Growing up in maine, I’ve always thought of candlepin before 10 pin when bowling was brought up. It’s such an underrated game and I wish the PBA would pickup a small New England/Canadian Maritime tour.
Candlepin’s popularity in the Western Massachusetts area I grew-up in gradually decreased between the late 70s and mid 90s. A couple alleys even closed before I left for college. I always loved it, and consider it the only true form of bowling.
Candlepins was the first bowling I did in summer 1967 at Half Moon Alleys in Weirs Beach New Hampshire. I was 6 years old and I loved it. I got a kick out of pressing the pinsetter button. The place had 12 lanes and used auto pinsetters made by the Bowl Mor company. The heavy wood windows along the sidewalk side behind the benches would be held up with cables when weather was nice. The guy who owned and ran it was a W2 vet who had lost an eye in the line of duty. Cost was 35 cents per game, or 'string'. The place had a distinct smell, like shoe polish and wood. The owner said that the wax used to polish the alleys was what the smell was. At the time, there were game arcades full of (now) old fashioned game machines which used those small shiny steel balls of various sizes in many different types of machines - baseball, golf, bowling and shooting galleries. Tons of snack bars and souvenir shops. The Mount Washington docked there as part of its scheduled daily tour excursions on Lake Winnepesaukee. In 1978 the bowling was done away with and modern, again for the time, game machines were scattered all over the place. The pin pits had been boarded over and the gutters were filled in to make the floor level and safe to walk on. The lanes themselves were left in.
I left New England almost 30 years ago. One of the things I really missed was candlepin bowling. Every trip back, I go bowling at least once when I am there. Over the last decade all of the candlepin alleys I bowled at as a kid have closed, and I have to go farther and farther each visit to find one.
I used to go to Bowl Haven in Central Square with my dad who bowled in a league and I loved it ever since. I bowled in Saturday morning leagues for a few years and it was a ritual with my dad to watch Don Gillis every week.
Awesome film, I really enjoyed it. I bowled at Sanford for the first time last week (before seeing this film). OJ was working, gave me my shoes and lane, was giving some tips to the bowlers next to me and then talked to me a bit about my bowling game after I was done. Really nice guy, really nice bowling alley. I love candlepin bowling.
Great video! Just joined a league at 58 and have not bowled in 30 years! Bowled in leagues when I was a little kid! Its great to be back, I am loving it and forgot how much I loved bowling!
i'm 72 and have been bowling my whole life, back in the 70's and 80's i was a 105 average but now lucky to crack 90. i still enjoy and look forward to it. it is too bad so many lanes are disappearing, i bowl in a league at acton bowladrome in acton, mass. they have built some new tenpin lanes in the area but i've never done it , only candlepins for me.although i do like to watch tenpinit on tv. thnx for show.
I remember Bay State Bowing Show on Ch. 27 (UFH) Saturdays at 6PM We had it in Jr. High School every friday afternoon. The alley was only a few blocks away from our school. 😁
What a beautiful documentary. I just joined a candlepin league with coworkers, and after the league running for almost 20 years, the bowling alley is closing for good next year. Sad to see, I've fallen in love with the sport so quickly. Thanks for making this super interesting film!
Wonderful work. My father who recently passed away at the age of 98 was the great Andy Varipapa's personal pin boy, would have loved this. Thank you so much for sharing this with everyone.
Timing of this is amazing. I've been revisiting my own history with the game here in Nova Scotia. So more content to watch is gold. Grateful for this and grateful especially to the American bowlers who are keeping this sport alive through Candlepin Bowling Network and Alleychat here on YT.
Where in Nova Scotia? I was born there now reside in Boston. I'm a Wolfville boy! Been in love with candlepin bowling since I was a kid. Don Gillis a Nova Scotia native was the commentator for candlepin bowling here in Boston for years.
@@karlschneider9479 Yeah, it's a shame they didn't even mention its (former) popularity in the Maritimes. My trips back home to Kentville aren't the same since Fairlanes closed!
@@karlschneider9479just seeing this now. I’m from New Glasgow. Bowled out of old Heather Lanes location. Brother won multiple singles and Team titles over the years.
