When
Wolfgang Lohschmid and
Helmut Amstätter (r-l) invested thousands of dollars into a new event called the Vienna Open in 2003, they were labeled as "crazy" by their friends in Austria. But their crazy, yet necessary, risk is finally starting to pay dividends. The Columbia 300 Vienna Open is now one of the biggest events on the European Bowling Tour, helping to raise Austria's profile as a bowling nation. This year's Vienna Open, which began Tuesday and concludes with Sunday's finals, is expected to draw 291 players from 28 countries to compete for a prize fund of more than 65,000 Euro, or about $90,000 in U.S. dollars.
Team USA's Lynda Barnes is widely considered one of the best bowlers in the world - male or female. So when she arrived to compete in the 2008 Columbia 300 Vienna Open, she was a little stunned to find out that even she would get eight pins a game handicap. Like all female participants in European Bowling Tour events, Barnes receives the customary eight-pin advantage each game, which adds up to 48 pins for each six-game qualifying block. After arriving in Vienna on Thursday, Barnes competed Friday in two squads attempting to overcome not only the lane conditions at Plus Bowling Center, but also jetlag.
For years, Jason Belmonte struggled with the burden of being a world-class bowler based in the distant country of Australia. When he got on the plane to travel to the 2008 Columbia 300 Vienna Open on Thursday, it took him just an hour and a half. Belmonte is adjusting to some big changes in his life. He recently moved to Nice, France, with his new wife, Kimberly. The result is the ability to quickly and easily bowl more tournaments in Europe, and he will now be able to compete more in the United States. Belmonte is one of nearly 300 bowlers from 28 countries competing this week at the 2008 Columbia 300 Vienna Open. 
