Ebonite

Jan 18, 2012

The tournament may have been full of shenanigans, but Ebonite Amateur Staff member James Hansen was all business in the Alaska 700 Club Shenanigans tournament in Eagle River, Alaska on December 4th.

Hansen, a 46-year-old right-hander from Anchorage, let wire-to-wire in the variable-format event at host Eagle River Bowl. The tournament combined blind draw Baker-format trios, with blind draw scotch doubles, and singles games. The format was one that provided very little consistency or predictability.

“There were times when you really didn’t know what was going on,” said Hansen. “I had new teammates almost every game, and a lot that was going on that day often left out of your control.”

But Hansen didn’t let the confusion get to him, as he managed to keep setting the pace from game to game. He admitted that he bowled well at the right times, and took advantage of “teammates” who got hot at key moments, but still remained behind him.

Hansen used an Ebonite Mission 2.0 and an Ebonite Game Changer to average 223.33 for his 12 games prior to the finals.

“I drilled the Mission 2.0 with a high pin to keep pushing down the lane so it would not over hook on the dry,” said Hansen. “In the late games and the finals, I switched to the Game Changer. It read the lane the best, and was very clean in the fronts. The key was that it wasn’t as angular off the dry part of the lane.”

Hansen capped the tournament win with a 217-176 victory over James Krafft to win the $400 first place prize.

“It was a great idea to bring more bowlers into the tournament,” said Hansen of the multiple format event. “It was exciting and fun, but very competitive.”

Hansen has been a member of the Ebonite Amateur Staff for four years after a successful five-year stint on the Hammer Bowling Staff. He says there is a lot to like from Ebonite this bowling season.

“Do I have a favorite ball? I can’t pick one,” he said. “What a great line of balls this year. From the Elevate, to the Game Changer, Warning Sign and the Mission X. They all give you a little different look and fills in the holes where most other companies don’t.”

According to Hansen, that is the key to his success on the lanes.

“When you have the tools that you need to compete, you’re always in the game,” Hansen said. “It allows me to not just bowl, but I can Bowl to Win.”

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