Candlepin bowling
Encyclopedia
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
that is played primarily in the Canadian Maritime provinces, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
states of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, where it is more common than ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
.
Comparison to ten-pin bowling
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
by Justin White, a local bowling center owner, some years before both the standardization of the ten-pin
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
sport in 1895, and the invention of duckpin bowling
Duckpin bowling
Duckpin bowling is a variation of 10-pin bowling. The balls used in duckpin bowling are 4-3/4 in to 5 in in diameter , weigh 3 lb 6 oz to 3 lb 12 oz each, and lack finger holes...
, said by some sources to have been invented the same year. Today the game is enjoyed in many diverse places such as California and Germany in addition to New England. As in other forms of bowling, the players roll balls down a wooden pathway (lane) to knock down as many pins as possible. The main differences between candlepin bowling and the predominant ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
style are that each player uses three balls per frame (see below), the balls are much smaller (11.43 cm, or 4.5" diameter) and do not have holes, the downed pins (known as 'wood') are not cleared away between balls during a player's turn, and the pins are thinner, and thus harder to knock down. Because of these differences, scoring points is considerably more difficult than in ten-pin bowling, and the highest officially sanctioned score ever recorded is 245 out of a possible 300 points, by Ralph Semb in 1984, who is currently the head of the International Candlepin Bowling Association. This score was matched on May 13, 2011 by Chris Sargent of Haverhill, MA, at the Metro Bowl Lanes candlepin center in Peabody, MA, and accepted by the ICBA.
Game play
Pinsetter
In bowling, a pinsetter, or pinspotter, was originally a person who manually reset bowling pins to their correct position, cleared fallen pins, and returned bowling balls to players...
which occupies space both above and behind the pins. Unlike a tenpin lane, which has a level surface all the way from the near end of the lane's approach to the end of the lanebed, a metal pin plate forms the "pindeck" area of the candlepin lane, and is very slightly depressed below the lanebed forward of it. Behind the pindeck area of the lane is a well-depressed "pit" area for the felled pins and balls to fall into, and a curtain behind this to gently stop the pins and balls from going any further. Generally there is seating behind the approach area for teammates and spectators, and containing a small table to hold scorepads.
The Candlepins themselves are 15.75" (400 mm) tall, have a cylindrical shape which tapers equally towards each end (and therefore having no distinct "top" or "bottom" end, unlike a tenpin), giving them an overall appearance somewhat like that of a candle, and have a maximum weight of 1.13 kg (2 lb 8 oz) apiece. Candlepin bowling uses the same numbering system and shape for the formation within the ten candlepins are set, as the tenpin sport does. Also, as in ten-pin bowling, due to the spacing of the pins (12", or 30.5 cm, center to center), it is impossible for the ball to strike every one. However, while in ten-pin a well-placed ball (usually between the head pin and the 2 or 3 pin) may knock down all ten pins (a strike if on the first ball in a frame) from the chain reaction of pin hitting pin, in candlepins the smaller thickness of the pins makes throwing a strike extremely difficult. In order to count, the pin must be knocked over entirely; in unlucky circumstances, a pin may wobble furiously, or, even more frustratingly, be "kicked" to the side by several inches, yet come to rest upright, thus not being scored (and not be reset to its original position for any throws that remain, though it may of course still be knocked over by subsequent balls).
In addition to the foul line for the bowler themselves, there is a line 10 feet (3.05 m) down the lane from the foul line; this is the lob line, and the ball must first contact the lane at a point on the bowler's side of it. Violation of this rule constitutes a lob and any pins knocked down by such a ball do not count, and such pins are not reset if the lobbed ball was not the third and last shot for that player in that box.
Also, a third line, centered 61 cm (24.4 in) front of the head pin (number-1 pin) spot is the dead wood line, which defines the maximum forward limit that any toppled pins ("dead wood") can occupy and still be legally playable. This lane specification essentially results in the presence of 'three' foul lines, more than in any other bowling sport.
