The disappearing art of Duckpin Bowling
MOUNT JACKSON, Va. (AP) — The pins and balls in duckpin bowling aren’t as forgiving to beginners as the larger, heavier 10-pin bowling, but according to competitor Jerry Middleton it is what keeps him coming back to Shenandoah Bowling Lanes. The sport is believed to have started in Baltimore, and while duckpin enjoyed its peak in the 1960s, only around 60 alleys remain in the United States.
“It’s like a mind game,” says Middleton during a decidedly low-key tournament at Shenandoah.
Six bowling lanes are squeezed inside the second floor of the old brick building at the alley, which has been open since 1948. Its maple wood floors and vintage fixtures still largely intact, the only thing that is out of mid-century character is the Black Keys and Alabama Shakes playing on the radio.
More photos: Duckpin bowling at the Patterson Bowling Center
-
- Josh Miller stands next to a rack of duckpin bowling balls during a tournament at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. The sport, which is mostly played in the Mid-Atlantic, enjoyed its peak in the 1960s. Shenandoah, open since 1948, is one of around 60 remaining duckpin alleys in the United States. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- Owner Scott Asbell’s dog Charles chases after a tennis ball after a duckpin bowling tournament at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. Shenandoah, open since 1948, is one of around 60 remaining duckpin alleys in the United States. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- Pins sit on a bowling lane for duckpin bowling at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. Duckpin bowling is a variation of the more popular 10-pin bowling, with smaller pins and a ball slightly larger than a softball. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- Jerry Middleton reaches for his duckpin bowling shoes after a tournament at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. Shenandoah, open since 1948, is one of around 60 remaining duckpin alleys in the United States. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- A pin stands in a lane at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. Duckpin bowling is a variation of the more popular 10-pin bowling, with smaller pins and a ball slightly larger than a softball. The sport, which is mostly played in the Mid-Atlantic, enjoyed its peak in the 1960s. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- Jerry Middleton, left, picks up a duckpin bowling ball during a tournament at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. The sport, which is mostly played in the Mid-Atlantic, enjoyed its peak in the 1960s. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- A neon signs glows outside of Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, a duckpin bowling alley, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. Duckpin bowling, which is mostly played in the Mid-Atlantic, enjoyed its peak in the 1960s. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- An old photograph hangs on a wall at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, a duckpin bowling alley, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. Shenandoah, open since 1948, is one of around 60 remaining duckpin alleys in the United States. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- Scott Asbell, center, tallies up the score during a duckpin bowling tournament at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. Shenandoah, open since 1948, is one of around 60 remaining duckpin alleys in the United States. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- Scott Asbell reaches for a duckpin bowling ball during a tournament at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. The sport, which is mostly played in the Mid-Atlantic, enjoyed its peak in the 1960s. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- Jerry Middleton watches as his son Jon hurls a duckpin bowling ball during a tournament at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. The sport, which is mostly played in the Mid-Atlantic, enjoyed its peak in the 1960s. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- Jerry Middleton casts a shadow on a wall as he prepares to bowl a duckpin bowling ball during a tournament at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. Shenandoah, open since 1948, is one of around 60 remaining duckpin alleys in the United States. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
-
- George Daugharty, right, watches his duckpin bowling ball roll down a lane during a tournament at Shenandoah Bowling Lanes, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Mount Jackson, Va. Duckpin bowling is a variation of the more popular 10-pin bowling, with smaller pins and a ball slightly larger than a softball. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Baltimore neighborhoods
Baltimore street photographers
Year in review
Freddie Gray: protests, aftermath
24 hours with...
A. Aubrey Bodine
Viewing Baltimore from above