Dutch bowler rolls 1313 series and becomes the first player who cracks the 1300-mark; three Swedes and one Spaniard move into the 10 in Squad 18; cut for 38th place is 1166 pins (194.33 average)
Dutch national team member Jeroen van Geel (pictured) averaged 218.83 in Squad 18 on Thursday afternoon at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy to become the first player in the 2nd Florence Ebonite International who cracked the 1300-bar. Van Geel had games of 187, 247, 228, 222, 236 and 193 to overtake the qualifying lead with 1313. Previous leaders Antonino Fiorentino of Italy slipped to second place with 1278. Dante Didon Francesco of Italy is the man "on the bubble" in 38th place with 1166 and an average of 194.33.
Italian rolls 1254 series (209 average) in Squad 16; leads a group of four players, who are automatically qualified for Sunday's finals; bar for 38th place raises to 1158 pins (193 average)
Italian bowlers continued to dominate the leaderboard in the 2nd Florence Ebonite International as they hold the top 11 spots after five days of qualifying at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy. Nicola Pongolini (l.) led the 16th of 28 squads Wednesday afternoon with 1254 (209 average) to move into third place in the overall qualifying standings. Sara Del Olmo (r.) of Spain is the best foreign bowler and the best of 18 women in 12th place with 1212.
Italians move to the top of the Squads 9-17 leaderboard; Antonino Fiorentino remains qualifying leader with after 14 squads with 1278; cut for 38th place is 1112 (185.33 average)
Massimo Endrizzi and Gianluca Bini (l.) of Italy paced the 13th qualifying squad of the 2nd Florence Ebonite International Tuesday afternoon at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy, en route to move into sixth and seventh place in the overall qualifying standings. Squad 6 leader Antonino Fiorentino (r.) of Italy continued to lead a field of 110 players as qualifying has reached the halfway mark with 1278 or an average of 213 for six games.
Antonino Fiorentino continues to lead the 92-player field after 11 of 28 qualifying squads with 1278, the cut for 38th place is 1089 (181.50 average)
No changes were made atop the leaderboard of the 2nd Florence Ebonite International on the third day of qualifying as Diego Biolghini (l.) of Italy was the lone player who surpassed the 1200-mark (200 average) Monday at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy. Biolghini leaped into eighth place in the overall standings with 1212 and an average of 202. Antonino Fiorentino (r.) of Italy continued to lead a field of 92 players with 1278 (213 average).
Antonino Fiorentino rolls 1278 to lead a field of 75 Italian and one Spanish bowler after the first weekend; after 8 of 28 qualifying squads, the cut for 38th place is 1067 (177.83 average)
The 2nd Florence Ebonite International got underway over the Nov. 2-3 weekend with the first eight of 28 qualifying squads at 18-lane Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy. Antonino Fiorentino (l.) leads a field of 75 Italian and one Spanish bowler with 1278 or an average of 213 for six games. Fiorentino had games of 239, 266, 164, 214, 177 and 218 in Squad 6 on Sunday to overtake previous leader Alessandro Del Carmine (r.) by seven pins.
Sanna Pasanen and Kimmo Lehtonen of Finland defeated their opponents Lisa John and Richard Teece of England to sweep the titles in the 36th European Champions Cup at BNC Bowling Center in Bratislava, Slovakia. Pasanen swept 2011 ECC John in the best-of-three games format, two-games-to-none (215-201, 237-192), to claim the women's title. Lehtonen capped off the day for Finland with back-to-back 235 games games to overcome a 1-0 deficit and to defeat Teece in the men's title match, 2-1 (181-238, 235-215, 235-224).
Swede averages over 245 in the third qualifying block on dual lane condition to lead the field of 36 players with 5500 (229.17 avg.)