One unique feature of the candlepin sport is that fallen pins, usually called dead wood, are not removed from the pin deck area between balls, unlike either the tenpin or duckpin bowling sports - depending on where the fallen pins are located and their angle at rest (as all fallen pins must be stationary before delivering the next ball), the dead wood can be a major help, or obstacle, in trying to knock down every single standing pin for either a spare or "ten-box" score in completing a round.
The ball used in candlepins has a maximum weight of 1.1 kg (2 lb 7 oz), and has a maximum diameter of 11.43 cm (4½ inches), making it the smallest bowling ball of any North American bowling sport. The nearly identical weight of the ball, when compared to that of just one candlepin, tends to cause rapidly-delivered balls to sometimes bounce at random when impacting a full rack of pins on the first delivery of a frame, and sometimes when hitting downed "dead wood" pins on subsequent deliveries.
A game of candlepin bowling, often called a string in New England, is divided into ten rounds, each of these rounds being most commonly referred to as a box, rather than a "frame" as in ten-pin bowling. In each normal box, a player is given up to three opportunities to knock down as many pins as possible. In the final box, three balls are rolled regardless of the pincount, meaning three strikes can be scored in the 10th frame.
In each of the first nine boxes, play proceeds as follows: The first player bowls their first ball at the pins. Whatever pins are knocked down are counted and scored. Then the player rolls a second and a third ball at any remaining targets. In the event that all ten pins were knocked down with the first ball (a 'strike'), the player receives ten points plus the count on the next two rolls, the pins are cleared, a new set placed, and play passes to the next competitor. If all ten pins were knocked down with two balls (a 'spare'), the player receives 10 points plus the count of the next ball, pins are cleared and reset, and play passes to the next competitor. If all three balls are needed to knock all the pins down, the score for that frame is simply 10, and known in New England as a ten-box.
In the tenth box, play is similar, except that a player scoring a strike is granted two additional balls, scoring a spare earns one additional ball. Three balls are rolled in the tenth frame regardless.
Fouls
A foul (scored by "F") refers to a ball that rolls into the gutter and then strikes wood (felled pins resting on the pin deck behind the dead wood line) or a standing pin, a "lob"-bed ball that touches neither the approach, nor lane in the three meters' distance of lanebed before the lob line, or a roll made by a bowler crossing over the foot foul line. Special scoring comes into play.A foul always scores zero (0), but a player may reset the pins provided it is the first throw in a box or all the preceding balls scored a "F" or 0. Therefore, if on the first ball there is a foul or zero—it is possible to keep the ball on the lane yet miss all ten pins standing in their normal position—and on a second ball foul, the pins may be reset, attempting to knock down a fresh set of 10 pins, but not score a strike or a spare. Knocking down all ten pins in the rerack immediately following a foul in the first box results in a spare; otherwise, a third ball is thrown to finish out the box. Fouling all three attempts scores a zero.
If the first ball knocked down at least one pin, the rack can not be reset because of a subsequent foul. Those pins felled by a foul ball (a ball jumping out of the gutter, a lobbed ball, a ball delivered by a bowler over the foot foul line)--whether standing, playable wood, or pins in the gutter—remain down and reduce the maximum number of pins to be counted for the box. Therefore, if there are six pins standing after the first ball, a foul on the next ball that manages to knock down the remaining six pins means that the frame is finished, with a score of 4. However, if the foul ball knocked down only some of the six standing pins, a third ball may still be rolled to attempt to knock down the remaining upright pins. In this example, the raw score might appear to be "4 4 2 = X", but after adjusting for the foul second ball, the true score is "4 F 2 = 6". Similar logic holds when rolling two good balls and fouling in the third attempt: the frame is over and only the pins felled in the first two attempts are recorded for the score for that box.
While some candlepin alleys have automated scoring systems, and thus know when to clear and reset pins, other alleys, especially older ones have a button, or floor-mounted foot pedal switch, which players must press to manually initiate the clearing and resetting of pins. Automatic pinsetters were introduced in the late 1940s; prior to this, as with ten-pin, pins were set by workers called "pinboys".
