By Jim Ferretti

This past Friday night, I drove from Hillsboro to Longview to bowl in the King of the Hill tournament at Triangle Bowl. It was my first time entering this event—an event I remembered as a regular Friday night competition for strong bowlers years ago.

While I was bowling—and struggling—I found myself asking a simple question: Why don’t we see more late-night, low-cost, competitive tournaments like this anymore?

Tournaments like King of the Hill used to be common. Whether it was pot games or short-format match play events, they gave bowlers a place to compete outside of leagues and major weekend tournaments. Now, they’re rare. The reason, in part, is economics. Bowling centers rely heavily on glow bowling, Monte Carlo, and other high-traffic events on Friday and Saturday nights. Those events bring in guaranteed revenue, while tournaments require staff, lane availability, and administrative effort.

So how do we balance the need for competitive local events and the financial realities of bowling centers?

After I was eliminated during the second cut, I took the opportunity to talk with Crista Vicars, President of the Cowlitz County USBC and the organizer of the King of the Hill tournament. According to Vickers, the event was a long-running Friday night tradition before it was shut down prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The bowling center was focused on open play—Monte Carlo and cosmic bowling,” she said. “Sport shot stuff just wasn’t selling out. And they gave them unlimited lanes, which didn’t help.”

Vicars worked directly with Triangle Bowl to bring the tournament back in a more sustainable format. “We negotiated to limit it to 24 entries, and they gave us a good deal on lineage. Beau, who runs things at the center, just really loves bowling.”

The tournament restarted in September 2024. After a short break during the holiday season, it resumed in January 2025. Vickers said the first few events started slow but have since gained momentum.

“The last two have sold out,” she said. “Most of the bowlers aren’t even locals—they’re people who want to travel and bowl on sport conditions.”

Each month, Vicars chooses a new oil pattern, often based on patterns used in televised events or national competitions. The format is simple: two games of qualifying, a cut to the top half, then another one-game cut, and a final round with the top bowlers. The tournament is open to junior bowlers as well, who compete for SMART scholarships.

The local association also adds $100 to the prize fund for each event. “We don’t have to,” Vickers said, “but we love bowling and we’re trying to promote education through bowling. And there’s no better way to learn than by bowling on these kinds of conditions.”

There are currently no plans for a junior-only version of the event, though it has been considered. According to Vicars, the region already has a strong youth program, with about 100 junior bowlers in the area, and some of the elite weeks have been replaced with monthly junior tournaments.

As for expansion, Vickers remains optimistic. “I’d love it to get so big that Beau can’t say no when I ask for more lanes. I’ve already talked to Jeager and they gave me another pair just in case someone shows up.”

Tournaments like this one are showing that there’s still demand for grassroots-level competition on sport patterns. They offer a low-cost, accessible way for bowlers to challenge themselves and improve. More importantly, they prove that with the right support from local centers and associations, small tournaments can thrive again.

The King of the Hill at Triangle Bowl is a strong example of what’s possible when bowlers, centers, and associations work together. If other areas are looking for a model to revive competitive events on a local level, they might want to look to Longview.