisted of 8 games, with the top 8 competitors advancing to the quarterfinals (no pins carried over from qualifying).

So in Round 2, I shot +186 for the 8 games and qualified in 5th position. That put me bowling against 4th seed Carolyn Dorin-Ballard for the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinals, it was a best 2-out-of-3 format. I beat Carolyn the first game 197-182. Then she beat me the second game 248-215. That put us tied at 1-1. The last game I never missed the pocket but didn't carry (also leaving a pocket 7-10) and lost 230-203.

I finished 7th overall in the tournament and Carolyn went on to win the entire event.

For a complete finals story of the event, see the following link:http://www.mtbc.org.my/results/32ndopen-res.htm

Also, the picture above is the Top 8 women and Top 8 men for the quarterfinals. For the women(from left to right): me, Bernice Lim from Singapore, Wendy Macpherson, Geraldine NG from Singapore, Shayna Ng from Singapore, Sharon Koh from Malaysia, Shalin Zulkifli from Malaysia and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard

Missy Makes Top 8 at the Malaysian Open

2009-03-20T07:29:00.001-07:00

Check out the story:

http://www.mtbc.org.my/results/32ndopen-res.htm#Round2

And be sure to check http://www.mtbc.org.my/ for complete up-to-date coverage of the finals that are taking place tomorrow!

Till then...

Missy in Malaysia

2009-03-15T05:32:00.000-07:00

Hello from Malaysia!

The 32nd Canon Malaysian Open started this past Friday, March 13th at Sunway Pyramid Mega Lanes inside Pyramid shopping center. Pyramid shopping center is HUGE - four levels and really spread out. There's even an ice skating rink in the center and theme parks outside. So needless to say I haven't been bored. Prior to the start of the tournament I have been seeing the sights, shopping and eating lots of yummy food in Kuala Lumpur.

I went to the Malaysian National Museum in downtown KL and learned more about the Malaysian culture and history. Outside the museum is a traditional Malaysian village house made out of wood and tree leaves for the roof. See picture above.

I've also been eating a lot of really good food! From Indian, Chinese, Malaysian and Thai ,the food may look a little different but it all tastes yummy. We went to an outdoor Indian restaurant where a banana leaf is your plate and your hands are your utensils. See picture above.

I also had a Thai massage while I've been here because massages and facials are so cheap compared to the U.S. An hour massage is only $20.

The other day we did the craziest thing ever! Inside pyramid shopping center, we had a fish pedicure. Yes, FISH! It was so weird. You put your feet inside a fish tank full of minnows and the fish eat all of the dead skin off the bottom of your feet. It tickles sooooooooooo bad! I was laughing so hard for 5 minutes that I was crying. Eventually I got use to it and it really worked. My feet are so smooth.

Check out the link below for more information on how I'm doing in the Malaysian Open and be sure to stop by my blog for more information as the tournament progresses. Till then...

http://www.abf-online.org/results/32ndopen-res.htm#Mar14A

Missy Finishes 6th in DHC Girls Championship

2009-03-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

The DHC Girls Championship in Tokyo, Japan came and went too fast. Once Friday hit, it was a whirlwind of bowling until I left Monday morning.

Friday, we had a bowlers'/manager's meeting and press conference. Then immediately following we had the official practice session, where several media photographers and video crew were also on hand. Official practice was a little different than what we are used to in the U.S.A We had an assigned group of 6 lanes we could bowl on and then we moved 6 lanes every 20 minutes for a 2-hour long practice session.

After practice, we had a welcome reception where all of the competitors were announced and speeches were made by Japanese dignitaries. Then we had a really good buffet style dinner with traditional Japanese food and Western food.

Saturday was all day bowling day! We had 5 on a pair, and we weren't allowed to move to our next pair and begin the next game until everyone was finished with the previous game. So another words, it made for a REALLY long day. We bowled 6 games in the morning, and I shot +134 and was in 21st. Scores were high and the lanes were pretty easy.

However, the next 6 game block proved to be tougher as they did not re-oil the lanes. The lanes became really wet/dry and over-walled, meaning the dry outside part of the lane was too dry and the oily inside part of the lane was really wet. I bowled really well on the shot and ended the day at +297 overall and in 7th place.

After Saturday's 12 games, the field of 90 bowlers was cut to the top 32. Then we bowled 6 more games of semis to determine the top 8 for the TV show. I bowled just o.k. during the first three games and had moved down to 10th place. Then I started throwing the ball better and carried more and shot 216 and 238 and had moved up to 8th place going into the final game. Scores were extremely close and a lot of people still had a shot at the TV show. Being in 8th position, I knew I needed a big game and came threw striking out in the 10th frame for a 245, moving me into 5th place and on the TV show.