In league play, a bowler will bowl five boxes at a time, called a half. Canadian league play will have the bowler playing two boxes at a time
Scoring
One point is scored for each pin that is knocked over. So, in a hypothetical game, if player 'A' felled 3 pins with their first ball, then 5 with their second, and 1 with the third, they would receive a total of 9 points for that box. If player 'B' knocks down 9 pins with their first shot, but misses with their second and third, they would also score 9.In the event that all ten pins are felled by any one player in a single box, by no more than two throws (just as in tenpins) bonuses are awarded for a strike or spare. A strike is achieved with just the first delivery downing all ten pins, with a spare needing two throws, again just as in the tenpin sport. If all ten pins are felled by rolling all three balls in a box, the result is a ten-box, usually marked by an X (as in the Roman numeral for ten) but no additional points are awarded. (In ten-pin bowling, a strike is often scored with an "X").
The maximum score in a game is 300 - a perfect game, which has never been known to have been achieved in the history of the sport. This is scored by bowling 12 strikes: one in each box, and a strike with both bonus balls in the 10th box. In this way, each box will score 30 points (see above - scoring:strike).
This scoring system, except for the scoring sheet's appearance, and the graphic symbols used to record strikes and spares and 10-boxes, is identical to that of duckpins.
Strike
When all 10 pins are knocked down with the first ball (called a strike), a player is awarded 10 points, plus a bonus of whatever they score with their next 2 balls. In this way, the points scored for the two balls after the strike are scored twice.- Example:
- Box 1, ball 1: 10 pins felled (strike)
- Box 2, ball 1: 3 pins felled
- Box 2, ball 2: 6 pins felled
- Box 2, ball 3: 1 pin felled
- The total score from these throws is: 10 + (3+6) + 3 + 6 +1= 29
- A player who scores multiple strikes in succession would score like so:
- Box 1, ball 1: 10 pins fell (strike)
- Box 2, ball 1: 10 pins fell (strike)
- Box 3, ball 1: 4 pins fell
- Box 3, ball 2: 2 pins fell
- Box 3, ball 3: 2 pins fell
- The score from these throws is:
-
- Box one... 10 + (10 + 4) = 24
- Box two... 10 + (4 + 2) = 16
- Box three... 4 + 2 +2 = 8
- TOTAL = 48
-
- A player who bowls a strike in the 10th (final) box is awarded two extra balls, so as to allow for their bonus points. If both these balls also result in strikes, a total of 30 points (10 + 10 + 10) is awarded for the box.
Spare
A 'spare' is awarded when all pins are knocked down with a fair ball in or by the second frame. For example, a player uses the first two balls of a box to clear all ten pins. A player achieving a spare is awarded 10 points, plus a bonus of whatever they score with their next ball (only the first ball is counted).- Example:
- Box 1, ball 1: 7 pins fell
- Box 1, ball 2: 3 pins fell(spare)
- Box 2, ball 1: 4 pins fell
- Box 2, ball 2: 2 pins fell
- Box 2, ball 3: 1 pin fell
- The total score from these throws is: 7 + 3 + 4(bonus) + 4 + 2 + 1 = 21
A player who bowls a spare in the 10th (final) box, is awarded one extra ball so as to allow for their bonus points.
