Innerviews: ; My Life Is a Whirlwind; Bowling Business Guru at the Top of His Game

Charleston Gazette › January 05, 2010

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Summary

When anybody worldwide needs information on the bowling business, they call the proprietor of a homey bowling alley in Dunbar, W.Va. In bowling management circles, Jim Sturm is at the top of his game. Hes the official bowling business guru, an ambassador representing 3,900 alley owners across America. President of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America, the largest bowling association in the world, he travels all over the country and beyond, attending meetings, obliging media requests, working on projects to promote the game that has captivated him since he was 2 years old. He owns the Dunbar Bowling Center, an Ohio Avenue landmark for more than 60 years. After a stint on the pro tour, he purchased the bowling alley with his parents in 1984. Hes pushing hard to expand bowling in high schools and colleges, especially in West Virginia. But no concept remains closer to his heart than coaching. In the hamlet where he hangs his hat, the national rep built a little empire in the care and cultivation of bowlers. At 49, West Virginias Mr. Bowling is having a ball.

"You hear the old saying 'born in a bowling alley'? Well, I was just about born in a bowling center. I started bowling when I was 2. My parents were in the food service business, Hygrade Sales, better known today as Buzz Products. Our office was right beside Robin Lanes. I spent a lot of time there in the summers and would go over to the center and bowl. I would go with my father and mother when they would bowl in a league. So I became literally obsessed with bowling.

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Innerviews: ; My Life Is a Whirlwind; Bowling Business Guru at the Top of His Game

"By the time I was 7, I was competitive in youth league bowling. By the time I was 13, I was becoming a pretty good bowler. When I was 16, I had an average of 213.

"I started working when I was 14 at Robin Lanes for Paul Christie. I cleaned tables. When I was 15, it was run by Don Lipscomb. He was an active association member in the valley. That was my first experience being be...

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