The Most Amazing Bowling Story

There have only been 21 sanctioned perfect series in the history of bowling, and Bill Fong was on track to make the 22nd ... but could a last strike on the last frame also spell his death?

Each time he approached the lane, the entire bowling alley went silent. Every time he let fly another roll, there were audible moans from strangers and shouts from the crowd: “That’s it, baby!” Each time he struck, the room erupted with applause. In all his life, Bill Fong had never heard anyone cheering him like that.

He had 33 straight strikes entering the 10th frame of the third game. Out came the cell phone cameras. There were whispers, but as soon as Fong picked up his ball, it was dead quiet. He turned to look at the crowd behind him, now well over 100 people, densely packed from the end of the snack bar to the vending machines 80 feet away.

That’s when the magic left him. Fong began to feel nervous, like the world was watching him pee. He felt the buzz—whatever it had been—leave his body. As he stood in front of lane 28, he felt numb. He tried to push through it.

Usually it's a lot more fun to bowl than to read an article about bowling, but this piece by Michael J. Mooney over at D Magazine is a pleasure to read. Find out what happend to Bill Fong: Link (Photo: Tadd Myers)


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