Ebonite

Sep 10, 2012

Ebonite staff player Tim Behrendt, St. Louis, Mo., defeated over 5000 bowlers to earn the title in the 102nd AMF Petersen Classic. Held annually at AMF Hoffman Lanes in Hoffman Estates, Ill., the Petersen is known as the toughest tournament in bowling.

With no real lane pattern and no arrows on the lanes, the Petersen doesn’t allow any re-racks or any practice time prior to the start of the event. Each lane is set up differently than the next, and the event is meant to challenge the ability of even the best of bowlers.

A five year member of the Ebonite team, this year was Behrendt’s ninth time to compete in the Petersen. Having been in the top 100 four times, his best year prior to the win was 2009, when he won the Lumberjack 4-game, 8-game and 20-game events.

“This year the lanes were a little slicker than in years past,” said Behrendt. “I concentrated on really taking my hand out of the ball to reduce my rev rate, while staying up the back of the ball to keep it playable.”

After four games, Behrendt was +89 pins but opened four times in the fifth game for a 150 score. This was tough to get over, but he knew he needed to put that poor game behind him and move forward.

“Putting that game behind me, I only had one open the next three games,” explained Behrendt. “I ended on lanes 1 and 2, the toughest lanes in the house. This is a mentally draining tournament, and every year it feels like I just got finished bowling in a marathon!”

After his success in the Petersen, Behrendt will travel to Wichita, Kans., for the Swiss Trio event later in the month. In addition, Behrendt is preparing for the Mini Eliminator in Las Vegas, Nev., in February. He concedes that the high number of bowling events in the St. Louis area will keep him busy and allow him plenty of opportunity for more success.

“Tim did a great job at the Petersen this year, and we’re so proud that Ebonite could be a part of that success,” said Ed Gallagher, Ebonite Brand Manager. “He overcame a great deal of pressure to succeed in such tough conditions. He’s going to be tough to beat in his future competitions, and we can’t wait to see what he wins next.”

—  Ebonite Bowling Balls & Bowling Equipment - Ebonite is a brand of Ebonite International, Inc. Based in Hopkinsville, Ky., Ebonite International is a privately-owned company that services bowling centers, distributors and retail outlets domestically and internationally. In addition to Ebonite, the company’s consumer product brands include Hammer,Columbia 300,Track, Robby’s and Powerhouse™; its commercial product brand is Ebonite Bowling Center Direct.

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