The 121st edition of the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships has kicked off at the Raising Cane’s River Center with local and bowling dignitaries welcoming the first of more than 58,000 bowlers to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the 2025 event.
An opening ceremony – featuring speeches from Visit Baton Rouge President and CEO Jill Kidder and City of Baton Rouge Council Member Carolyn Coleman – was held on the 54 lanes installed inside of the River Center, which was transformed over two-plus months into a championship tournament facility.
The ceremony also featured entertainment provided by the Florida Street Blowhards (Louisiana jazz band), a ribbon-cutting, Mass Ball Shot and the ceremonial first ball from Shellie Camarata of Chino Hills, California, who became the first woman selected as “Josephine Bowler.”
The tradition of “Joe Bowler” has dated back to 1951 at the USBC Open Championships. Camarata was excited for the chance to become the first woman to don the ceremonial tiara, cape and scepter and rolled a nine count after making an adjustment with her cape to help welcome the tournament to Red Stick for the third time.
“This is our first year bowling the opening squad, and our organizer let us know there was a good chance of someone from our group getting picked as ‘Joe Bowler’ since we had so many teams bowling,” said Camarata, who made her 16th tournament appearance. “I never thought I was going to be the one.
“I was just in complete shock but really excited. It’s an honor to know that I am the first woman in the history of this tournament and hope for more women to get picked in the future.”
The moment was fun for Camarata and her group of teammates, but she was thrilled to be able to experience it alongside her father – Martin Camarata.
“I am very blessed to be able to travel with my dad,” Camarata said. “Having him come join me up by the throne to say a few words was heartwarming and meant a lot to me.”
Like most who have worn the cape for the ceremonial first shot, Camarata’s first roll didn’t go as planned as she attempted to get comfortable bowling in the unique setting. She was able to wrap the cape in her second attempt, though, to hit the pocket and leave the 10 pin standing.
“I was a little scared I was going to trip over the cape, since I am vertically challenged,” Camarata joked. “The cape stretched longer than myself, and that’s why my first shot did not go so well. I was able to wrap it around me just enough the second shot to at least get it down the lane and get some pins.”
The Open Championships was held in Baton Rouge for the 2005 and 2012 events. The 2025 tournament will mark the largest team count (more than 11,600 five-player teams are registered to compete) at the Open Championships since 2012 (11,794 teams).
The 2025 event will run daily until July 28 (150 consecutive days), and bowlers will compete in three games each of team, doubles and singles across three average-based divisions. Titles also will be awarded in each division for all-events (combines all three sets for a nine-game total).
One team will take home the win in 2025 for Team All-Events, which combines the nine-game scores for all five team members to determine the champion.
In addition to the quest for titles in Baton Rouge, several bowlers are scheduled to reach major pinfall and participation milestones during the 2025 Open Championships.
USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Glenn Allison highlights the list as he looks to extend his participation record at the event to 73 years and make a run at the tournament’s pinfall record in May.
Allison, of Corona, California, took over the top spot in participation during his appearance at the 2024 event, breaking a four-way tie for the record at 71 years. He made his tournament debut at the 1947 event and has made his annual appearance each year since 1954.
The four-time champion will enter the 2025 event in third place on the tournament’s all-time pinfall list with 123,341. He is 430 pins away from passing Joe Norris (123,770) for second and 747 pins shy of passing Bill Lillard Jr. for the pinfall record (124,087). Both Norris and Lillard are members of the USBC Hall of Fame.
Clinton Zavakos of Henderson, Nevada, is looking to join Allison and become the fifth competitor to reach 70 years at the tournament in April. Zavakos made his debut at the 1955 event and has bowled each year since his first appearance. He has toppled 106,994 pins through his first 69 appearances at the tournament.
USBC Hall of Famer and 1973 Regular Doubles champion Jamie Brooks of Fairview, Texas, is scheduled to make his 65th appearance in 2025, seven bowlers are looking to celebrate 55 years at the tournament and 31 bowlers are on pace to join the 50-Year Club in Baton Rouge.
For more information on the USBC Open Championships, visit BOWL.com/OpenChamp. Follow us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
There are no comments
Please login to post comments