Dennis Eklund of Sweden averaged 245.63 in the third qualifying block on dual oil to earn the No. 1 seed for men's single-elimination finals at the European Champions Cup in Bratislava, Slovakia. Eklund, who led the 36-player field after the first round on short oil, regained the lead with 5500 total and an average of 229.17 for 24 games. Long-oil leader Mads Sandbækken, Norway, slipped to second place with 5303. Jeffrey van de Wakker, Netherlands, beat out defending champion James Gruffman, Sweden, for the last spot to advance by four pins.
Swede paces the 35-player field with an average of 223.94 for 24 games; Dutch Nicole Sanders rolls the first 300 game of the event to lead the third qualifying block on dual lane condition with 1820 (227.50)
Isabelle Hultin of Sweden finished fourth in the third block on dual oil en route to win the women's qualifying at the 36th European Champions Cup with 5359 (223.94 average) en route to lead the top 8 players into Sunday's single-elimination finals in best-of-three games format. Lisa John, England, and defending champion Daria Kovalova, Ukraine finished in second and third place with distant 5220 and 5205, resp. Dutch Nicole Sanders rolled the first 300 game to lead the third block with 1820 (227.50) and to leap into fifth place overall.
Norwegian shoots 1775 on the long oil pattern to lead short oil leader Dennis Eklund, Sweden, by 59 pins heading into the last block on dual lane condition
Mads Sandbækken of Norway averaged 221.88 on the long oil pattern to leap two spots into the lead in the men's division of the 36th European Champions Cup in Bratislava, Slovakia, after 16 of 24 games of qualifying. Sandbaekken totaled 3594 to overtake short-oil leader Dennis Eklund (3535) of Sweden by 59 pins. Despite a 133 last game, Emil Polanisz of Poland moved from eighth to third place with 3504 followed by defending champion James Gruffman, Sweden, in fourth with 3479. Qualifying concludes with eight games on dual oil condition.
Defending champion Daria Kovalova, Ukraine, leads the women's field on long oil to move into fourth place heading into the last block on dual lane condition
Isabelle Hultin of Sweden widened her lead in the women's division of the 36th European Champions Cup in Bratislava, Slovakia, in the second block on the 43 ft. long oil pattern. Hultin was second to defending champion Daria Kovalova, Ukraine, with 1716 to lead the field of 35 women with 3612 total (225.75 average). Lisa John of England and Sanna Pasanen of Finland remained in second and third place with distant 3457 and 3443, resp. Kovalova, who had 1762 on the long, moved into fourth place with 3435.
Dennis Eklund and Isabelle Hultin of Sweden took the early lead in the 36th European Champions Cup after the first block on short oil at BNC Bowling Center in Bratislava, Slovakia. Eklund leads the men's field with 1850 (231.25 average) and is followed by Kanstantsin Karazeyeu (1821), Belarus, and Mads Sandbækken (1819), Norway. Hultin (1896/237 avg.) has a 134-pin lead over Lisa John (1762), England, with Sanna Pasanen (1745), Finland, in third place. Qualifying continues with eight games on long oil.
Englishman becomes the first multiple winner on the 2013 Tour and ties Finn Osku Palermaa for first place on the all-time career EBT title list
Paul Moor (pictured) of England won his 13th career European Bowling Tour title in the inaugural Brunswick Etna Open Sunday at Bowling La Plaja in Catania, Italy. In the final round robin match play round, Moor beat out Robert Andersson, Sweden; Ronnie Russell, United States; and Giovanni Conti, Italy, to earn the 6.000 Euro top prize. The three-time EBT point ranking leader (2004-06) became the first multiple winner on the 2013 Tour and tied Osku Palermaa, Finland, for most EBT titles.
Wins his first career European Bowling Tour title by two pins over Norway's Svein Ă…ke Ek
James Gruffman (l.) bowled his way thru seven three-game rounds to emerge as the champion of the Norwegian Open 2013 by Brunswick Sunday afternoon at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway. The Swede pocketed 35.000 NOK or approx. 4.315 Euro for his first career
European Bowling Tour title while Norway's Svein Åke Ek (r.) received 20.000 NOK as the first runner-up. Osku Palermaa, Finland, finished in third place worth 15.000 NOK.