X box
An 'x box' (or "10-box") is awarded when no pins are left standing after the third ball of a box. A player achieving an X box is awarded 10 points, but without any bonus for the following ball.- Example:
- Box 1, ball 1: 7 pins felled
- Box 1, ball 2: 2 pins felled
- Box 1, ball 3: 1 pin felled
- The total score from these throws simply is: 7 + 2 + 1 = 10
Calculating scores
Correct calculation of bonus points can be a bit tricky, especially when combinations of strikes and spares come in successive boxes. In modern times, however, this has been overcome with automated scoring systems. When a scoring system is "automated", the bowler only has to bowl. It keeps score and will reset the pinsetter after three balls are thrown or all 10 pins have been knocked down. If a scoring system is "semi-automated", the bowler has to enter the score but the computer will keep track of it. The bowler needs to press a button at the end of the ball return to receive a new "rack" of pins.Scoring sheet
The candlepin scoring sheet is different from either tenpins or duckpins, in that it is usually oriented vertically, with two columns of squares in a two-square-wide, ten-square-tall arrangement to score one string for one player. The left hand column is used to detail the "per-box" score, with the cumulative total being recorded as each box is rolled in the right-hand square. The first box bowled is recorded in the top horizontal pair of squares, running down the sheet as the string progresses.Spares and strikes are also marked uniquely in candlepins. Spares are recorded in a box by coloring in the left upper corner of the appropriate left-hand square (using a triangular shape to "fill-in the corner"). If a strike is recorded, opposing corners of the left-hand square are similarly colored in, while leaving sufficient space between the "filled-in" opposing corners, to record the score from the two succeeding balls' "fill" total for the strike. A common (albeit unofficial) practice is to mark a strike on a strike's bonus ball (double strike) by shading in the remaining two corners of the first strike.
Jargon
Candlepin bowling uses its own colorful jargon to refer to the many scenarios that can arise in a game, with most of the terms denoting different combinations of pins left standing after the first ball has been rolled. Examples of these terms include:- Head pin: The 1-pin, which is in front of the other pins.
- King pin: The 5-pin, which is in the center of the pins.
- Four Horsemen: Four pins in a diagonal line, from the head-pin outward; if the 1-2-4-7, it is known as "Four horsemen, left side," and if the 1-3-6-10, it is known as "Four horsemen, right side." The usual tenpin term for a spare leave of this kind is a "picket fence" or "clothesline".
- Spread Eagle: A splitSplit (ten pin bowling)A split is a situation in ten pin bowling in which the first ball of a frame knocks down the headpin but leaves standing two or more non-adjacent groups of one or more pins...
configuration consisting of the 2-3-4-6-7-10, caused by the first shot striking the head pin too directly, leading to a failure to scatter the pins. Video of the "spread eagle" being left, then converted - Diamond: Four pins that form a diamond-shaped configuration, either the 2-4-5-8, known as "left-side diamond," the 3-5-6-9, known as "right-side diamond", or the 1-2-3-5, known as the "center diamond" (this same configuration is usually referred to as a "bucket" in standard ten-pin bowling, and while it is very difficult to convert into a spare in candlepin bowling, in ten-pin bowling a spare is usually made from it by an experienced bowler).
- Deadwood: The fallen pins lying between the standing pins, often strategically used to knock down multiple standing pins which are far apart.
- Half Worcester: Perhaps the most distinctive term used in the game. This results when the first shot strikes either the 2-pin or 3-pin too directly, and knocks down only that pin and the one immediately behind it; when only the 2- and 8-pins fall it is a "Half Worcester Left," and when only the 3- and 9-pins fall it is a "Half Worcester Right" (less commonly only the 1- and 5-pins may be knocked down with the first ball, producing a "Half Worcester Center"). According to legend, the term was coined when a team from Worcester and a team from Boston were competing in the semifinal round of a statewide tournament held sometime in the 1940s; late in the last match of the round, one of the bowlers on the Worcester team knocked down only two such pins with his first ball, prompting a member of the Boston team to taunt him by saying, "You're halfway back to Worcester!" It is sometimes said that a player will get "one a game" referring to the Half Worcester.
- Hi-Low-Jack: This term refers to the 1-, 7-, and 10-pins, which are on the three corners of the triangle. Trying to knock down all three in one shot (with no wood) is sometimes a contest as part of a televised candlepin bowling program.
