Professional Bowlers Association regional event kicks off at Pinon Plaza

Imagine a bowling event on the level to the Showboat Invitational that has been held in Las Vegas being held right here in Carson City. That's the dream of the Pinon Plaza's Bill Baker.

The process to bring a major bowling tournament to Carson City begins this weekend when the Pinon Plaza will host a Professional Bowlers Association regional event. About 100 bowlers from all over the Western United States are expected to compete in the event. It will be the first visit by the PBA to Carson City.

The Pinon Plaza has put up $5,000 in prize money for the event. The winner of the tournament will receive $4,000 to $5,000 and there will be approximately $15,000 in total prize money.

The winner of the this event will be elibible for next year's PBA Tour's Brunswick Tournament of Champions. Many bowlers in the event will be trying to qualify for the PBA Tour.

Bowlers who place in the top 16 in four regional events qualify for the PBA Tour.

"I think we'll have a couple of big names," Baker said. "You'll see some pretty good names here."

There should also be several bowlers from the Reno-Carson City area, including Carson City's Don Simonian.

Baker said he hopes to expand the Pinon Plaza's facility in an effort to host a PBA Tour event in the next few years. The Pinon Plaza now has 148 rooms and Baker envisions hosting an event similar to the Showboat Invitational.

"That's what we're trying to do in Northern Nevada," Baker said. "It's a perfect place."

Chris Peters, who was vice president of Microsoft, has joined with a business partners from Microsoft and Nike to buy the PBA for a paltry $2.5 million.

"That was nothing for them," Baker said. "They saw that there was potential there."

After being a Saturday afternon staple on ABC for many years, all of the major networks - ABC, CBS and ESPN - have dropped their coverage of the PBA tour. "You see more women bowling on TV," Baker said.

As a result, the PBA Tour has virtually gone bankrupt. "He thought it (the PBA) was managed improperply," said Baker about Peters.

This weekend's event will begin with a Junior Pro-Am at 7 p.m. Friday. Qualifying in the regional tournament will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.

The top 16 will advance to Sunday's match play, which begins at 9 a.m. The finals with the top five bowlers should begin at about 5 p.m. Admission is free to the public.