With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
Rancho Cucamonga seniors compete in Wii bowling championship
Listen
• 3:47
Lotte Eberle (C), standing next to student Josef Kiener plays Nintendo Wii bowling at the Malhaelden seniors home on August 4, 2008 in Pforzheim, Germany.
(
Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images
)
Jeanne Gildea (R), 81, reacts to a shot as she plays in a bowling tournament against fellow community members, including Elaine Fowler (L), 82, on the Nintendo Wii game system at the Riderwood Retirement Community in Silver Spring, Maryland, Jan. 16, 2008.
(
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
)
Some local seniors are competing in a national bowling championship Friday morning, but they won’t have to go to a bowling alley or use real bowling balls. They’ll play virtually on a Nintendo Wii game system.
The four seniors from Rancho Cucamonga are competing against teams in Ohio, Connecticut and Florida in the Wii Senior Bowling Championship.
Geoff Wolfsont, 67, is on the Rancho Cucamonga team, dubbed "The A Team." He says he used to bowl with a real ball several decades back but he stopped after he suffered some injuries to his back. Now, the virtual bowling may actually be improving Wolfsont's health.
"One of the reasons why I keep doing it is because I have Parkinson's [disease] and I want to improve or just maintain the hand-eye coordination that I still have, which varies from day to day," said Wolfsont.
Support for LAist comes from
Although the virtual action keeps them from having to worry about errant shots from other players, they do have to watch out for flying Wii remotes. Part of the fun of playing bowling on the Wii is that you can simulate the throw of a bowling ball by flinging your arm forward, which has led to stories (and YouTube videos) of people throwing their remotes into their TV. One of the rules of the tournament is that the players have to have the remote's wrist strap on at all times or they will be penalized five points.
The action will begin at 11 a.m. on Friday morning at the James Brulte Senior Center in Rancho Cucamonga. Veteran TV game show host Bob Eubanks will provide live play-by-play of the championship at the AARP Life@50+ event at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.” -
While working for the county, the DA’s office alleges that 13 employees fraudulently filed for unemployment, claiming to earn less than $600 a week.
Best of LAist