I have watched a number candlepin bowling videos and it looks like a BLAST!! There are no candlepin lanes in Virginia, unfortunately, but I'd LOVE to try this!! I used to bowl regular ten pin bowling a lot in the 70s. I even bowled a 231 one time. However, this looks much more interesting than ten pin if just with the action of pins and ball as well as wood staying on the lane and being a factor. I like it that there hasn't been a 300 game in candlepin and that experienced bowlers have averages of maybe 120. The difficulty adds to it.
I love bowling 10 pins in California. I have bowled candlepins outside of Boston. Loved the challenge of candlepins and I’d be a league bowler for both if there was a candlepins center in Palm Springs.😊
my stepfather was a league bowler in the north shore MA, he played for Notini's; my mother did some couples leagues with him. i was an alley kid! I even had a "bowling party" for a birthday once. There were a half dozen or so alleys in the area that I got to know well. Kings Lynn Lanes, Metro Bowl, Lynnway Lanes, Lucky Strike Lanes, even the old Post Office Lanes in the basement of the post office in McDonough Sq. Most of em are gone now ofc. Candlepin Bowling used to be shown on Boston channel 5 every Sunday; my stepfather was on it at least once. Stepfather would win a turkey for us almost every thanksgiving. Growing up it was the most common bowling around, we called tenpin "big ball" and the only time I think I saw it back then was at FunSpot up in Laconia.
I live in Western Pennsylvania and throwing a few games of Candlepin is on my bucket list. When I was growing up I was graced with living in a town that had a duckpin boeling alley but it has since closed.
I lived in Boston for 15 years and became obsessed with candlepin...I'm in SW Ohio and people look at me like I have 2 heads when I describe it to them...remember what the gentlemen said early on in the doc, "nobody's bowled a perfect game", so much fun chasing the mythical beast!
@@chipweber433 I always just assumed there was no candlepin here in Cincy...so I Google it, and guess what? There is a place here (6 lanes from a Massachusetts alley that closed), but it's not open to the public (because, of course). Surprisingly, we do actually have a number of duckpin places...it's fun, but it ain't the same!
That was wonderful. I grew up with the sport and try to play is every time I visit home. I keep a candlepin and ball displayed in my office. This brought back great memories.
I love candlepin bowling. I bowl every week on a Wednesday morning with a group of great women. We bowl at a great old alley in Northboro Mass. named Sawyers. It is a six lane bowling alley located in the bottom of a building. Its been family owned since it was created. Great exercise and fun. I actually bought my balls and shoes at Paramount industries. Hope it stays around for many years.
Thank you for making and sharing this. As someone from "the birthplace of Candlepin" I worked at an alley for a few years as one of my first jobs, bowled in leagues from a little kid up through mixed leagues in my mid 20s,=. A lot of places around here have closed, but I still enjoy watching the old shows uploaded on here, and I'm glad it knew to put this in my recommendations. I wonder how many total alleys are left, I was hoping the Paramount guy would say. Perhaps a comparison of peak number of places from back in the 70s or 80s up til what is still around now.
Brings back memories as a kid going there on a weekend or join a bowling league best memories are there wish bowl a rama was in in dexter Maine where I live now
I can’t believe all these years I’ve never heard of candlestick bowling. And I’ve bowled 10 pin numerous times. This makes me want to just jump in my vehicle and B line up to one of the Northeastern states and give it a shot! I hope I can.
Thanks for putting this together and shining a light on an endangered New England institution. I grew up in rural Massachusetts and one of the last open candlepin centers in Gardner was where I learned the game. One of my favorite childhood memories was spending Saturdays with my grandmother, watching the legends on Channel 5 with Don Gillis. I dearly hope something can save the remaining lanes from developers before it goes away for good. It's a great game!
I was in my 20's before I ever bowled Ten Pin. Quickly returned to Candlepin. I just grew up on Candlepin and it is "real bowling" to me. I bowl in a Candlepin league in Tewksbury, MA. I'm sad to see Candlepin not be quite as iconic as it was when I was growing up, many of the lanes I frequented disappear, and I hope to see a revitalization of it, it is such a great game. Besides getting more young people involved through leagues, etc., another thing it really needs is some sort of cultural exposure, like a movie. Perhaps a Candlepin movie along the lines of a Big Lebowski or Kingpin. Adam Sandler, Donnie Wahlberg, both New England boys, are you listening?
it's good to hear you guys are optimistic about the future of candlepin bowling, our game. i tell people it's wicked hard to be good at as golf is hard to be good at and that's the challenge. it's also maybe too regional like our speaking accents which are kinda disappearing, like we would say owen mahtin.