- 7-10 split: when after the ball is thrown, only the 7 and 10 pins remain standing on the lane. If there is no wood, it is the hardest two-pin combination to completely knock down on one ball. The tenpin term for this most dreaded of spare leaves is usually "bedposts" or "goal posts".
- Backdoor Strike: A strike in which the 1 pin is the last to fall.
Television broadcasts
From 1958 until 1996, a weekly professional bowling match was produced by BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
station WHDH-TV/WCVB-TV
WCVB-TV
WCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...
Channel 5, airing every Saturday morning, called Candlepin Bowling. The winner of this match would return the following Saturday to face a new opponent determined by the outcome of qualifying matches, or "roll-offs," held during the week. The program was hosted by sports announcers Jim Britt
Jim Britt
Jim Britt was an American sportscaster who broadcast Major League Baseball games in Boston, Massachusetts, and Cleveland, Ohio, during the 1940s and 1950s...
and Don Gillis. Cash prizes were awarded to both the winner and loser of the televised match, with bonuses for rolling three consecutive marks (strikes or spares in any combination, or a larger bonus for three strikes in a row), and for rolling a cumulative score of 400 or higher in the three games, or "strings," of which each match consisted. The highest score achieved in the history of the show was 500 by Paul Berger, in 1992. The bowler was given an additional cash prize for reaching 500. For most of the year, this competition was restricted to men only, with a few weeks devoted to matches for women only; other televised matches were also held, involving mixed doubles teams of one man and one woman bowler.
There is also a show that originates from the 1-7-10 Sportscenter in Augusta, Maine. It is on Adelphia channel 9 and is shown every Sunday night at 7pm. This show has been on air since 1997.
The ATV
CTV Atlantic
CTV Atlantic is a system of four television stations in the Canadian Maritimes, owned and operated by the CTV Television Network, a division of Bell Media...
network in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
also broadcast a weekly candlepin bowling show in the 1980s and early 1990s, matching bowlers from New Brunswick against those from Nova Scotia. Its sponsors included Number 7, Mark 10, and Belvedere cigarettes.
List of candlepin bowling TV broadcast shows
Each show is listed with its station of origin- Candlepin Bowling - WHDH/WCVBWCVB-TVWCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...
, Channel 5 - October 4, 1958 to January 27, 1996
- Hosted by Jim BrittJim BrittJim Britt was an American sportscaster who broadcast Major League Baseball games in Boston, Massachusetts, and Cleveland, Ohio, during the 1940s and 1950s...
(1958–1961) and Don GillisDon Gillis (Boston sportscaster)Donald A. Gillis was an American sportscaster, born in Canada, who was sports director of Boston's Channel 5 from 1962 through 1983. Gillis pioneered the 11 p.m...
(1961–1996)
Candlepin Bowling was the first candlepin bowling show to be broadcast on television. When WHDH lost its broadcast license, the show simply moved to the new channel 5, WCVB. Originally taped at the former Boylston Bowladrome (1260 Boylston Street, Boston, MA), then at Sammy White's Brighton Bowl
Sammy White's Brighton Bowl
Sammy White's Brighton Bowl, or simply Sammy White's, was a bowling alley in the Brighton section of Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after and owned by famed Red Sox catcher, Sammy White and featured lanes of both standard Ten-Pin and Candlepin bowling, the latter being the more popular style...
, the show moved to the Fairway Lanes in Natick
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
(where Candlepin Doubles was already taping) when Sammy White's closed down in 1986. From 1976-1995, there were a total of 20 candlepin championship shows that were broadcast live at the end of every season with the top bowlers with the top scores posted during the regular season of Candlepin Bowling. The first seven pitted the top two bowlers in a three string championship final, and then starting in 1983, the top five bowlers competed to take home $10,000 for first place. The first ten were at Sammy White's from 1976-1985, then at Fairway Sports World from 1986-1987, and from 1988-1995 at Pilgrim Lanes in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Candlepin Bowling was cancelled in 1996 due to WCVB's lessened interest in the broadcasting of local shows. WCVB was also more interested in the broadcasting of Boston College football games. Candlepin Doubles was cancelled in 1993. During the 1980s and 1990s, this program was also locally syndicated to WGGB-TV
WGGB-TV
WGGB-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts licensed to Springfield. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 40 from a transmitter on Mount Tom in Holyoke. The station can also be seen on Charter and Comcast channel 4...
