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Final Destination in 2007-08 Approaching...
Albuquerque, Here We Come!
Posted by BowlerCluke Tuesday, June 3, 2008 10:48 PM
With Factor X's final tour stop of the 2007-08 winter season less than two weeks
away, final preparations are in full swing as the team prepares for its trip to
Albuquerque, New Mexico for the 2008 USBC Open Championships.
Both teams will make extensive use of subs this year, as gasoline prices -
combined with some ill-timed health issues - have taken their toll. Factor X
I will sport two substitutes in 2008; Karl Larson, who will be filling in
for Buddy Wing (who was forced to withdraw due to work-related commitments) and
Roger Letourneau, who will take the place of Michael Caouette, also out due to a
heavy workload. Both hope to return to the roster for Las Vegas in 2009. Taking
over for Matt Coe on the Factor X II roster will be David Kranz.
Both Kranz and Letourneau are local to the Henderson/Las Vegas, Nevada area, and
both are accomplished bowlers, averaging in the 210s in house leagues and
anywhere from the 180s to the 200s in Sport Bowling competition. Larson hails
from Gardner, MA and is a solid high 190s bowler on house patterns and finished
at 168 in his first-ever PBA Experience league this past season.
Several other roster-related changes will also take place as a result of the
substitutions. For Factor X I, Paul Cardinale will take over Caouette's
anchor slot, with Letourneau moving into Cardinale's vacated four-slot. Henry
Caouette will retain his leadoff spot, with Clukay moving from three- to two-,
and Larson taking over the three slot. In doubles, Letourneau and Kranz will be
paired together in doubles, while Paul Cardinale is re-paired with Henry
Caouette. Clukay will bowl with Larson. While the roster changes for Factor X
II had not yet been reported as of the posting of this article,
factorxobowling.com anticipates that Kranz will most-likely be placed in the
anchor slot.
Itineraries and Schedules
Event coordinator Tom Clukay will be staying at the Hyatt Regency headquarters
hotel with his family and Karl Larson. Both Clukay and Larson are scheduled to
arrive a little before 4:00p on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 17th, and will
remain on-site until early Monday morning, June 23rd.
Clukay will again utilize the USBC's Bowling Ball Express service to ship his
equipment, and urges anyone flying to check their airline's baggage rules
carefully and plan accordingly:
"Some airlines are now charging fees for each and every bag brought on board
this year, meaning if you're planning on bringing two or three bowling bags in
addition to a couple of suitcases, you could end up paying some really big
bucks. For me, these new rules made it cheaper for me to just ship the equipment
out through UPS and the BBE."
Anyone planning on using the Bowling Ball Express ground transportation service
is cautioned to plan well in advance of the bowling date. For equipment to be
guaranteed arrival by June 16th, it will need to be shipped out by the 6th.
This year's team event will take place on Wednesday, June 18th at 2:30p on lanes
21 and 22. Doubles and singles will follow the next day at 9:20a, and will take
place on lanes 30 through 36.
Dinner at Sandia Peak
When Factor X last visited Albuquerque in 2000, without a doubt the highlight of
the week was the incredible dinner and views from the High Finance restaurant at
Sandia Peak. Less than half an hour from downtown Albuquerque, this mountain
features the nation's longest tram ride of just under three miles, taking you to
the peak of the mountain and to the High Finance restaurant, where an incredible
dining experience complete with panoramic views of Albuquerque far below await.
And for those who think that anything this far south in New Mexico can't
possibly be a real mountain, here's some news for you: they just got about a
foot of snow a couple of weeks ago, on May 22nd! Brrrrr... better bring your
jackets!
Clukay is currently trying to organize a Factor X dinner party for either
Wednesday night after the team event or Thursday night. Anyone interested should
contact Clukay as quickly as possible, as his plan is to make reservations on or
before June 7th.
Clukay offered the following thoughts on whether Wednesday or Thursday would be
the better choice:
"From a timing perspective, Thursday would be nice, but last time we were here
it took us two tries to get up the mountain because of thunderstorms. If we wait
until Thursday and weather shuts down the tram again this time, anyone leaving
for home on Friday will miss out on an incredible dining experience."
Bowlers, Don't Forget Your Paperwork!
Last but not least, Clukay is urging all teammates to double- and triple-check
to make sure they bring all necessary paperwork with them, including USBC cards
and average verification for those bowling on the classified Factor X II
team.
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