This is excellent, and I really appreciate that you created it. Candlepin is my goto when I bowl and always has been. I lived in Wells for 17 years and then Sanford for 17 years, and know that Bowl-A-Rama is a class act when it comes to the quality of their lanes and the following that they get with their leagues. Keep it up.
Excellent film!! It was nostalgic and informative, and it makes me want to go back out and do some "little ball" bowling. There is a sadness that the bowling alley of my childhood (in Millinocket) no longer stands, but also a sense of hope that the current alley owners throughout Maine are so dedicated to maintaining and adjusting in order to thrive. Thank you for creating this film.
This was great! We no longer have candlepin in my area but I was able to try it when in Canada last year. Super fun game. It was really interesting to learn about the local history and how there are people who are keeping it alive and well.
Loved It, I live in Saskatchewan Canada where 5 pin is the dominant game. I've always been interested in the other big bowling types. Recently I've gotten into 10 pin because it's the only other one locally available. Some day I'd like to head out to the maritime provinces to dry candlepin and duckpin!
love this. bowled a league with my Aunt and cousins in Saco ME. could never break 109. also skipped too much high school to bowl at Westport in Westbrook.
Great film! I enjoy Candlepin from UA-cam as there are no centers in the midwest - at least that I am aware of - so it's pretty cool to see a documentary about the current state of this sport.
This was so well put together and a great subject. Sort of the thing I would expect to see on a ESPN 30 for 30 documentary show. I used to watch a lot of King of the Palace stuff and loved the idea of having TV for local sports like this and I hope it makes a comeback. Again, great job on this documentary and I am now a subscriber.
I love this so much and I love how you filmed this in Maine too. I've bowled both types of bowling but I have to say I really enjoy the unpredictability of candlepin and that's a lot of what makes it so fun. Always sucks to see a place close. We've definitely lost some real good ones.
I've always been intrigued by bowling that is not 10-pin. Unfortunately where I live in the PNW 10 pin is the only option I've got. If I ever visit the northeast I'll definitely go out of my way to try both candlepin and duckpin.
Really great documentary. I've seen previous videos about candlepin and always thought it was an interesting change to regular ten pin. I liked how you were able to show how these lanes are in many ways the hearts of communities in the past and how they are trying to adapt to the future. If I'm ever up that way I will be sure to stop by and support one of these local lanes.
Nice. I have played candlepin once in Nova Scotia (why weren't there any references to it being played in Canada too?) and it's a tough game. I play 5 pin in Canada which is challenging but nowhere near candlepin. Of the 5 strings I played, 4 were under 100 and the middle game I managed 3 strikes and got a 132. After 5, I was actually on 180 pace.
this could take the country by storm. America loves bowling but is looking for something slightly different for a much smaller price. i played this once at an arcade not realising it was different. The pins were pulled up by srings. Here in FL, it would kill it. I would love to help you make this sport popular here.
The main reason why Candlepin Bowling's popularity never expanded outside New England, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia was the poor Marketing as most of their elite shows like "Candlepin Bowling with Don Gillis" were aired on Saturdays but actually taped on Tuesday mornings, meaning that most of the audience were seniors and not children and young adults. If the Candlepin Bowling shows were aired lived as opposed to being recorded several days earlier, the sport would have been able to compete with 10 Pin.
Colonial bowling in Worcester MA just closed a couple of years ago. I was very disappointed. I played there my whole life and I was planning on bringing my son there when he was able to throw the ball just like my father brought me. I think it is because the AMF 10 pin Alley has music, disco balls, food court, electric scoring and it's easier. Colonial bowling was just a bowling alley.
@@blg020 While I'm originally from Nova Scotia along with Don Gillis, I watch the "Candlepin Bowling with Don Gillis" show on UA-cam as the matches are entertaining and exciting to watch, especially with Bowlers like Tom Olszta, the Morgan Brothers, Tim Lipke, Dave Richards, Dick O'Connell, Joe Tavernese, Joe Ashline, and Gary Carrington. It might explain why Gillis' accent is different than other participants as he also speaks with a Nova Scotian/Maritimer accent.