The TV finals 1st match featured 5th-8th bowling a 1-game shootout match with the highest score advancing to the top 5 stepladder finals. In the shootout match, I bowled against Sharon Koh from Malaysia, Mayumi Yoshida from JPBA and Jeon Eun-Hee from Korea. I bowled really well the entire game, but a stubborn 7 pin in the 9th frame ended up costing me the win. I lost to Jeon Eun-Hee of Korea 232-237 and ended up in 6th place. Jeon Eun-Hee ended up climbing the ladder to capture the championship.

For the full story, see link below.

http://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/5994

Missy in Japan!

2009-03-09T23:33:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I flew 12 hours to compete in Tokyo, Japan in the DHC Cup Girls Championship. While I was in Tokyo, I was able to do a little sightseeing. My favorite place was Asakusa. It's an old part of Tokyo that still preserves the traditional Japanese culture. There's a huge gate that opens up into Nakamise street, which is almost like an outdoor flea market, filled with lots of Japanese crafts and souveniors. At the end of this line of shops is the Sensoji Temple.

It's big and really beautiful. On the way up to the stairs of the temple there were various rituals performed by locals. There was a a little well that had incense burning and everyone went up to it and pulled the smoke from the incense towards their bodies. Then there was a fountain with soup laddels in it and people scoopped up the water from the upper part of the fountain, then put it in their mouth and spit it out in the lower part of the fountain.

I then headed to the part of town called Shibuya, a trendy fashion area full of really cute shops. The area is near Harajuku, the Gwen Stefani inspired part of Tokyo. From there I stopped at Ginza, another shopping area full of high-end shops that boasts the highest piece of real estate per square inch in Japan.

After browsing around, I went to the Imperial Palace, which is the home of the royal Japanese Family. The grounds are enormous! The entire palace has a moat around it, complete with swans and there are several entrances.

Enjoy the pictures!

Missy Goes to Asia!!!

2009-03-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

I leave tomorrow to compete in two tournaments in Asia.

The first event is the DHC All Girl's Bowling International Championships, which will run from March 6-8th in Tokyo, Japan. For results and information, check www.bowlingdigital.com

I will then fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to compete in the Canon 32nd Malaysian International Open, running from March 13th -21st. To follow along with tournament results, information and photos, click here.

I'll be blogging from abroad as much as possible, along with posting fun photos!

The USBC Masters

2009-02-21T11:48:00.000-08:00

This year had a new venue for the USBC Masters ! Instead of traveling to the cold Midewest location of Milwaukee, WI (complete with a Brewer stadium finale), we instead moved west to Sin City - Las Vegas, NV for the third Major of the PBA Tour season.

The venue was also brand new - the Cashman Center, situated just North of the Downtown Las Vegas area. Sixty lanes were installed in the once home of a minor league baseball stadium- turned convention center. The Masters marked the first bowling event to take place inside the venue. Immediately following the completion of the Masters, the 60 bowling lanes will then be the site for the USBC Men's National Championships which will run through July '09. After which, the lanes will also house the Women's World Championships in late July.

There were 465 bowlers from all over the states and the world. Courtesy of the Megabuck tournaments completing in Las Vegas the weekend before the Masters, many international bowlers choose to stay and compete in the Masters.

The lanes proved to be difficult as usual, especially if you were rev challenged (like myself). If you saw the scores of the Masters and actually scrolled down low enough, then you saw that I bowled pretty terrible that week. My first block I shot a decent -7 on the burn shot (not re-oiled lanes).

It was a completely different story on the fresh the next day. Not only did I physically bowl about as bad as I could bowl (without missing single-pin spares), I also had no where to throw the ball. Meaning...no matter if I played hard and straight anywhere from 4-12 board or moved inside into 4th arrow or deeper and hooked the ball, nothing worked. So needless to say I left a lot of splits and hard spares.

However, this a good example that everyone has bad days and everyone gets into slumps, including the pros. So the next time you have a bad league night or struggle a little in a tournament, just remember that you are not alone. Try to think of ways that you could have bowled better and learn from every bowling outting, including the bad ones.

Even though the bowling didn't go as well as planned, it was still a fun week in Las Vegas. See the pictures above.

Dick Weber Open in Fountain Valley, CA

2009-02-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

This week I competed in the Dick Weber Open at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, CA. This unique, retro, open-field event has its own oil pattern-the Dick Weber pattern. With the tournament being only 10 miles from my house. It was definitely nice to be able to compete and sleep in my own bed!

Each year the Dick Weber pattern plays pretty difficult and this year was no exception. Crucial shot making was a must and versatility was a definite benefactor. The pattern played a lot drier than normal, even when the lanes were freshly oiled. This made the lanes extremely difficult for the grueling break-down block that each bowler had to complete.

