Tenpin: Coach's passion for sport undimmed

Rotorua's Adrian Judd has made a great career out of tenpin bowling. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua's Adrian Judd has dedicated most of his life to tenpin bowling - a sport which has seen him compete and coach all over the world.

Judd is currently the coach of the New Zealand tenpin bowling team and also owns and operates Strike Zone Entertainment in Rotorua.

He first picked up a bowling ball at the age of 16, at the local bowling centre on Ward Ave, and burst onto the scene two years later winning a national open title. Judd has gone on to win a further three national titles and represent New Zealand at international competitions all over the world.

He said he knew he wanted to make a career out of bowling following his breakthrough national title at the age of 18.

"I just fell in love with the sport," he said. "It is not a career for many people in this country but I thought I could make it one."

Judd moved to Auckland in his early 20s to pursue his career and start working at Manukau Super Strike.

"I moved to Auckland and basically begged for a job up there and finally got one handing out 20 cent pieces in the casino ... which was at Manukau Super Strike," he said.

"I basically went from centre to centre looking for new opportunities and trying to challenge myself."

After long stints in management roles at a couple of bowling centres in Auckland, Judd decided to take a gamble and purchase his own bowling centre back in Rotorua in 2010.

He said it was the only place where he could afford to start his own business. "Everyone told me it would not work, including my accountant, but I made it work."

Five years down the track, Strike Zone Entertainment is now a successful business and Judd said they would move into the new Lynmore Junction entertainment centre next year.

Judd said, over the years, he had considered changing jobs but kept coming back to bowling.

"I've tried other employment opportunities, but I kept coming back to bowling. It is where my passion is," he said.

Interestingly, Judd said when he first came across tenpin bowling as a teenager, he turned his nose up at it.

"My younger brother, Nigel, started before me. I had my driver's licence so I would bring my brother down here [to the bowling centre in Rotorua] and originally I thought it was a pretty stupid game, just because it wasn't rugby. It was not what we had been brought up with," he said.

He said eventually he gave it a go and got hooked.

"I realised how scientific the game is. It is actually a game of science and angles," he said. "You have to look at what you are doing and how things are changing."

As coach of the New Zealand tenpin bowling team, Judd is a busy man and will travel to Las Vegas next month and Australia in October with New Zealand teams. He will also take a team of junior players to Malaysia in November.

Judd said coaching the national set-up could be overwhelming at times, with about 100 bowlers involved in the New Zealand set-up.