SPOKANE, Wash. — This weekend, the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) made a stop in Spokane on its 2023 national and regional tour.
All weekend long, bowlers from across the country and world competed at Lilac Lanes.
Saturday, PWBA reported Jordan Richard of Maumee, Ohio, took home the Spokane Open championship trophy and $20,000 prize.
Sunday, aspiring touring pro-bowlers competed in the Spokane regional tournament.
Bowlers played in eight games in the hopes of securing one of four spots in the regional finals.
Missouri bowler Shannon Grimm was one of nearly 100 competitors in Spokane this weekend.
She said she's been bowling for 20 years.
"I’ve been bowling my whole life," Grimm said. "I’ve been bowling since I was 5 or 6 years old and I don’t know, I just fell in love with it. I tried other sports growing up, but bowling always stuck by me.”
Grimm said competing allows her to connect with people who share her passion for the sport.
“Everyone in the bowling community is your family. You can count on anybody,” Grimm said.
Participating in the Spokane regional tournament was Grimm's first time in Spokane.
"I love the weather," Grimm said. "It's so humid in Missouri, so this weather has been great."
Grimm wasn't the only one traveling in to compete in Spokane.
PWBA communications Gene Kanak said Sunday’s tournament brought in bowlers from Hayden, ID to as far as Europe.
“We have a very diverse field here," Kanak said. "Lots of international players as well as locals. We have bowlers from Finland, Mexico, Guatemala, France in this case.”
Kanak said some of the best bowlers in the league compete in PWBA tournaments.
“PWBA is the premiere professional organization for women’s bowling in the world," Kanak said. "That’s why we have such an international field competing So if you’re an aspiring female pro bowler, there’s no better tournament to compete in than PWBA tour.”
PWBA next national tour destination is Las Vegas for the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Queens tournament.
The winner of that tournament will take home a $60,000 grand prize.
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