Channel 40 in Springfield, MA and WPRI-TV
WPRI-TV
WPRI-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the state of Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts that is licensed to Providence. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Homestead Avenue in Rehoboth, Massachusetts...
Channel 12 in Providence, RI. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the show used Van McCoy
Van McCoy
Van Allen Clinton McCoy was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and on radio to this day more than thirty years since his death...
's disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
dance hit The Hustle as its theme song.
- Winning Pins - WHDHWCVB-TVWCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...
, Channel 5 - 1961-1974
- Hosted by Jim BrittJim BrittJim Britt was an American sportscaster who broadcast Major League Baseball games in Boston, Massachusetts, and Cleveland, Ohio, during the 1940s and 1950s...
A children's version of Candlepin Bowling, showcasing the best bowlers under 16 years of age. Taped at Sammy White's Brighton Bowl.
- Candlepin Champs - WNACWHDH-TVWHDH, digital channel 42 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest NBC station not owned by the network. Owned by Sunbeam Television, WHDH is a sister station to CW affiliate WLVI...
, Channel 7 - 1970s
- Hosted by Dana Hersey. A youth bowling show taped on two candlepin lanes in the Channel 7 parking garage in Boston. Each program consisted of two 2-string matches, one boys' and one girls' match, in one of two age groups (junior/senior).
- Bay State Bowling - WSMW, Channel 27 - 1970–1982
- Hosted by Bob FouracreBob FouracreRobert E. "Bob" Fouracre is an American sportscaster who currently calls football and basketball for the College of the Holy Cross. He is a 1956 graduate of Northboro High School, a 1958 graduate of the Cushing Academy and a 1962 graduate of the Cambridge School of Broadcasting....
and Dave Adams
WSMW-TV (channel 27) in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
first aired in 1970. This was one of WSMW's inaugural shows when the station first went on the air. The format was similar to channel 5's Candlepin Bowling. This show was notable for its use of the 1972 pop hit Roundabout
Roundabout (song)
"Roundabout" is the opening track for the 1971 album Fragile by British progressive rock band Yes. The song was written by singer Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire. In January 1972, an edited version of the song was released as a single with "Long Distance Runaround" on the B-side. "Roundabout"...
by the British band Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, as well as the 1975–1981 animated opening theme to the tune of The Spinners' Rubberband Man
Rubberband Man
"Rubberband Man" is the third single released from T.I.'s album Trap Muzik. Containing a sample of 'Go With Me' by Mannie Fresh, Production by David Banner was noted by music reviewers, particularly the ascending organ riff that has been described as 'hypnotic' and 'pure halftime show'. Upon...
. This show, and all of WSMW's other programming, got cancelled in late 1982 when the station's pay-TV movie block expanded to a 24/7 schedule.
- Candlepin - WCVBWCVB-TVWCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...
, Channel 5 - 1972–1983
- Hosted by Bill O'Connell (1972–1982) and Brian Leary (1982–1983)
Candlepin was a mixed doubles show. Premiering soon after WCVB took over the channel 5 band, the pitted 2 teams made up of one male and one female bowler each. Taped at Sammy White's Brighton Bowl.
- Candlepins for Cash - WNACWHDH-TVWHDH, digital channel 42 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest NBC station not owned by the network. Owned by Sunbeam Television, WHDH is a sister station to CW affiliate WLVI...
, Channel 7 - 1973–1980 and WXNE, Channel 25 - 1980–1982
- Hosted by Bob GamereBob GamereBob Gamere is an American Sportscaster.-Career:A sports anchor on WNAC and announcer of Holy Cross football games, Gamere made his television play-by-play debut in 1970, succeeding Jerry Coleman as a broadcaster for the New York Yankees on WPIX...
