Mark Stern of Punk Rock Bowling and Youth Brigade

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
I usually do some 12oz curls, make sure to wear my championship medals from years past to intimidate my opponents and then i just go out there and make it happen.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
I'm very conscious about who is bowling next to me, so i will wait til everyone who are 3 lanes down on either side have bowled. Sometimes it takes a while, but it's worth it. I make my approach very slowly then try to get as low as possible when releasing the ball that will eventually become a strike.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Let us know in advance so we can by you shots all night and watch you fail the next day

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
It's exactly like bowling (at least at PRB), loud music, cocktails, hanging with your friends and talking shit.

Bowling is often depicted is the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
We are here to smash the stereotypical view of the average bowler. We have chubby guys dressed up as bananas while humping people in rabbit costumes. Plus many good looking women with dazzling outfits who are some of the best bowlers at PRB.

Zac from Rise Against

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
Listen to Black Sabbath or the Ramones!

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
No thumb in the hole. Cradle it and curve it when you throw (I don't actually do that or know what its called but I know thats a good way to strike. I just cant seem to pull it off)

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Listen to Black Sabbath or the Ramones!< r> How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling? Have you ever seen those guys fucking bowl?!?! I salute it because I love it when people judge someone (wrongly,always) based on looks and then the person absolutely kicks ass at something!

Josh from The Bombpops

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
Usually to get in the zone, I smoke a joint and take a couple shots. Please describe your grip and lane approach.
I think I use a standard grip. I usually stand on the right side of the lane.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Don’t miss.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
I don't see the relation, but a lot of punks seem to like to bowl.

Bowling is often depicted as the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
I don't see the depiction mattering all that much. It's not an easy sport no matter your build or stature in my opinion.

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Johnny Bonnel of Swingin' Utters

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
Go into it with a positive attitude and fun will be had, it’s not that difficult.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
Relax and be smooth like on Soul Train.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Bring it down a notch, Jocko.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
The music that is played during bowling is everything that I like so I can’t go wrong with that combo.

Bowling is often depicted as the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
Torn down of course, bowling is the essence of acceptance.

Kevin of Ground Score

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
Usually some greasy food and a beer puts me in the mindset I need to be in. And some mary jane (where legal, of course) to calm the old nerves.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
I line up as far left as I can, then swing it out wide to the right before heading for Brooklyn.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Drinking makes you better at bowling, trust me.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
Beer is always part of the equation!

Bowling is often depicted is the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
Saluted! There aren't many things we chubby old guys do well. Let us have this one.

Jesse of Days N Daze

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
Gotta have a stiff drink to calm the shakes.Tie and re-tie my shoes 4 or 5 times. Spend way to long picking out a ball and take 4 4 second breaths to get in the zone.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
Straight up granny shot. Two hands, feet parallel, between the legs.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Don't let the competition distract you. Stay focused and calm. Also, be better at bowling than I am.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
I suppose punk rock and bowling are both similar in the fact that teams aren't necessary though there are places for them. Bowling has rules and a line you can cross. I suppose punk rock does not.

Bowling is often depicted as the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
I think making assumptions of any demographic is wrong. Anyone can bowl and make punk rock!!… I think.

Devin of Cobra Skulls

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
Loosen up and don't worry about it. Who cares? It's just bowling.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
Two fingers in (middle and ring) and three fingers out. I'm right handed, so I start a little left of center, walk up, let it roll with a little spin and let my right leg kick out the back a bit to give the impression I know what I'm doing - the pins are never fooled.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Don't order the nachos.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
Punk rock is like bowling because it's really not that cool or popular, but if you like it and you have fun with it that's all that matters. Also, basically anyone can do it.

Bowling is often depicted as the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
It definitely seems like an equal opportunity, non-gender specific sport to me, but I'll be honest, bowlers aren't the most muscle-bound, fit bunch. Maybe we should build bowling alleys inside gyms to shame these people into doing some actual physical workout before or after they hit the lanes? Nah…

Brenna Red of The Last Gang

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
Shots, french fries, and I channel my all until I'm unbelievably competitive. Plus a lot of shit talk.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
I need to use one of the lighter balls since I have the hand size of a 10 year old, standard grip, and nothing fancy with any curve. Before every throw I pull the ball close to my chest, take a deep calming breath, step out with my right foot, 1-2-3, and release until my right knees kisses the ground. That is until the beer kicks in and I get too cocky. It's all downhill from there.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Stay sober.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
I'd say it's far from punk. For myself at least. Punk is all about unity and brother/sisterhood. We pick each other when we fall in the pit. Bowling is cutthroat. It's everyone for themselves. And fuck you if you're not on my team. I'm here to win bitches!

Bowling is often depicted as the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
Any sport where you can binge on nachos and processed cheese during should be treasured. I'm for it. For crying out loud, there's a hand dryer for your sweaty fingers. You can be so out of shape you fingers sweat. A HAND DRYER!!!!