My main grievance with bowling allies is that they only provide tenpin, duckpin or candlepin. Don't know why they can't provide all that under one roof along with all the other entertainment and eating facilities. At least from my perspective you'd get a lot more repeat visits from me.
Documentary forgot to mention another Bowling Variation, 5 Pin Bowling, which is played predominantly in Canada. Unlike Candlepin, Duckpin, or 10 Pin, in 5 Pin Bowling, the pins have a weighted value where corner pins are worth 2 points, side pins are worth 3 points each, and head pin is worth 5 points. In 5 Pin Bowling, highest score possible is 450.
Incredible documentary! Is there any way we can get full uploads of those channel 5 bowling shows you had clips of? Those are super high quality and I would love to see the full thing.
We only licensed small portions from the Northeast Historic Film Archive and they haven't digitized the rest but Wolfman on YT has uploaded tons of shows.
Even if you find a place today you have to keep in mind what happens down the road should they go out of business. Nobody makes the reset machines. It's very sad.
Not sure about the analysis that the economics of suppliers wanting to provide goods and services to 10 pin is the reason for candlepin's demise. If the demand was there it isn't that much of a stretch for the manufacturers to pivot. It's just that kids don't pass time doing these types of games and sports anymore. They play video games and goof off online. There are no customers.
Great documentary. It brings back memories of bowling at Riverside Park in Agawam (18 lanes). Here’s a link to Owen’s match with Tom Surette on Channel 5 out of Boston. ua-cam.com/video/PZ0JvN5VOH4/v-deo.html
Interesting but I don't care for it. Too much luck involved. Part of the popularity was older people could easily toss a small ball but not a large one. Too bad they didn't keep the youth involved. In regular ten pin with the big ball our local alleys, we had 5 in our small (under 30,000 pop. town at one time) all of them had bus and youth programs. 3 out of the 5 remain. And I must confess a small bias as I worked as a pin chaser for about 6 years.
I'm glad there are people keeping candlepin alive. It was one of my first dates with my Fiancee.
I really want to try it sometime but there's nowhere nearby to play it. I'd also love trying duckpin bowling.
Growing up in maine, I’ve always thought of candlepin before 10 pin when bowling was brought up. It’s such an underrated game and I wish the PBA would pickup a small New England/Canadian Maritime tour.
Candlepin’s popularity in the Western Massachusetts area I grew-up in gradually decreased between the late 70s and mid 90s. A couple alleys even closed before I left for college. I always loved it, and consider it the only true form of bowling.
I want to play this so bad! I surely hope candlepin spreads worldwide and becomes more popular everywhere. I sure hope!
I'm a 10 pin bowler but candlepin looks fun. I will have to try it next time I'm in new england
Candlepins was the first bowling I did in summer 1967 at Half Moon Alleys in Weirs Beach New Hampshire. I was 6 years old and I loved it. I got a kick out of pressing the pinsetter button. The place had 12 lanes and used auto pinsetters made by the Bowl Mor company. The heavy wood windows along the sidewalk side behind the benches would be held up with cables when weather was nice. The guy who owned and ran it was a W2 vet who had lost an eye in the line of duty. Cost was 35 cents per game, or 'string'. The place had a distinct smell, like shoe polish and wood. The owner said that the wax used to polish the alleys was what the smell was. At the time, there were game arcades full of (now) old fashioned game machines which used those small shiny steel balls of various sizes in many different types of machines - baseball, golf, bowling and shooting galleries. Tons of snack bars and souvenir shops. The Mount Washington docked there as part of its scheduled daily tour excursions on Lake Winnepesaukee. In 1978 the bowling was done away with and modern, again for the time, game machines were scattered all over the place. The pin pits had been boarded over and the gutters were filled in to make the floor level and safe to walk on. The lanes themselves were left in.
I always wanted to open one of these in Orlando. I think it would be successful
I live near Miami-but if-you-build-it-I-would-come!
I left New England almost 30 years ago. One of the things I really missed was candlepin bowling. Every trip back, I go bowling at least once when I am there. Over the last decade all of the candlepin alleys I bowled at as a kid have closed, and I have to go farther and farther each visit to find one.
I used to go to Bowl Haven in Central Square with my dad who bowled in a league and I loved it ever since. I bowled in Saturday morning leagues for a few years and it was a ritual with my dad to watch Don Gillis every week.