There were really only two places to play on the lane - way out (around 5-6 board) or way in (lofting the left gutter cap for most of the guys).

The format consists of three 5-game blocks. The first day each squad bowls one 5-game block on fresh oil and then one 5-game block on the burnt down lane conditions of the squad before (no re-oil). Then the next day consists of one more 5-game block on fresh oil to complete 15 games of qualifying. After the 15 games, the field is then cut to the top 24 players who bowl 24 games of round robin match play with the top five determining the stepladder finals TV show.

Since I was on B squad, I had to bowl my first block on the burnt lanes. I started out swinging 18 and then kept moving inside from there. By the end, I was throwing it really hard and playing about 25 at the arrows. It wasn't very long during that block before the guys were standing in front of the ball return, taking three steps and lofting the left gutter cap. I ended the block at +1.

Then I bowled my first block on the fresh oil. I got off to a great start, but then hit a really bad pair. (And by really bad, I mean REALLY REALLY bad.) I ended up shooting 132 my 4th game, leaving 5 splits and used three different bowling balls and played way in and way out. After that block I was -51 overall.

So needless to say the first day didn't go as well as excepted. I had decided to play inside the entire day, which didn't work out as well for me. So then next day, for my last 5-game block, I decided to have a different game plan.

I played outside, throwing it hard and really straight and started off on fire, shooting +90 after three games. Then the lanes changed and I had to move way inside and start hooking the ball again and didn't make up enough ground to cash. I ended up +25 overall for qualifying and it took +105 to cash and +180 to make the top 24.

My roommate Shalin Zulkifli was the lone female to cash in the event and no women or lefties made the top 24 match play finals.

Stay tuned for the LIVE ESPN finals tomorrow, Feb. 8th.

Missy Takes Over Disneyland!!!

2009-01-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

Check out this crazy video link! Missy (Melissa) Bellinder invades and takes over Disneyland! Click the link below.

Click Here to See Missy's Invasion of Disneyland

Let me know what you think!

Earl Anthony Medford Classic - Meford, Ore.

2009-01-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

The final stop of the PBA Women's Series season couldn't have been at a better venue - Lava Lanes in Medford, Ore. for the Earl Anthony Medford Classic.

The management and staff at Lava Lanes always treat the PBA and its bowlers with the utmost hospitality during the week of kegeling. Pro-ams are always full, fans are abundant, TV crews and newspaper reporters are on hand everyday (and the catered food is appreciated immensely).

If you have never witnessed a PBA event in Medford, it is definitely a sight to see and an event to partake in. Even the Tour Qualifying Round (TQR) is packed with eager fans, who await the yearly event.

And of course, the event couldn't be named after a better individual and ambassador to the sport of bowling - Earl Anthony. As it has now been announced, Earl Anthony was voted "THE" Greatest Player in the PBA Tour's 50 years of existence.

This was also the first year that the PBA Women's Series ventured to Medford and to commemorate the occasion, the center hosted an all women's series special pro-am event on Tuesday night. The pro-am was packed and locals were excited to see the women come to Medford. I heard a lot of "We love watching the women bowl!" and "We're so excited to see you gals come to town!" comments from all.

The entire week the grand stand bleachers were full and many familiar pro-am participants cheered us on. I was lucky enough to be scheduled for two pro-ams that week (one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday), so prior to the start of qualifying on Thursday, I had plenty of fans to cheer me on, which was greatly appreciated!

I was also interviewed on Tuesday afternoon during the unofficial practice session and was featured on the afternoon and late-night NBC local news station.

Although I was sick the entire week, I still had a lot of fun!

The most difficult thing about the week was by far the oil pattern. The Earl Anthony pattern was a newly designed pattern and was probably the most difficult pattern I have competed on in a VERY long time. (Although you couldn't tell by watching Wes Malott bowl on it, who averaged 225.69 for the entire event.)

The pattern was pretty flat, demanding accuracy and extremely good execution. Even nailing the target but throwing it a touch slow or hard would make the ball react dramatically different and resulted in missing the pocket more often than not. (If you watched the telecast of the TV show, you can see this first hand by Tommy Jones' ball reaction in the championship match.)

I bowled really well in qualifying, finishing out the 14 games at +4 and in 5th place. However, match play the next day was another story. I couldn't seem to get anything going and didn't throw the ball that well, resulting in only winning 2 out of 9 matches and finishing in 9th place overall.

It was very sad to realize that it was our last PBA Women's Series event of the season. All of us girls really created a close bond and it was awesome to travel and compete alongside the men the entire season.