(WNAC) and Rico PetrocelliRico PetrocelliAmerico Peter "Rico" Petrocelli is an American retired baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire career in the American League with the Boston Red Sox...
(WXNE)
Candlepins for Cash, being Boston's entry in the Bowling for Dollars series, devolved from a competitive nature to more of a game show format. Bowlers were introduced one by one to win money and prizes by how well they did on the lanes. Also featured a special "red pin" which was worth extra cash if felled on a strike. WNAC taped the show in-studio on lanes built specially for the show (there were 2 lanes in the studio alley). When WNAC chose not to renew the show in April 1980, production moved that fall to WXNE, channel 25, which taped the show at an actual bowling alley, the Wal-Lex
Wal-Lex Recreation Center
The Wal-Lex Recreation Center, or simply Wal-Lex, was an entertainment complex located in Waltham, Massachusetts which operated from 1947 until 2002. Considered a landmark in Waltham and the surrounding area, Wal-Lex consisted of a 60-lane candlepin bowling facility, a rollerskating rink, billiard...
Lanes in Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
. Host Bob Gamere was still under contract with WNAC, so WXNE hired former Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
star Rico Petrocelli as the new host.
- Candlepin Doubles - WCVBWCVB-TVWCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...
, Channel 5 - 1983–1993
- Hosted by Brian Leary (1983–1988), Ed HardingEd HardingEd Harding is the principal anchor on WCVB-TV in Boston, anchoring the 5, 6, and 11 PM editions of NewsCenter 5. He is a native of Newton, Massachusetts and lives in Wellesley with his wife and two children...
(1988–1993).
Candlepin Doubles was a revamped version of Candlepin Super Bowl, which removed mixed doubles, with either all-male or all-female doubles groups. Taped at Fairway Lanes in Natick.
- Big Shot Bowling - NESNNew England Sports NetworkThe New England Sports Network, or NESN [NESS-en], is a regional cable television network that covers the six New England states except Fairfield County, Connecticut and Southbury, Connecticut, a town in New Haven County, Connecticut which is covered by New York City sports networks...
- 1985–1991
- Hosted by Bob Fouracre and Dan Murphy
NESN's entry into the televised bowling market was similar in format to channel 5's Candlepin Bowling, however qualifying requirements were more strict than channel 5, with intentions to attract the best bowlers in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
area. Taped at the Londonderry Bowling Center in Londonderry, New Hampshire.
- Candlepin Stars and Strikes - WNDSWZMY-TVWBIN-TV is an independent station licensed to Derry, New Hampshire and serving the Boston market. Its transmitter is located on Merrill Hill in Hudson, New Hampshire. Owned by Carlisle One Media, the station has studios on A Street in Derry...
, Channel 50 - 1983–2005
- Hosted by Doug BrownDoug Brown (sportscaster)Doug Brown is an American sportscaster who has worked for ESPN Radio since 1993. He is currently the host of SportsCenterNightly.Brown has previously worked for WSAR , WHLL , WNDS, WBZ Radio , WEEI , WSBK-TV , WABU...
, Dan Murphy (older versions of the show) Dick Lutsk and Mike Morin (most recent versions of the show)
Similar in format to the channel 5 show, except in a stepladder format. Starting during the 1988-1989 season, each ladder winner qualified for the Tournament of Champions at the end of the season, which was in the same format as the regular season stepladders. Taped at Park Place Lanes in Windham, New Hampshire from 1984-1997, and then at Leda Lanes in Nashua, New Hampshire from 1997-2005.
- Stars and Strikes Doubles - WNDS, 1991-1994
- Hosted by Doug Brown and Dan Murphy
Similar to the singles show, each team pitted two candlepin bowlers with winners qualifying for the Tournament of Champions at the end of the season. Taped at Park Place Lanes during the 1991-1992 season, and then at the Londonderry Bowling Center in Londonderry, New Hampshire the next two seasons.
