Joan Taylor caught up with PBA Tournament of Champions winner Kelly Kulick
02/12/10
On a Sunday afternoon last month one person achieved so many things in two televised games at the PBA Tournament of Champions. She put New Jersey on the map, advanced women's bowling to the level that a woman could beat a man without a huge power game, and she could easily have had her own "Survivor" show, or maybe she did that day.
This was Kelly Kulick, Union, NJ. (pictured right)
I caught up with her at Hanover Lanes in her Tenpinners League. You would never know she defeated two mega-champions to become the first woman to win this prestigious title. She is still Kelly.
This 32-year-old righthander was a little amazed on that day, defeating "Major" Mika Koivuniemi in a cliffhanger game, 227-223. She then proceeded to throw the first four strikes against Chris Barnes.
When the dreaded 7-10 appeared in her fifth frame, she calmly took out one pin and told herself to make the next frame better. She finished with a big 265 to Barnes' 195.
The next day she was in Jersey Lanes in Linden, then New York City for a media blitz of appearances including ESPN's "First Take" and ABC World News among others. Even the Fox 5 Business Report featured her on camera.
Despite looking unfazed, Kulick admitted that her legs were like jelly, especially in the first match, which she had to win to get a shot at the title. "I had gone out there (to Las Vegas) with no expectations. I didn't think about making the show.
I couldn't sleep the night before, but having taught at the Dick Ritger bowling camps, I heard (Dick) Ritger in my head with all of his great bowling tips." Having her mother, Carol, there the entire week just made it even better.
And yet she is the affable and approachable Kelly, who just one week before the 45th annual Tournament of Champions was contemplating going to cooking school. "I enjoy cooking and I started questioning myself as to what I wanted to do (with a career)."
This is from a six-title winner including the Women's World Championships, which got her into the T of C, the 2007 USBC Queens Tournament and the 2003 US Open.
The aftermath of the big win was the start of many experiences, some unexpected. "Jeff Gordon sent me flowers." Kelly has appeared in Gordon's annual bowling fundraiser. "I wanted to get a sports agent (which she has) so I could possibly leverage this into endorsements for anything I am into such as Dunkin' Donuts, energy bars, a women's health magazine, cosmetics, and even my new hairdresser in Las Vegas."
No stranger to notoriety, Kelly was featured in a Spiderman comic book last year. She has been a member of Team USA six times including this year. The team members train for three weeks at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.
"To represent 300 million people as one of ten on the US team makes me feel both powerful and humble," Kulick said. She particularly enjoyed bowling in Australia and England. In March she will participate along with Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, another Jersey Girl, in a tournament in Malaysia.
She laughs at some difficulties encountered in International travel, such as "trying to order food in Chile. Instead of two sandwiches we got two meals. I guess I didn't point correctly." Her physical fitness regimen includes 5-6 days per week of aerobics, and yoga twice a week. She eats five small meals per day, takes several vitamins and drinks plenty of water.
You would think that once the tour starts up, there is no time for anything else. "One thing people might not know about me is that I enjoy country music and country line dancing. It's fun and can be quite a workout." She also enjoys fishing with her father at the Jersey shore when she's home.
Being on a "men's tour," who are her friends? "Leslie (Mrs. Parker) Bohn and when Riga Kalfas was on tour, his wife, Shelley and I were good friends." Her guy pals include Parker Bohn III, Jason Couch and Tommy Jones.
What is the toughest part of the tour? "The food on the road. There are plenty of fried things and it's tempting after bowling a bad block to give in to that." So she walks, runs, and does pushups and jumping jacks.
"The other tough part, compared with the women's tour is that the PBA schedule is different. You practice and then bowl for a day, but if you don't make it there's dead time. If you do make it, the number of games can be exhausting. With the women's tour it was drivable and there were always two days off which gave us time for camaraderie and socializing."
The other difficult part of being on tour…any tour...is "no matter how bad you perform, you have to come out smiling." And it's not cheap out there. Fortunately Kelly is on the Ebonite Staff of Champions.
What are the goals of Kelly Kulick now? "To be known as a better person than a bowler."
This sprung from a fan in Las Vegas who remarked about how nice it was that Kelly brought her mother with her, and took care of her mother during that week. She tells up-and-coming young bowlers, "If you want something bad enough it is worth the hard work and sacrifice".
Her example has truly defined that.