Awesome film, I really enjoyed it. I bowled at Sanford for the first time last week (before seeing this film). OJ was working, gave me my shoes and lane, was giving some tips to the bowlers next to me and then talked to me a bit about my bowling game after I was done. Really nice guy, really nice bowling alley. I love candlepin bowling.
Thanks so much for checking it out. OJ and Owen are great guys!
Get the kids involved, bring candlepin bowling back!!! It’s gaining popularity currently!
Great video! Just joined a league at 58 and have not bowled in 30 years! Bowled in leagues when I was a little kid! Its great to be back, I am loving it and forgot how much I loved bowling!
Loved the game as a kid…All the tournaments growing up.Still enjoy it to this day..Game isn’t going anywhere!!
That's right!
@@rickyleighton @jsb8135 👍
I'm in a youth Candlepin bowling league, and loved hearing about the history of the sport! Great documentary here!
Keep it up! Such a great sport and you only get better the longer you do it.
@Leighton Video Production Yup, I've been doing this for at least 4 years by now and not stopping now.
i'm 72 and have been bowling my whole life, back in the 70's and 80's i was a 105 average but now lucky to crack 90. i still enjoy and look forward to it. it is too bad so many lanes are disappearing, i bowl in a league at acton bowladrome in acton, mass. they have built some new tenpin lanes in the area but i've never done it , only candlepins for me.although i do like to watch tenpinit on tv. thnx for show.
Living out in the US West, I would LOVE for a candlepin bowling alley to open up in my town. It always looked like so much fun.
I used to go there at the Sanford Bowl A Rama all the time, thanks for providing us this documentary.
Thx for this.Brings back a lot of memories.
I remember Bay State Bowing Show on Ch. 27 (UFH) Saturdays at 6PM
We had it in Jr. High School every friday afternoon. The alley was only a few blocks away from our school. 😁
What a beautiful documentary. I just joined a candlepin league with coworkers, and after the league running for almost 20 years, the bowling alley is closing for good next year. Sad to see, I've fallen in love with the sport so quickly. Thanks for making this super interesting film!
Thank you so much for the kind words!
Wonderful work. My father who recently passed away at the age of 98 was the great Andy Varipapa's personal pin boy, would have loved this. Thank you so much for sharing this with everyone.
Thank you for watching!
Timing of this is amazing. I've been revisiting my own history with the game here in Nova Scotia. So more content to watch is gold. Grateful for this and grateful especially to the American bowlers who are keeping this sport alive through Candlepin Bowling Network and Alleychat here on YT.
Where in Nova Scotia? I was born there now reside in Boston. I'm a Wolfville boy! Been in love with candlepin bowling since I was a kid. Don Gillis a Nova Scotia native was the commentator for candlepin bowling here in Boston for years.
@@karlschneider9479 Yeah, it's a shame they didn't even mention its (former) popularity in the Maritimes. My trips back home to Kentville aren't the same since Fairlanes closed!
@@karlschneider9479just seeing this now. I’m from New Glasgow. Bowled out of old Heather Lanes location. Brother won multiple singles and Team titles over the years.
I have watched a number candlepin bowling videos and it looks like a BLAST!! There are no candlepin lanes in Virginia, unfortunately, but I'd LOVE to try this!! I used to bowl regular ten pin bowling a lot in the 70s. I even bowled a 231 one time. However, this looks much more interesting than ten pin if just with the action of pins and ball as well as wood staying on the lane and being a factor. I like it that there hasn't been a 300 game in candlepin and that experienced bowlers have averages of maybe 120. The difficulty adds to it.
I love bowling 10 pins in California. I have bowled candlepins outside of Boston. Loved the challenge of candlepins and I’d be a league bowler for both if there was a candlepins center in Palm Springs.😊
my stepfather was a league bowler in the north shore MA, he played for Notini's; my mother did some couples leagues with him. i was an alley kid! I even had a "bowling party" for a birthday once. There were a half dozen or so alleys in the area that I got to know well. Kings Lynn Lanes, Metro Bowl, Lynnway Lanes, Lucky Strike Lanes, even the old Post Office Lanes in the basement of the post office in McDonough Sq. Most of em are gone now ofc. Candlepin Bowling used to be shown on Boston channel 5 every Sunday; my stepfather was on it at least once. Stepfather would win a turkey for us almost every thanksgiving. Growing up it was the most common bowling around, we called tenpin "big ball" and the only time I think I saw it back then was at FunSpot up in Laconia.
