Norwegian Kjell Arne Nilsen shoots 897 three-game series

07 March, 2017

News

4374

Ads

The 10 pin for right-handed bowlers and 7 pin for left-handed bowlers can be the most frustrating pin to leave in bowling. Especially, if you have started a game with eleven consecutive strikes. How frustrating must it be, if this happens three times in a row?

It happened to Norwegian Kjell Arne Nilsen, a 47-year-old southpaw from Fredrikstad, when he rolled a 299 triplicate in a three-player mixed league at a local four-lane bowling center on February 21.

Nilsen, who owns three career 300 games, started each game with an 11-bagger and left the 7 pin on the each of the three fill balls for 897, most probably the highest three-game series on European soil.

Nilsen is a late-bloomer, who rolled his first 300 game on Sept. 30, 2014 (left), at the age of 45. He has been a member of Fredrikstad BK (bowling club) from the beginning. Fredrikstad is located in the east part of Norway, just 30 minutes from the Swedish border.

Despite the ultimate 900 series by only three pins, Nilsen’s 897 series was one pin higher than the 896 series by Australian Paul Trotter, who previously had the bragging rights for the highest three-game series in Europe. Trotter started the 38th AMF Bowling World Cup 2002 at Toss Bowling Center in Riga, Latvia, with 300-298-298.

The right-hander from down-under connected for 23 consecutive strikes before he left the 2-8 combination for 298. He nearly copied the second game in his third when started again with eleven strikes in a row before he left the 7-10 split on his fill ball.

Nilsen played the whole set with Storm Crux. His 897 is much higher than the Norwegian record for 3 games – 813 set by Norwegian standout Tore Torgersen. As in most of the bowling federations worldwide, Norwegian records can only be established in World Bowling zone championships and Norwegian championships.

Nilsen is planning to attend the Norwegian Open 2017 by Brunswick, an European Bowling Tour “bronze” level tournament, which will be held at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway Oct. 6-15, 2017.

Editor’s note: If anybody knows about a higher three-game series in Europe than Nilsen’s 897, please contact BowlingDigital’s editor Herbert Bickel at [email protected] and let us know.

Herbert Bickel