Kelly Kulick living a dream By Chuck Pezzano
Kelly Kulick's long, uncertain road into the history books By Gianmarc Manzione
Kelly Kulick's win bigger that even that of Billie Jean King and other women By Dick Evans
Listen to Kelly Kulick's National Press Conference
Kelly Kulick's Tournament of Champions victory creates national news media blitz for bowling
Fans react to Kelly Kulick's historic victory
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Chris Barnes earns the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals of the PBA Tournament of Champions
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Rhino Page leads after first round in PBA Tournament of Champions
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Column
On a Sunday afternoon last month one person achieved so many things in two televised games at the PBA Tournament of Champions. She put New Jersey on the map, advanced women's bowling to the level that a woman could beat a man without a huge power game, and she could easily have had her own "Survivor" show, or maybe she did that day. This was Kelly Kulick, Union, NJ. (pictured right)
I caught up with her at Hanover Lanes in her Tenpinners League. You would never know she defeated two mega-champions to become the first woman to win this prestigious title. She is still Kelly.
This 32-year-old righthander was a little amazed on that day, defeating "Major" Mika Koivuniemi in a cliffhanger game, 227-223. She then proceeded to throw the first four strikes against Chris Barnes.
When the dreaded 7-10 appeared in her fifth frame, she calmly took out one pin and told herself to make the next frame better. She finished with a big 265 to Barnes' 195.
The next day she was in Jersey Lanes in Linden, then New York City for a media blitz of appearances including ESPN's "First Take" and ABC World News among others. Even the Fox 5 Business Report featured her on camera.
Despite looking unfazed, Kulick admitted that her legs were like jelly, especially in the first match, which she had to win to get a shot at the title. "I had gone out there (to Las Vegas) with no expectations. I didn't think about making the show.
I couldn't sleep the night before, but having taught at the Dick Ritger bowling camps, I heard (Dick) Ritger in my head with all of his great bowling tips." Having her mother, Carol, there the entire week just made it even better.
And yet she is the affable and approachable Kelly, who just one week before the 45th annual Tournament of Champions was contemplating going to cooking school. "I enjoy cooking and I started questioning myself as to what I wanted to do (with a career)."
This is from a six-title winner including the Women's World Championships, which got her into the T of C, the 2007 USBC Queens Tournament and the 2003 US Open.
The aftermath of the big win was the start of many experiences, some unexpected. "Jeff Gordon sent me flowers." Kelly has appeared in Gordon's annual bowling fundraiser. "I wanted to get a sports agent (which she has) so I could possibly leverage this into endorsements for anything I am into such as Dunkin' Donuts, energy bars, a women's health magazine, cosmetics, and even my new hairdresser in Las Vegas."
No stranger to notoriety, Kelly was featured in a Spiderman comic book last year. She has been a member of Team USA six times including this year. The team members train for three weeks at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.
"To represent 300 million people as one of ten on the US team makes me feel both powerful and humble," Kulick said. She particularly enjoyed bowling in Australia and England. In March she will participate along with Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, another Jersey Girl, in a tournament in Malaysia.
She laughs at some difficulties encountered in International travel, such as "trying to order food in Chile. Instead of two sandwiches we got two meals. I guess I didn't point correctly." Her physical fitness regimen includes 5-6 days per week of aerobics, and yoga twice a week. She eats five small meals per day, takes several vitamins and drinks plenty of water.
You would think that once the tour starts up, there is no time for anything else. "One thing people might not know about me is that I enjoy country music and country line dancing. It's fun and can be quite a workout." She also enjoys fishing with her father at the Jersey shore when she's home.
Being on a "men's tour," who are her friends? "Leslie (Mrs. Parker) Bohn and when Riga Kalfas was on tour, his wife, Shelley and I were good friends." Her guy pals include Parker Bohn III, Jason Couch and Tommy Jones.
What is the toughest part of the tour? "The food on the road. There are plenty of fried things and it's tempting after bowling a bad block to give in to that." So she walks, runs, and does pushups and jumping jacks.
"The other tough part, compared with the women's tour is that the PBA schedule is different. You practice and then bowl for a day, but if you don't make it there's dead time. If you do make it, the number of games can be exhausting. With the women's tour it was drivable and there were always two days off which gave us time for camaraderie and socializing."
The other difficult part of being on tour…any tour...is "no matter how bad you perform, you have to come out smiling." And it's not cheap out there. Fortunately Kelly is on the Ebonite Staff of Champions.
What are the goals of Kelly Kulick now? "To be known as a better person than a bowler."
This sprung from a fan in Las Vegas who remarked about how nice it was that Kelly brought her mother with her, and took care of her mother during that week. She tells up-and-coming young bowlers, "If you want something bad enough it is worth the hard work and sacrifice".
Her example has truly defined that.
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