Awesome documentary. Here in Fredericton New Brunswick we love our candle pin bowling
Thanks so much for watching Bert!
Outstanding video thanks for the ride!!
Love candlepin! Wish we had some lanes in Florida
I live in Western Pennsylvania and throwing a few games of Candlepin is on my bucket list. When I was growing up I was graced with living in a town that had a duckpin boeling alley but it has since closed.
Lol I live in Northeast Ohio and candlepin is also on my bucket list. We should definitely make this a happening thing!
I lived in Boston for 15 years and became obsessed with candlepin...I'm in SW Ohio and people look at me like I have 2 heads when I describe it to them...remember what the gentlemen said early on in the doc, "nobody's bowled a perfect game", so much fun chasing the mythical beast!
@@shawnbrooks1004 I feel like I've heard of a bowling center that does have candlepin in Ohio! I don't remember exactly where though.
@@chipweber433 I always just assumed there was no candlepin here in Cincy...so I Google it, and guess what? There is a place here (6 lanes from a Massachusetts alley that closed), but it's not open to the public (because, of course). Surprisingly, we do actually have a number of duckpin places...it's fun, but it ain't the same!
I had a cottage in York Beach Maine and there was a candlepin bowling alley there. We used to have soooo much fun. Miss it (living in Italy now).
That was wonderful. I grew up with the sport and try to play is every time I visit home. I keep a candlepin and ball displayed in my office. This brought back great memories.
Thanks so much for watching :)
Just heard of Candlepin! Makes me want to travel to east coast to play it
I love candlepin bowling. I bowl every week on a Wednesday morning with a group of great women. We bowl at a great old alley in Northboro Mass. named Sawyers. It is a six lane bowling alley located in the bottom of a building. Its been family owned since it was created. Great exercise and fun. I actually bought my balls and shoes at Paramount industries. Hope it stays around for many years.
Nice job. Really enjoyed this short film. Well done.
Back in the day (1970s) I had a league ave. 118 / High single 164 / High triple 423 Lots of good clean fun✌️😎
Thank you for posting this insightful and touching video. See you at the lanes !!
Thank you for watching!
As a candlepin bowler since the early 90s this was fun to watch
Thank you!
Thank you for making and sharing this. As someone from "the birthplace of Candlepin" I worked at an alley for a few years as one of my first jobs, bowled in leagues from a little kid up through mixed leagues in my mid 20s,=. A lot of places around here have closed, but I still enjoy watching the old shows uploaded on here, and I'm glad it knew to put this in my recommendations. I wonder how many total alleys are left, I was hoping the Paramount guy would say. Perhaps a comparison of peak number of places from back in the 70s or 80s up til what is still around now.
Hay man appreciate the video only found out about this cool sport recently
Thanks for checking it out!
Brings back memories as a kid going there on a weekend or join a bowling league best memories are there wish bowl a rama was in in dexter Maine where I live now
I can’t believe all these years I’ve never heard of candlestick bowling. And I’ve bowled 10 pin numerous times. This makes me want to just jump in my vehicle and B line up to one of the Northeastern states and give it a shot! I hope I can.
Correction: Candlepin bowling! There! That proves I’ve never heard of it before! (LOL)
Need a good excuse to come to New England! I think there may also be a candlepin spot in Cincinnati
Thanks for putting this together and shining a light on an endangered New England institution. I grew up in rural Massachusetts and one of the last open candlepin centers in Gardner was where I learned the game. One of my favorite childhood memories was spending Saturdays with my grandmother, watching the legends on Channel 5 with Don Gillis.
I dearly hope something can save the remaining lanes from developers before it goes away for good. It's a great game!
@wolfman12395
Thank you so much for watching!
Outstanding tribute to the great game of candlepin bowling!
Thank you Wayne!
I was in my 20's before I ever bowled Ten Pin. Quickly returned to Candlepin. I just grew up on Candlepin and it is "real bowling" to me. I bowl in a Candlepin league in Tewksbury, MA. I'm sad to see Candlepin not be quite as iconic as it was when I was growing up, many of the lanes I frequented disappear, and I hope to see a revitalization of it, it is such a great game. Besides getting more young people involved through leagues, etc., another thing it really needs is some sort of cultural exposure, like a movie. Perhaps a Candlepin movie along the lines of a Big Lebowski or Kingpin. Adam Sandler, Donnie Wahlberg, both New England boys, are you listening?