Stay tuned for a recap of the PBA Women's Series season and be sure to check out the PBA Women's Series Showdown presented by USBC that will air on ESPN April 12 from 1-3 p.m. EST.

In Between Stops...

2009-01-20T23:27:00.000-08:00

In between the Reno mixed doubles event and the Medford stop, my dad (who was traveling with me) and I decided to spend a few days in San Francisco with my best friend and fellow bowler Scott Norton. Scott is attending law school at UC Hastings in San Francisco and was just a few days shy of starting his last semester.

So my dad and I had a lot of fun doing touristy stuff around the Bay area. For starters, my dad has always wanted to go to Alcatraz, so we booked a tour and took a boat across the bay to "The Rock." If you ever have the chance, I highly recommend going there. It's crazy to hear about how the isolated island was used not only for a jail of the most highly acclaimed criminals but also originally as a fort and later as an American Indian activist site.

We definitely had our fair share of good food too! What's amazing about San Fran is that every store and restaurant is privately owned and is not part of a chain. So you are able to eat a variety of really good food. We had Thai, seafood at the wharf, Chinese in China town, Greek, Indian and Scott's famous tacos.

While in China town, we happened to do some shopping too. I love going to China town because of the shear rare things you can find. It was also fun to just window shop in some of the unique stores.

All in all it was great trip and a good way to relax for a few days in between tournaments.

National Bowling Stadium Championship - Reno, Nev.

2009-01-11T21:53:00.000-08:00

Even though the National Bowling Stadium Championship was not a PBA Women's Series event, I decided to partake in the fun of a dual pattern event and bowl the TQR.

After many games from the mixed doubles tournament and getting done fairly late (10 p.m. the night before), I woke up early the next morning to bowl. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get enough sleep and wasn't fully awake until game two. I missed four (yes four!) spares in the first two games of the TQR. (And I don't miss spares usually.) And I managed to use the incorrect bowling ball on both of the PBA oil patterns (Shark and Cheetah) for the first game.

However, after game two I remembered how to bowl again and ended up at +93 for the seven games. I fell just short of cashing and making the cut into the tournament.

Although I didn't make it into the tournament, it was still a good week overall.

I also participated in a Vise video shoot for product promotional purposes. For those of you that haven't tried the new IT product, Vise skin tape or Vise triple roller bags, see your local pro shop operator for more information on these great products!

And...if you missed the TV finals of the National Bowling Stadium Championship, check out the final shoot that cost WRW Jr. another title. I don't know about you, but I though that shot was a flat 10 pin forcing a tie (NOT an 8-10!). Check out the footage.

Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship - Reno, Nev.

2009-01-10T23:36:00.001-08:00

Hello all!

First off, as many of you have noticed, I am no longer blogging on pba.com but will continue my version of Missy's Memo through this blog on my website. So please visit often and check out the pics and videos that always accompany the entries.

OK as for the tournament...The Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship held at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., was a great return of both men and women professional bowlers teaming together for an unforgettable event.

In this unique event, 32 women were brought into the exempt field, comprising of current exempt women's series competitors and top finishers at the PBA Women's Tour Trials (which was held simultaneously with the USBC Women's U.S. Open in August of 2008).

The 32 women and 64 men bowled 14 games of qualifying in their separate divisions and upon completion were both cut to 16 players. Players were then teamed together, with number one position in the men's division paired with number one in the women's and so. Teams kept half of their total pinfall going into the baker match play finals.

For those of you who are not familiar with the baker format, it means that each doubles team bowls one game together; another words each player bowls five frames of the game, rotating back-and-forth between players.

After qualifying, I was paired with exempt player Ken Abner. We started out on fire and overall bowled really well throughout the 16 games of baker match play. With a couple of breaks in the day and another win (each win received 30 bonus pins), Ken and I would have been on the TV show on Sunday. We shot a huge 255 the final position round game to jump from 10th to 6th place and only 54 pins behind the fifth and final position for the TV show.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Ken Abner, be on the lookout for him this season! Abner is extremely talented and led the PBA Central Regional in points in 2007-2008, thus earning his first career exemption. Abner also secured Player of the Year honors in his region. He currently made 7 out of 10 match play appearances this season on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour. For more on Abner, click here.

For complete results of the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship, click here.

Check out the TV show finals for the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship on ESPN, Sunday, Feb. 1st at 2 p.m. EST

Happy New Year!!! 2009!!!

2009-01-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a Happy and safe New Year!

I definitely had a lot of fun this holiday season. I think being away from home makes you realize the things that are really important in life - family and friends. I spent a lot of time with my family and friends throughout the break.

