25th Annual Underthun Bowling Challenge Shows Up with the Best of the Best

DULUTH, Minn.- Cold weather can’t stop one group of players from getting in hours of practice for their sport played in the lanes year round.

Country Lanes North in West Duluth, packed out with over 100 competitors from all over the midwest and canada for the Underthun Auto Body Challenge, a two day qualifiers and tournament competition.

“The nice thing about bowling is the last few years it’s starting to get a bit of resurgence. It’s starting to get popular again. It started to have a decline for a while. Conditions that we put out where it makes it tough to score brings people in because it’s fun, because it’s not easy,” event sponsor Ryan Underthun said.

Lanes are greased before bowlers take to the game which is why it’s inviting to everyone entered into the four divisions- junior’s, senior’s, women’s and open.

Professional bowling competitor Matt McNiel has competed all over the world and says the trick to winning is as simple as getting one more strike than the other guys.

“You can go with your family and bowl, you can go with your friends and bowl, you can go with your co–workers and bowl and it’s something that everyone can do and enjoy,” McNiel said.

After several rounds and a top score of 280, the open division win ultimately went to McNiel for a $900 prize, ending the tournaments quarter–century tournament.