Being from Ohio, I would love to try it someday. It seems very challenging but that adds to the fun.
Candlepin is also the only bowling in the Eastern Maritime Provinces of Canada.
Fantastic documentary, thanks for the mention at the end too. :)
it's good to hear you guys are optimistic about the future of candlepin bowling, our game. i tell people it's wicked hard to be good at as golf is hard to be good at and that's the challenge. it's also maybe too regional like our speaking accents which are kinda disappearing, like we would say owen mahtin.
This is excellent, and I really appreciate that you created it. Candlepin is my goto when I bowl and always has been. I lived in Wells for 17 years and then Sanford for 17 years, and know that Bowl-A-Rama is a class act when it comes to the quality of their lanes and the following that they get with their leagues. Keep it up.
Excellent film!! It was nostalgic and informative, and it makes me want to go back out and do some "little ball" bowling. There is a sadness that the bowling alley of my childhood (in Millinocket) no longer stands, but also a sense of hope that the current alley owners throughout Maine are so dedicated to maintaining and adjusting in order to thrive. Thank you for creating this film.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
This was great! We no longer have candlepin in my area but I was able to try it when in Canada last year. Super fun game. It was really interesting to learn about the local history and how there are people who are keeping it alive and well.
Great job on the documentary Ricky, it was so well done I’m looking forward to trying candlepin out!
Thanks for watching brother!
That was informative and I want to try it. No candle pins in my area.
Loved It, I live in Saskatchewan Canada where 5 pin is the dominant game. I've always been interested in the other big bowling types. Recently I've gotten into 10 pin because it's the only other one locally available. Some day I'd like to head out to the maritime provinces to dry candlepin and duckpin!
love this. bowled a league with my Aunt and cousins in Saco ME. could never break 109. also skipped too much high school to bowl at Westport in Westbrook.
Love West Port!
In 5 Pin Bowling, my high single is 312, but I always struggled with Candlepin as my high single is 97.
Memories of growing up in Mass back in the 70s/80s
Great film! I enjoy Candlepin from UA-cam as there are no centers in the midwest - at least that I am aware of - so it's pretty cool to see a documentary about the current state of this sport.
Thanks for checking it out!
This was so well put together and a great subject. Sort of the thing I would expect to see on a ESPN 30 for 30 documentary show. I used to watch a lot of King of the Palace stuff and loved the idea of having TV for local sports like this and I hope it makes a comeback. Again, great job on this documentary and I am now a subscriber.
Thank you so much for the compliment. Really glad you enjoyed it!
I love this so much and I love how you filmed this in Maine too. I've bowled both types of bowling but I have to say I really enjoy the unpredictability of candlepin and that's a lot of what makes it so fun. Always sucks to see a place close. We've definitely lost some real good ones.
Thank you so much for watching!
I've always been intrigued by bowling that is not 10-pin. Unfortunately where I live in the PNW 10 pin is the only option I've got.
If I ever visit the northeast I'll definitely go out of my way to try both candlepin and duckpin.
Great documentary! I'm working on my road to semi-pro down here in Medway! Great work and cinematography.
Thank you for your kind words! Glad you enjoyed it
Really great documentary. I've seen previous videos about candlepin and always thought it was an interesting change to regular ten pin. I liked how you were able to show how these lanes are in many ways the hearts of communities in the past and how they are trying to adapt to the future. If I'm ever up that way I will be sure to stop by and support one of these local lanes.
Thank you! Really glad you enjoyed it.
Nice. I have played candlepin once in Nova Scotia (why weren't there any references to it being played in Canada too?) and it's a tough game. I play 5 pin in Canada which is challenging but nowhere near candlepin. Of the 5 strings I played, 4 were under 100 and the middle game I managed 3 strikes and got a 132. After 5, I was actually on 180 pace.
I would definitely like to try this type of bowling.
Excellent documentary. Well done.
Thank you!
Great documentary!!!
Thank you!
this could take the country by storm. America loves bowling but is looking for something slightly different for a much smaller price. i played this once at an arcade not realising it was different. The pins were pulled up by srings. Here in FL, it would kill it. I would love to help you make this sport popular here.