In between Christmas and New Year, I took my nephews to Universal Studios to see my sister, Cindy in the Grinchmas parade. The park also had an entire Whooville Christmas area setup, complete with real snow for the kids to play in. So of course my nephews had fun throwing snow balls and playing around in it. The best part was seeing my sister dressed up as a Whoo and in stilts. My nephews didn't even recognize her.

On New Year's Day my entire family went bowling. It was really fun. Everyone in my family bowls, but it's hard to get all of us together and to the bowling center. We all managed to show up and bowled for about 2 hours before heading over to my Aunt's house for her stellar traditional dinner of chili and cornbread.

I hope all of you had an equally memorable holidays!

Stay tuned for the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship in Reno, Nev. which starts this Monday with qualifying.

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-28T21:12:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are a few photos and a video of how I celebrated the holidays.

I of course went to Disneyland as soon as I got home from my Washington D.C. trip. This is my favorite time of year at the park because everything is all decked out with Christmas decorations, lots and lots of Christmas lights and a big huge Christmas tree. It even snows inside the park at the end of the holiday firework show. (OK so it's actually bubbles, but it sure looks like snow.)

I also went to the Balboa Island Boat Parade, which was celebrating it's 100th anniversary of festive boats lining the waterways with Christmas lights and decor. Some of the boats even played music and called out to the crowd watching along the shore.

Enjoy the photos!

Missy in Washington D.C.!!!

2008-12-27T23:07:00.000-08:00

After the final stop of 2008 - the Lumber Liquidators Shark Championship held in Baltimore, I spent a few days in nearby Washington D.C. before heading back home.

I had never been to the Capital before and I absolutely loved it! Although I only spent three days roaming around the city, I did manage to see A LOT!

The first day, my friend Drew and I had to walk about 8 miles with everything we did and saw. We visited the Museum of American History and saw the original Star Spangled Banner along with the Gettysburg Address.

From there we ventured to the National Archives, in which the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights are kept, along with the Magna Carta and other famous historical documents.

After that, we went quickly through the Museum of Natural History and then on to the Washington Monument. I actually didn't know you could go up in the monument and we managed to snag tickets for the same day (which apparently is hard to do) and got to see the gorgeous views from the top right at sunset. From 500 feet up, you could see great views of all of the monuments, the museums, the Capital Building, the White House and even the Pentagon.

Then it was off to the World War II Memorial, which was by far my favorite. This breathtaking memorial is one of the newest in Washington D.C. and serves as a great reminder for all of the soldiers lost in that horrific war. )See picture above taken from the top of the Washington Monument. )

From there, we walked along the reflection pool to the Lincoln Monument. You never really understand just how big this monument is until you're standing right in front of it!

As dusk was setting in, we walked to the Vietnam Memorial and then off to the White House to see the big Christmas tree that sits in front of the first family's home. The tree had to be at least 20 feet tall and was covered with lots of white lights and ornaments. Surrounding the main tree were 50 little trees representing all of the states.

Now, that was all Day 1!

Day 2 found more sightseeing but a lot less walking. We visited the Air and Space museum, which I thoroughly enjoyed! There you could see the original Wright Brothers plane along with original capsules, space suits and other gear from the first trips in Space.

Afterwards, we went to the Capital Building, which unfortunately was closed for renovation due to the upcoming inauguration.

From there we took the underground Metro (which reminded me a lot of my days studying in Barcelona, Spain) and went to Arlington Cemetery. Seeing all of the graves definitely gives you a better appreciation for what our troops have done for our Country over the years.

That summed up Day 2.

Day 3 saw lots of rain, so we scurried to and from our destinations via our rental car, instead of walking by foot. We went to the Iwo Jima Memorial, which is also another memorial that catches you off guard due to it's height. I had no idea it was as tall as it is! (See photo above.)

Then we went to the Roosevelt Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. From there we went to the Smithsonian Castle. Of course I had to go there just because it's a castle! (If you weren't aware, I'm infatuated with castles.)

Then we went to my favorite museum - the National Art Gallery. This probably wouldn't be many people's favorite museum, but I was in shear amazement at the immense talent encompassed into one museum. I saw paintings from Picasso, Van Gough, Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Seurat, Degas, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Matisse, and Miro to name a few. (Please tell me you know who painted the picture above.)

What really amazed me most about this trip was that all of the museums, monuments and memorials are free. There is no admission cost, so for once, being a tourist didn't cost a pretty penny.

Enjoy the photos!

Missy's 27th Birthday!

2008-12-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

Hello!

While in Baltimore I celebrated my 27th birthday. My birthday was on Tuesday, Dec. 9th and it ended up being the perfect day for celebration puposes, as most people were already in town for the PBA Tour stop and the actual tournament hadn't started.