Joe McMahon of Smoke Or Fire

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
I usually relax and do some stretches while drinking vodka.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
I have a standard grip but my style has gotten better recently. I’ve actually been bowling a lot since I moved to Germany. It’s very popular here. I line up just right of center and get a pretty good right leg swing on my release.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
I think the most difficult thing is not getting thrown off mentally when you have a bad roll or toss a gutter ball. It’s easy to get in a funk. Take a minute and clear your head and start over.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
No matter how hard you try it feels like there’s always one fucking pin still standing.

Bowling is often depicted as the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
I think it’s pretty awesome. It may be seen that way but I’m always pretty sore after bowling. I’m into any sport that involves beer and ugly shoes. Plus the beauty of bowling is that anyone can compete.

Brad Logan of Rats in the Wall

What do you do to get in the proper metal space before bowling?
Confront a candle in a darkened room.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
Overhand, shot-put approach.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
Chaos is the law of nature, Order is the dream of man.

Bowling is often depicted as the sport of chubby, middle aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.

Jason Black of Hot Water Music

What do you do to get in the proper metal space before bowling?
My main concern is getting shoes in my size. I wear 10, which is a pretty popular size among honkey men.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
Fingers in holes, ball down the chute. I start to right.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Not being a competitive bowler, that's hard for me to answer. Bowling has always been about the hang to me. My favorite part about "competitive" bowling is watching people who take it really seriously lose.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
Not being a competitive bowler, that's hard for me to answer. Bowling has always been about the hang to me. My favorite part about "competitive" bowling is watching people who take it really seriously lose Bowling is often depicted as the sport of chubby, middle aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
Not being a competitive bowler, that's hard for me to answer. Bowling has always been about the hang to me. My favorite part about "competitive" bowling is watching people who take it really seriously lose.

Heath of Agnostic Blunt

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
In order to get into the proper mental state for bowling, i smoke that good good listening to Dee Dee King & Sweating to the Oldies..

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
Always with a Firm grip, hanging to the right..

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Stay in your lane.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
Both Punks and Bowlers don't wanna be a pinhead no more, Neither has a nurse they could go for..

Bowling is often depicted is the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
If the bowlers of PRB past are any indication to the health and fitness of your typical bowler, then thats your answer.

Chris of Nothington

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling?
Generally I just can't be too uptight to bowl well so I have to have a beer or two. I think the magic number for me is 1.5 beers. Any less than that and I just feel nervous, and anything over about 3 sends my ball into the gutter nearly every time.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
I use all three holes in the ball, and I bowl straight. About 5 steps to the lane and swing the right leg back and try not to fall over.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
I wouldn't know how to give advice to a competitive bowler. I think a competitive bowler should give me advice.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
I'd say the main similarity is that it's still fun to play whether you are good at it or not. And you get better with practice and then it's even more fun. I think that's why I started playing punk rock to begin with when I was 14 years old. I didn't need to be a great guitar player to have fun covering Screeching Weasel songs and I don't need to be a great bowler to have fun bowling.

Bowling is often depicted is the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
I don't know. It's a good hobby for chubby, middle-aged men who probably can't participate in as many sports as younger fitter men and women so I guess that's why they own the stereotypical bowler thing.

Jason Hall of Western Addiction

What do you do to get in the proper mental space before bowling? Ha ha. I try to not think about it. But…I think most sport-like activities require intense focus. This is difficult at PRB because you are in Vegas, which is the epicenter of sensory overload, and the people watching is otherworldly. It’s hard to focus when the person next to you is drinking a banana daiquiri out of an oversized plastic football that is also a necklace. Vegas is so distracting that you can’t be bothered to hold your own food. It has to be dangling from your body and between jackpots, you take a chomp.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
I have kind of an odd approach. You wouldn’t know it from my scores but I was in a bowling league as a kid. Most people graduate to a nice spin, but I have a pretty straight forward release. It’s almost like I’m pointing the ball right down the center of the lane in the most uptight way. Most things I do are pinched and uptight, so this follows.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Lay off the Pabst. Try not to eat a steak/shrimp dinner/breakfast that costs less than a bag of chips. Focus the best you can. Keep your eye on the pins. Man, I don’t know.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
Well, although I think punk is a significant art form if done with style and grace, like bowling, it is sometimes viewed as a low-brow endeavor. It’s definitely the underbelly of the music world. Rock is dirty. Bowling is dirty. You wear shoes that a bajillion other people have casually sweated in.

Bowling is often depicted as the sport of chubby, middle-aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?
If the rented shoe fits. You don’t exactly see elegant business women stopping their day to take in a few frames. I don't think it gets the respect it deserves though. It’s no more silly than any other game that is played by grown men. I kind of like that the sport isn’t judgmental.

Blag of The Dwarves

What do you do to get in the proper metal space before bowling?
I kill half of my brain cells.

Please describe your grip and lane approach.
I try and stay in my lane mostly, but sometimes I’ve got to grip it on that “other level” if you catch my meaning.

What is the best advice you can give to a competitive bowler?
Don’t snort the lane wax.

How is punk rock like (or drastically unlike) bowling?
They are both ancient pastimes that repel attractive people.

Bowling is often depicted as the sport of chubby, middle aged men. Should this view be saluted or torn down? Why?

Saluted, because I’m a chubby middle aged man.