The main reason why Candlepin Bowling's popularity never expanded outside New England, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia was the poor Marketing as most of their elite shows like "Candlepin Bowling with Don Gillis" were aired on Saturdays but actually taped on Tuesday mornings, meaning that most of the audience were seniors and not children and young adults.
If the Candlepin Bowling shows were aired lived as opposed to being recorded several days earlier, the sport would have been able to compete with 10 Pin.
Colonial bowling in Worcester MA just closed a couple of years ago. I was very disappointed. I played there my whole life and I was planning on bringing my son there when he was able to throw the ball just like my father brought me. I think it is because the AMF 10 pin Alley has music, disco balls, food court, electric scoring and it's easier. Colonial bowling was just a bowling alley.
when i was a kid that's all we needed but they did have a few pinball games too.
We can blame it on WHDH for cancelling the "Candlepin Bowling with Don Gillis" show in 1996 for the sport losing its popularity.
@@HalifaxHercules I used to watch it every with my father used to watch it every weekend.
@@blg020 While I'm originally from Nova Scotia along with Don Gillis, I watch the "Candlepin Bowling with Don Gillis" show on UA-cam as the matches are entertaining and exciting to watch, especially with Bowlers like Tom Olszta, the Morgan Brothers, Tim Lipke, Dave Richards, Dick O'Connell, Joe Tavernese, Joe Ashline, and Gary Carrington.
It might explain why Gillis' accent is different than other participants as he also speaks with a Nova Scotian/Maritimer accent.
My main grievance with bowling allies is that they only provide tenpin, duckpin or candlepin. Don't know why they can't provide all that under one roof along with all the other entertainment and eating facilities. At least from my perspective you'd get a lot more repeat visits from me.
Documentary forgot to mention another Bowling Variation, 5 Pin Bowling, which is played predominantly in Canada.
Unlike Candlepin, Duckpin, or 10 Pin, in 5 Pin Bowling, the pins have a weighted value where corner pins are worth 2 points, side pins are worth 3 points each, and head pin is worth 5 points.
In 5 Pin Bowling, highest score possible is 450.
First I've heard of it! I'll check it out.
Didn't Channel 5's show start at the Boylston Bowladrome near Fenway Park?
Incredible documentary! Is there any way we can get full uploads of those channel 5 bowling shows you had clips of? Those are super high quality and I would love to see the full thing.
We only licensed small portions from the Northeast Historic Film Archive and they haven't digitized the rest but Wolfman on YT has uploaded tons of shows.
The games popularity also migrated up to New Brunswick, and The rest of the maritimes in Canada.
We tried to film there but the border closure during the pandemic really put a damper on it :(
@@rickyleighton that's unfortunate, maybe another time!
The first time I ever saw this was in The Tender Bar with Ben Affleck
I wonder if anyone has tried to open a candle pin bowling alley
Is there any evidence of this game being escorted to Europe?
So sad that there is no way to get the equipment to open a bowling alley now.
i want to open a bowling alley but can't even find pin manufacturers, i found one and they won't respond.
Even if you find a place today you have to keep in mind what happens down the road should they go out of business. Nobody makes the reset machines. It's very sad.
@Mark well if the bowl mor machines were made in the 50s or 60s and still work today, I can maintain them, and hopefully they will outlive me.
@more jello please where are u from?
@more jello please same here. I am in quincy
Not sure about the analysis that the economics of suppliers wanting to provide goods and services to 10 pin is the reason for candlepin's demise. If the demand was there it isn't that much of a stretch for the manufacturers to pivot. It's just that kids don't pass time doing these types of games and sports anymore. They play video games and goof off online. There are no customers.
Great documentary. It brings back memories of bowling at Riverside Park in Agawam (18 lanes). Here’s a link to Owen’s match with Tom Surette on Channel 5 out of Boston. ua-cam.com/video/PZ0JvN5VOH4/v-deo.html
Interesting but I don't care for it. Too much luck involved. Part of the popularity was older people could easily toss a small ball but not a large one. Too bad they didn't keep the youth involved. In regular ten pin with the big ball our local alleys, we had 5 in our small (under 30,000 pop. town at one time) all of them had bus and youth programs. 3 out of the 5 remain. And I must confess a small bias as I worked as a pin chaser for about 6 years.
Rip to any and all bowling centers every single one means something to me