However, I did threaten a few of my friends with their life if they didn't arrive in Baltimore in time for my birthday party. (One of those people being Mr. Andrew Cain, who I'd like to thank for flooding my inbox with bday wishes curtosy of his weekly blog on pba.com - Andrew's Angle.)

Even though I wasn't at home to celebrate with my family, I still had an awesome birthday!

I went to a dinner celebration with quite a few friends at Red Brick Station Brewery. The food was great but the company was better!

Enjoy the pics! =)

Cheetah Championship in Buffalo, N.Y.

2008-12-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

This past week the PBA Tour ventured to Buffalo, N.Y. for the Cheetah Championship. Prior to the start of the tournament, my roomie Shalin, Joe Ciccone and I went to the Saber's ice hockey game. Although they lost, we still had fun.

However after the game we had a big surprise. We came out to blizzard-like weather. It was so windy that the snow was blowing sideways and was getting in our face. So the drive home was a little adventurous, but less so because Joe (a Buffalo resident) was driving.

The week overall was o.k. I lead the first block of qualifying and then had a little trouble in block two, but made the top 10 cut with no problems. In the round robin match play finals, I struggled a little bit with execution and managed to come in 7th overall.

The big surprise came when we all went to leave the bowling center that night. A snow storm had blown in and left 6 inches of snow on the ground and on our cars. Needless to say, this week marked the first time I used a snow scrapper and brush. It was great seeing our boots disappear as we walked to the car.

My roomie and I also went to Niagara Falls. I have been there many times in the past, but never seem the falls all covered with snow. It was gorgeous! And although Shalin and I nearly froze to death, we got a lot of great pictures in the meantime.

This week we are in Baltimore, MD and I am spending a few extra days in the Washington D.C. area since I have never been here before.

Watch the scores from the Lumber Liquidators Shark Championship on pba.com.

CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship

2008-12-08T19:31:00.000-08:00

Well if you tuned in to the show last Sunday, then you know things didn't go according to plan. For those of you that didn't check out my blog on pba.com, here's a few excerpts giving inside information on what it's like to make the TV show.

Although the entire week went really well, the TV show was another story.

Bowling on TV is the most unique experience and it is truly a privilege, something you dream about since you were a kid.

It is by far the quickest game you will ever bowl and everything seems like it’s on fast-forward.

We only get four practice shots before our match. We have four shots to figure out how the lanes have changed from practicing on the pair before the show, to an hour later after three matches have been bowled. So making decisions becomes a very educated guessing game.

The TV lights make the lanes dry up pretty fast and trust me, they make you feel like you’re in Las Vegas in the middle of July! I don’t usually get hot while I bowl and am generally always freezing (being from Southern California and used to warm weather). However, after practicing on the TV pair before the show had started, I got a bag of ice to hold while I was waiting for my match to start because my hand had puffed up so much from the heat (mind you it was snowing outside the building).

However, the lights on the TV show are also one of my favorite elements. I remember bowling on my first TV show and seeing my ball go down the lane for the first time with the effects of the ultra bright lights. It’s crazy because the ball looks like it is actually glowing. The colors are completely different and the rotation even looks magnified, almost like it sparkling down the lane.

Back to the TV show. Yes, I shot 147 on TV and yes, I am disappointed. However as much as that really stinks, life goes on. There will be more TV shows and more opportunities (such as the Women’s Series Showdown presented by USBC that I have now qualified for).

Everyone has bad games on TV and makes mistakes, whether that be missing a spare or making a bad decision (or both in my case); it’s all part of the learning curve that you go through throughout your entire bowling career. We’ve all been there.

There are bad days and there are good days. The bad days remind us to learn from our mistakes and make us stronger as individuals and competitors. Then the good days remind us why we love bowling and the competition.

So no matter what point you are in with your personal bowling career, remember that everyone has ups and downs and getting upset about it won’t solve anything. Think about what you can do to turn it around and stay positive. Those are my words of wisdom for the week.

Missy on ESPN this Sunday, Nov. 30th at 1 pm EST

2008-11-29T20:58:00.001-08:00

Missy qualified for the LIVE ESPN finals of the CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship to air this Sunday, Nov. 30th at 1 p.m. EST (10 am westcoast time)!

Missy qualified 2nd after a grind out match play finals going 3-6 in Friday's round robin match play. Missy shot a stellar 221 in the position round game to remain ahead of Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Liz Johnson, clinching the final TV spot.

Be sure to tune in to ESPN Sunday, Nov. 30th at 1pm EST for the LIVE championship match in which Missy will face Michelle Feldman for the title!

For the full story on pba.com, click here.