- Candlepin Skins -WNDS, 1994-1997
- Hosted by Doug Brown and Dan Murphy
This was candlepin bowling like you've never seen before. There were four bowlers, two champions and two challengers competing for skins prize money. The four bowlers bowled two strings, and the bowler with the high score each frame won the amount the box was worth. If two, three, or four bowlers tied each frame, the money got carried over to the next frame. The two bowlers with the highest total pinfall moved on to the next show the next week to challenge two other bowlers. During the 1994-1995 and 1995-1996 seasons, the show was taped at the Londonderry Bowling Center and there was a total of $400 in prize money up for grabs. The first three boxes each game were worth $10, the next three $15, the next three $25, and the 10th box was worth $50. During the 1996-1997 season, the show was at Pilgrim Lanes in Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
. The prize money increased to $600 per show. The first three boxes were worth $20, the next three $25, the next three $30, and the 10th box every game worth $75. Shows were at 12 noon Saturdays on WNDS, followed by 12 noon Sundays with Candlepin Stars and Strikes.
- Candlepin Bowling - Adelphia/(Time Warner?) Channel 9, (Augusta, Maine) - 1997-(unknown)
Similar in format to the original channel 5 show. Taped at the 1-7-10 Sportscenter in Augusta, Maine
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
. Adelphia was sold to Time Warner in 2005, and the program no longer appears on the local TWC-TV channel. It is not currently known when either Adelphia or Time Warner cancelled the show.
- Candlepin Challenge - Comcast SportsNet New England - 2001–2009
- Hosted by John Holt, Dan Murphy, and Trina Fernandez
Candlepin Challenge has three bowlers compete against each other, rather than two. Two bowlers compete for one string in the qualifying round, then the winner of that round plays two strings against a third bowler. The overall winner of the second round is declared that week's champion. At the end of each season, the top three bowlers of the season compete in a similar format but with a higher prize than the regular shows. Taped at the Woburn
Woburn, Massachusetts
Woburn is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 38,120 at the 2010 census. Woburn is located north of Boston, Massachusetts, and just south of the intersection of I-93 and I-95.- History :...
Bowladrome. For its first five seasons on AT&T Cable, the show was called the "$30,000 Candlepin Challenge"; it was renamed prior to its sixth season after Comcast bought AT&T Cable, though until 2008, the now-former station ID of CN8 was part of the name. Due to the closing of CN8 by Comcast, this show moved to Comcast SportsNet New England in January, 2009. At the end of that season, production ceased due to lack of money and sponsors.
- Candlepins for Kids - Southbridge Community Access Television, Southbridge, MA and surrounding towns, 2003–present
- Hosted by Steve Renaud and Dan Gauthier.
Format has competition by children in three age groups: 11 and under, 12-14, and 15-18. Episodes air over Southbridge Community Access Television and online. Taped all over state of MA.
- Candlepins for Dollars - WLVIWLVI-TVWLVI, digital channel 41, is a television station licensed to Cambridge, Massachusetts which serves as the CW affiliate for the Boston, Massachusetts television market. WLVI is owned by Sunbeam Television, and is a sister station to WHDH, Boston's NBC affiliate. The two stations share studios at...
, Channel 56 - 2006
- Hosted by Frank Mallicoat and Mike Morin
- Also locally syndicated on 5 other stations in the New England and eastern New York State areas
Despite the similarity in name, this show was not related to the old Candlepins For Cash format; instead it was based more on the Stars and Strikes format. After WLVI's sale to Sunbeam Television
Sunbeam Television
Sunbeam Television Corporation is a broadcasting company based in Miami, Florida, and owns three television stations in the United States.-History:...
in December 2006, the show was put on indefinite hiatus. In February 2007, Executive Producer Bart Maderios reclaimed the rights to his show and announced that two "major networks" were negotiating to bring the show back into production, however, no further updates have surfaced since.