Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
DANVERS, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Arlington's Matt Croan has a goal: keep candlepin bowling alive and popular one string at a time.
Candlepin bowling is a unique tradition in New England originating in Worcester back in 1880. It features smaller and lighter bowling balls and thinner oblong pins that resemble candles.
Business was brisk Wednesday morning as soon as the doors opened at 9 a.m. at the Sunnyside Bowladrome in Danvers.
Owner Nick Cameles said Sunnyside has benefitted from recent bowling center closures, but there's a downside. "There was a bowling center in Beverly," he said. "There was one in Salem, there was one in Marblehead and they've all closed. That helps us out but it's not good for the sport."
That's where Croan comes in. He posted an offer on Reddit to introduce people to candlepin bowling as a means to promote the activity and grow interest.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas took him up on his offer.
Croan said he has a "connection to the sport." Both his grandfather and father were league bowlers. And while Croan admits he is not the best candlepin bowler, what he might lack in skill he makes up for in passion.
"This is a unique sport, and I believe it deserves the attention it does because it's not going to last forever. If we don't bring attention to it now, it's not going to be here tomorrow," Croan said.
Justin White is credited with introducing candlepin bowling at the billiards and bowling hall he owned in Worcester on Pearl Street in the 1880s. By the early 1900s, the game was gaining in popularity throughout New England and the Canadian maritime provinces. Then the game took off after World War 2 ended.
Some other differences in candlepin from ten-pin bowling: oil is not applied to the lanes, balls do not have finger holes, and there are three rolls in a frame instead of just two.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.