LES Bowling Is Getting Xtreme (NAPSA)—Move over skateboarding. See you later rock climbing. The newest wrinkle in Xtreme sports may involve a glowing bowling pin. An Xtreme approachis offering the public what’s described as a newtwist on bowling. The sport of bowling is undergoing a makeover. The latest trend—which got its start in 1997—emphasizes excitement, individual challenges and a rock ‘ny’ roll attitude. With music and decor that makes a bowling center look more like a nightclub, Xtreme bowling offers thumping music, flashing lights and balls and pins that glow in the dark. A flexible bumper system keepsballs out of the gutter and flashes on and off to create an airport runwayeffect. The driving force behind this movement is a name familiar to many bowling enthusiasts—AMF. According to Jeff Stein, Director, Marketing, U.S. Bowling Centers at AMF,“It offers the public a new twist on bowling.” For example, bowling centers that feature Xtreme bowling offer lanes that spring alive with bright colors. Laser lights, smoke machines and glow-in-the-dark pins and bowlingballs all set the stage, transforming the bowling alley into an ultra-hip dance palace. According to Stein, many people are surprised by Xtreme bowling’s broad appeal. “We knew it would work well on Friday and Saturday nights for the 20-something crowd,” he says, “but at many of our locations, we do Xtreme birthday parties and corporate events—even events for fami- lies and seniors.” AMFownsand operates more than 500 bowling centers world- wide, with about 400 locations in the United States alone. The company also has a Web site (www.amf.com) that provides consumers with information on how to find the nearest AMF bowling center.