Cometh the hour cometh the man and this year it was Stuart Williams (r.) who delivered the telling balls to bring the Weber Cup back to Europe after a pulsating Sunday at the Barnsley Metrodome. The Phoenix-based Williams beat American captain Chris Barnes 237-227 to give his side their 17th and final point after Europe mounted a stellar comeback on Sunday afternoon after being behind for most of the event. It was Europe's sixth win in the 14 years of the event.
Last three-game block will determine the champion with Round 4 pinfall being carried forward
Svein Ă…ke Ek (pictured left) of Norway averaged 243 in Final Round 4 en route to lead the top eight players into the final round of the Norwegian Open 2013 by Brunswick. As the top 8 carry over the pins from Round 4 into the last three-game round, every single pin was important. Ek and Valenta used high scores of 267 and 245 in the second game to move to the top and closed out with 247 and 259 to finish 1, 2 with 729 and 719, respectively.
Annie Thorell of Sweden wins the women's ranking of the Norwegian Open 2013 by Brunswick
James Gruffman (l.) was back atop the leaderboard in the third round of the Norwegian Open 2013 as the Swede rolled another 700-series at Veitvet bowling center in Oslo. Gruffman had games of 235, 234 and 243 for 712 (237.33 average) to lead the top eight players into a fourth round clash with the top eight qualifiers. As Annie Thorell (r.) of Sweden was the lone woman who survived this round, she has already won the women's ranking in Oslo.
Britt Brøndsted fires 277 in the last game to jump from 14th to sixth place
Annie Thorell (l.) of Sweden posted a 742 series in the second round of the Norwegian Open finals currently underway at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo en route to lead the top eight players into the third round. Thorell had games of 234, 246 and 238 for 718 scratch, an average of 239.33. Veitvet bowling center co-owner Petter Hansen (r.) had the highest average of the 16 competitors with 243.33 to make the cut in second place with 730.
Arvid Espen of Norway and James Gruffman of Sweden tied at 708 to lead Final Round 1 in the Norwegian Open 2013 by Brunswick ion Sunday morning at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway. Espen (l.) , who had the higher last game, leads the top eight players into the second round. The Under-21 national team member rolled games of 233, 227 and 248, while Gruffman (r.), who led both semifinals rounds yesterday night, chalked up 266, 222 and 220.
Six men and six women survive two three-game rounds Saturday night to meet qualifiers 25th to 28th in the first of five three-game rounds Sunday morning starting at 10 a.m. CEST
Semifinal Round 1 leader James Gruffman (pictured) of Sweden held on to the lead after another three-game block in Semifinal Round 2 en route to lead twelve semifinalists, six men and six women, into Sunday's Final Round 1 of the Norwegian Open 2013 by Brunswick starting at 10 a.m. CEST at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo. Gruffman added games of 223, 228 and 195 (646) to his 724 series of the previous round to lead the field of 24 with 1370 or an average of 228.33 for six games.
Swede shoots 289 game to lead a group of 24 players into Semifinal Round 2
James Gruffman (l.) of Sweden averaged 241.33 in Semifinal Round 1 as the finals of the Norwegian Open 2013 by Brunswick got underway Saturday night. Gruffman sandwiched a 289 game, the highest game of the round, between 202 and 233 to the 32 players ranked 29th to 60th in qualifying with 724. Annie Thorell (r.), Sweden, was mere three pins behind in second place with 721 including 8 pins handicap each game.
Dutch national team member Jeroen van Geel (pictured) averaged 218.83 in Squad 18 on Thursday afternoon at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy to become the first player in the 2nd Florence Ebonite International who cracked the 1300-bar. Van Geel had games of 187, 247, 228, 222, 236 and 193 to overtake the qualifying lead with 1313. Previous leaders Antonino Fiorentino of Italy slipped to second place with 1278. Dante Didon Francesco of Italy is the man "on the bubble" in 38th place with 1166 and an average of 194.33. 
