TEN-PIN BOWLING - 'It's impossible not to enjoy yourself'

Justine Amundson always leaves her bowling nights satisfied even when her own form isn't too flash.
"You always go home thinking, `I've had a good night' even if your own game wasn't so great ... you're watching what's going on in the lanes next to you and all around you, it's very social and it's impossible not to enjoy yourself," she said.
Like most of the bowlers who have been competing in the fledging ten-pin bowling leagues, since the Whangarei 10Pin Bowling and Entertainment centre opened almost a year ago, Amundson had hardly ever bowled before.
"My husband Andy used to play league in the States so when they advertised for players in the new league we thought we'd give it a go and we haven't looked back," she said.
Just a few months later, she has made incredible strides to improve her own game, moving from an average of just over 60 to her current average of 108, with her highest ever score of 152.
"We teamed up with Diane and her son, Matt Hawthorne, to make a four and we went on to finish third in the first competition we played ... I don't think we're anywhere near that high at the moment," she laughs.
There are currently three leagues under way at the centre. There is a doubles competition on Tuesday with two separate four-person leagues on Monday and Thursday.
"We play in the more social league on Monday night," Amundson says, eager not to give the wrong impression about her game.
"It's a lot of fun because you meet different people from a wide circle. I mean, our youngest bowler is about 13 and Henry would be our oldest and he's 80 in about two weeks' time.
"It's a lot of laughs but it's still competitive and you're always competing against yourself, because you want to even things up against your opponents ... on the other hand if someone gets a strike, you congratulate them as much as you would if one of your team had done it."
The league works on a handicap system with everyone set to bowl at an ideal score of 180, averages are worked out on your previous three scores.
"Because I bowl on 108, I start the game with 72 points, which means that everyone's completely level as long as they bowl their own game. It makes it better because as a new bowler, you don't tend to get beaten all the time."