Missy Leads Qualifying at PBA CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship Women's Series

2008-11-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

Missy Bellinder led qualifying at the PBA CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship Women's Series in Vernon Hills, Ill. on Thanksgiving Day. Missy shot +552, averaging 239.43 for the 14-games of qualifying.

Be sure to watch LIVE scoring on www.pba.com as the round robin match play finals start tonight at 6pm CT. The top two bowlers advance to Sunday's ESPN TV telecast.

For the full story on pba.com, click here.

Week Break at Home!

2008-11-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

Hello!

This past week was the first time I've been home since the PBA Tour started in mid October. So needless to say it was nice to be back home in the sunny Southern California weather.

In the short amount of time that I was home, I was actually pretty busy (but in a good way).

I was able to meet up with my good friends from England - Zara Glover, Barbara and Toby, all of whom happened to be flying through the L.A. area while on the way back home from the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup. We went to Surf City USA - Huntington Beach and had lunch on the pier. We saw dolphins, which is a pretty common sight from the HB pier.

I managed to visit my other favorite place - Disneyland! It was awesome because Disneyland already had all of the Christmas lights up and that is my favorite time of year at the park. Check out the pictures!

My family and friends also came over to my house for an early Thanksgiving dinner complete with all of the trimmings and my personal favorite - pumpkin pie! We celebrated the holiday early since I will be in Vernon Hills, Ill. for the CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship during the week of Thanksgiving. There were 16 people in all at the dinner and it was great to be able to see all of family and friends.

While I was home I also managed to drag my best friend Scott Norton down to SoCal from the Bay area to bowl in the WWPB mixed doubles tournament at Mission Hills Bowl with me. Scott bowled phenomenal! In the 9 game qualifying block, he shot 300, 246, 300 and 300 in games 4-7 and averaged 250.8 for all nine games. It was a real treat to watch! Needless to say we were leading after qualifying at +579 (thanks to my partner).

Then in the 12 game round robin match play finals, we started off really slow having every team shoot their best game at us, which hurt our bonus pin effort (10 pins for the individual win and 30 pins for the team game for a total of 50 pins per match). But after the first six games, Scott and I came back after the break on fire, winning every team game and nearly all of the bonus pins. We shot 567 in game nine (Scott shot 289 and I shot 278) to get back in the hunt for first place.

Then, in the position round game we were seated 1st and were 62 pins ahead of Wendy MacPherson and Dave Wodka. With both Wendy and Dave striking at will to start the match, it was looking to be a really close fight. Then Scott and I pulled it out stringing clutch strikes in the middle to end of the game ultimately shooting 528 (Scott shot 280 and I shot 248) to win the tournament! Our trophies were awesome! They were paintings. Check out the pictures! For complete results check out http://wwpb.com/

I wish everyone the best Thanksgiving holiday! Have a great week and try not to go too crazy over the holiday sales!

Life on the PBA Tour

2008-11-25T11:41:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

I'm really sorry that I have not been blogging on my website on a consistent basis, but I'm hoping that will change as of now. However, I hope all of you have been checking out Missy's Memo on pba.com! Check it out every Tuesday!

Just to recap how life on the tour has been going thus far, one word truly summarizes it - BUSY! With not only bowling in the women's series events, but also working for the PBA doing PR, I've had little time left to myself, to say the least. However, staying busy is not a new thing for me, so it's o.k.

Here are a few highlights from the PBA Tour thus far:

PBA World Championship - Wichita, Kan.

Doing a million interviews on Xtra Frame is always fun! The event marked my first time interviewing the PBA players, and I'm not going to lie I was a little nervous, but I think they are getting better now. Check them out!

Seeing Norm Duke make PBA History by becoming the first player to win three consecutive Majors on the PBA Tour was an awesome sight! Check out my exclusive interview with Norm!

Pepsi Viper Championship - Omaha, Neb.

Halloween was really fun, even though I failed to make the cut to match play. After the night block was done bowling, a bunch of us went to Scary Acres - an outdoor haunted attraction that was seriously in the middle of no where (which made it even scarier). The outdoor scare fest was complete with a corn maze, haunted house, really scary maze outside in the woods with guys carrying chainsaws and a haunted castle.
The welcome dinner charity event that Thunder Alley hosted was really fun and it was a great way for the players to mingle with the center staff and help raise money for the charity. (Pictured above with PBA exempt players Michael Haugen Jr. and Jason Sterner)

The venue - Thunder Alley was absolutely gorgeous and was arguably one of the nicest bowling centers I've ever been in, complete with a food court, full sports bar/restaurant, huge game room similar to Dave & Busters, Lazer Tag and Go Karts.

It didn't snow! However, I heard that Omaha got 36 inches of snow the week after we left. Yikes!