Italian bowlers continued to dominate the leaderboard in the 2nd Florence Ebonite International as they hold the top 11 spots after five days of qualifying at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy. Nicola Pongolini (l.) led the 16th of 28 squads Wednesday afternoon with 1254 (209 average) to move into third place in the overall qualifying standings. Sara Del Olmo (r.) of Spain is the best foreign bowler and the best of 18 women in 12th place with 1212.
Massimo Endrizzi and Gianluca Bini (l.) of Italy paced the 13th qualifying squad of the 2nd Florence Ebonite International Tuesday afternoon at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy, en route to move into sixth and seventh place in the overall qualifying standings. Squad 6 leader Antonino Fiorentino (r.) of Italy continued to lead a field of 110 players as qualifying has reached the halfway mark with 1278 or an average of 213 for six games. 
The 2nd Florence Ebonite International got underway over the Nov. 2-3 weekend with the first eight of 28 qualifying squads at 18-lane Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy. Antonino Fiorentino (l.) leads a field of 75 Italian and one Spanish bowler with 1278 or an average of 213 for six games. Fiorentino had games of 239, 266, 164, 214, 177 and 218 in Squad 6 on Sunday to overtake previous leader Alessandro Del Carmine (r.) by seven pins.
Sanna Pasanen and Kimmo Lehtonen of Finland defeated their opponents Lisa John and Richard Teece of England to sweep the titles in the 36th European Champions Cup at BNC Bowling Center in Bratislava, Slovakia. Pasanen swept 2011 ECC John in the best-of-three games format, two-games-to-none (215-201, 237-192), to claim the women's title. Lehtonen capped off the day for Finland with back-to-back 235 games games to overcome a 1-0 deficit and to defeat Teece in the men's title match, 2-1 (181-238, 235-215, 235-224).
James Gruffman (l.) bowled his way thru seven three-game rounds to emerge as the champion of the Norwegian Open 2013 by Brunswick Sunday afternoon at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway. The Swede pocketed 35.000 NOK or approx. 4.315 Euro for his first career
European Bowling Tour title while Norway's Svein Åke Ek (r.) received 20.000 NOK as the first runner-up. Osku Palermaa, Finland, finished in third place worth 15.000 NOK. 
Cometh the hour cometh the man and this year it was Stuart Williams (r.) who delivered the telling balls to bring the Weber Cup back to Europe after a pulsating Sunday at the Barnsley Metrodome. The Phoenix-based Williams beat American captain Chris Barnes 237-227 to give his side their 17th and final point after Europe mounted a stellar comeback on Sunday afternoon after being behind for most of the event. It was Europe's sixth win in the 14 years of the event.
Svein Ă…ke Ek (pictured left) of Norway averaged 243 in Final Round 4 en route to lead the top eight players into the final round of the Norwegian Open 2013 by Brunswick. As the top 8 carry over the pins from Round 4 into the last three-game round, every single pin was important. Ek and Valenta used high scores of 267 and 245 in the second game to move to the top and closed out with 247 and 259 to finish 1, 2 with 729 and 719, respectively.
James Gruffman (l.) was back atop the leaderboard in the third round of the Norwegian Open 2013 as the Swede rolled another 700-series at Veitvet bowling center in Oslo. Gruffman had games of 235, 234 and 243 for 712 (237.33 average) to lead the top eight players into a fourth round clash with the top eight qualifiers. As Annie Thorell (r.) of Sweden was the lone woman who survived this round, she has already won the women's ranking in Oslo.
Annie Thorell (l.) of Sweden posted a 742 series in the second round of the Norwegian Open finals currently underway at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo en route to lead the top eight players into the third round. Thorell had games of 234, 246 and 238 for 718 scratch, an average of 239.33. Veitvet bowling center co-owner Petter Hansen (r.) had the highest average of the 16 competitors with 243.33 to make the cut in second place with 730.
