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The Burlington Lawn Bowling Club gained 65 new members this season compared to the 20 they see in a typical year. Their numbers are on the rise, but the average age of their members is going in the opposite direction.
Burlington’s O.B.A Lawn Bowling tournament started in 1886. It’s believed to be the longest running tournament in the world. But the game, often thought of as a retirement pasttime, has changed a lot since then.
Recently, lawn bowling has seen an influx of younger players. Elise Copps decided to get on the green and learn what the hype is about. Instructor, Jake Schuknecht is in his early twenties and competes internationally. He says younger bowlers can play to their strength and agility while older ones can strategize based on years of experience. “Even though it seems like an old person’s game, you actually still need to be pretty fluid with your movements, bending, lunges, stuff like that. Depending on who you play with there’s a lot of different strategies for sure.”
The bowls are weighted on one side so there’s more to it than just throwing down the middle. The goal is simple, get as close to the white ball, or “jack”, as possible. How you get there is up to you. Some choose to knock opponent’s bowl out of the way.
Others prefer a smooth landing.
“The key is to get down nice and low to the ground so you’re not bouncing it. You want to be nice and smooth. If you can do that, and you can concentrate, you can do well at this game” says Tournament Coordinator Dave Burrows.
It truly is a sport for the ages.
The tournament is still underway so we’ll have to wait and see whether youth or experience takes the win.