Lake County Indiana Golden Anniversary Championship - Hammond, Ind.

Watching the Senior PBA players compete on TV again for the first time since 2001. It was great seeing the Senior bowlers compete alongside the PBA Tour.
When I had to interview Hugh Miller after he lead qualifying in the senior event, he said "I haven't seen you since you beat me at that PBA regional you won in Pacifica!" My response - "Hi! Can I interview you please???" (A little awkward, lol!)

My roommate Shalin Zukifli cooking shrimp curry and shrimp fried rice in our hotel room using a small cooker and still making a feast of food. It was really good! (Picture above)

Ultimate Scoring Championship and Chameleon Championship - Taylor, Mich

Driving in the snow for 4 hours from Hammond, Ind. to Taylor, Mich. which was only the second time EVER that I had driven in the snow. But we made it there safe and sound. (Picture above)

Seeing the large crowds at the bowling center during the entire week, which exemplified the big bowling area that Detroit has always been.

I promise to write a blog at least once a week with more in depth details of the week on tour. Be sure to stop by and check them out!

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pictures!

Missy's Memo #3

2008-11-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

Last week, the 50th Anniversary of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour kicked off in style. Many memorable events, a widely diverse field, new faces and an historic ending summed up the entire week. I was personally on-hand to witness Norm Duke in his historic quest to capture three consecutive Majors, becoming the only person in PBA history to accomplish this feat.

After interviewing him several times throughout the week, I got an inside perspective on the thinkings and mental game of one of the greatest players in our sport. You see, Duke never once was thinking about making history. He wasn’t thinking about defending his title. He was thinking about winning and winning on bowling’s biggest platform – a PBA Major.

“I’ve made history a few times as a by-product of not thinking about it (making history). When you get ahead of yourself, that’s when you lose your focus,” said Duke.

I was also intrigued to find out Duke’s culmination of what makes a great player.

“Great players don’t just win titles. I have the mindset that you define your career with Major titles,” Duke said. “Great players will go down in history as players who have the ability to win Majors.”

In talking to Duke, you find out that he is a very humble individual. We reminisced about his early career when he won a title at the young age of 18, beating the great Earl Anthony in his first match on TV, in route to the title.

“Everyone wanted to beat Earl (Anthony). He was just that good, that he became a target,” said Duke. “So I told my mom that I was going out on tour and that I was going to beat Earl. Then when I ended up beating Earl on TV, with my mom sitting in the front row, it’s a memory that I’ll never forget,” added Duke.

So I slyly asked Duke, “You do know that you are now that target? People now say I want to go out on tour and beat Norm Duke!”

“I don’t see myself that way. I don’t regard myself as being in the same category as Earl. I know that people get excited to see me and bowl with me, which happened just this week in the pro-am. But in reality I’m just a person who gets to do what I love for a living - bowl,” added Duke.

Last week’s accomplishment brings Duke’s total number of PBA titles to 30 with six Major wins, ranking him tied for fifth with bowling legend Don Carter on the all-time Majors list.

If you followed the results all week, you saw that Duke didn’t get off to a great start in qualifying. With a lower-scoring second block and just out of the projected cut to 53, Duke needed a big final set on the third day of qualifying to advance to the casher’s qualifying round (block four). From that point on, he got serious shooting +174 in block three, advancing to block four of qualifying in 23rd position.

“Yesterday I had a bad day (block two) and today I could have been eliminated. My game plan was to have a good enough round to not have to look at that cut number. My goal was to be proud of my play and that wasn’t the case the past two days (block one and block two). I’m still not up to my expectations. My sights are going to be on getting to the top eight, while keeping 40th (cut number to match play) in mind. I want to be here until the end.”

And that he did! Duke opened up with an 816 the first three games of block four, shooting +362 for the 9-game block, finishing 2nd going into match play. After receiving two byes in match play for finishing in the top eight after qualifying, Duke then went 8-1 in his matches, nearly shooting 300 in game three of the Super 16 Round. Then the very next game, he threw three clutch strikes in the 10th frame to sweep Mike Scroggins shooting 278-277.

You could see the determination in Duke’s eyes. At the verge of nearly being eliminated from the tournament, Duke then put things in high gear and never looked back. The TV show was a mere sample of Duke’s greatness. I was fortunate enough to witness and hear it first-hand.

Also, check out Missy on Xtra Frame throughout the PBA Tour season with exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes action. http://www.pba.com/xtraframe/

Missy's Memo #2

2008-10-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Check out my blog this week about the Chris Paul Celebrity Invitational.

http://www.pba.com/news/feature.asp?ID=909

Be sure to check out the show when it airs on ESPN this Sunday, Oct. 19th at 1 PM EST!