7 IKAN Bowler Users and a 23rd 200+ Game

At our central Florida Quad Squad outing on Saturday, September 14th, we had seven different power wheelchair users bowl with an IKAN Bowler.  The reasons for wheelchair use among the seven people include cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and spina bifida.  We also have had people with muscular dystrophy in our group, but not on that day.

Brenda, Julie, Lilian, Rhonda, Aaron, Doug, and I were the seven IKAN users.  If you're wondering how it works, the bowling alley typically has enough lanes that each wheelchair user can bowl on his/her own lane.  Most of us bowl 3-5 games in the roughly two hours that we are together with various family, friends, and our volunteer caddies who are now friends who have become like family.  We usually have a sizable group -- and we ALWAYS have a good time! :)

Bowling is always fun, whether the scores are particularly good or not.  A good score is subjective to the person bowling, but we all have a friendly competition for top score of the afternoon (my Dad started this by offering $20 for the top score -- if that score beats me; I'm not eligible as the prize money is supposed to be incentive for people to beat me and keep my "ego" in check, says my loving Dad:) and Aaron set the bar high with a really good 196 in his second game of the afternoon.

But my strike ball found its groove and I followed Aaron's 196 with a 205 to take the lead for the top score of the afternoon.  That was my 22nd game of 200 or better, so my caddy George tried to get a printout.  But my Aunt Jackie accidentally cleared my score before George could get the printout!  Jackie apologized and half-jokingly said, "you'll just have to do it again!"

That, of course, is MUCH easier said than done, but my strike ball was working well and I did break 200 again in the very next game, nearly matching the 205 with a 204.  So that's why the title of this post includes mention of a 23rd 200+ game -- for a person who happens to be a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic.  Here's my scoresheet:


 
All glory to God and God bless all!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 255 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Vent-Dependent Quadriplegic Bowls 21st 200+ Game

Many wheelchair users are not aware that a relatively new device exists that enables even people paralyzed from the neck down (like me) to bowl in a way that mimics the able-bodied bowling process.  The IKAN ("I can") Bowler® attaches to one's wheelchair and allows its user to setup, and then physically approach and release the ball upon stopping short of the foul line.  That's basically able-bodied bowlers do, and it's why the United States Bowling Congress sanctioned the IKAN Bowler® for league and tournament play, bowling with or against able-bodied bowlers and/or fellow IKAN users.

Using my IKAN Bowler, I had my 21st game of 200 or better on June 22nd, with a 213 in my first game of the day with our Quad Squad Bowling group.  Brenda, Melissa, Ben and I were the IKAN users that day, and we all had a good time as usual.  It was our first time back at what was Classique Lanes and is now Break Point Alley.  I opened with a turkey (three straight strikes) and that seemed to be validation that we made the right choice to return to the revamped bowling alley.

Here's my scoresheet, and additional commentary is below (click the picture to enlarge the scoresheet):

I followed the turkey with a 9-spare, then two more strikes, and knew I could/should break 200 unless I messed it up, which I almost did.  In my next two frames, the 7th and 8th, I missed spares I usually make.  I rebounded with a 9-spare in the 9th, which meant that a mark (spare or strike) in the 10th frame would result in 200+.  My strike ball worked twice more and I added 9 with the bonus ball in the 10th for a 213.

Just being able to bowl legitimately is fun, and I tell new IKAN users that having fun and striving to bowl personal best games are what I would try to do each time out.  I happen to have co-invented the IKAN Bowler, so I've bowled with it quite a bit, and my personal best is 255, which happens to be the overall world record for dynamic wheelchair bowling.  I'd love to break 255, but that's a really high score, and my goal each time out is to have a 500 series (three games with roughly a 167 average) because that's not easy, and takes quite a bit of quality bowling for IKAN users.

Our ball speed averages about 6 mph so we don't get nearly the "pin action" that most able-bodied bowlers do, so it takes excellent placement (and some luck) to get quite a few strikes in one game.  It takes at least a few consecutive strikes to give a person a good opportunity to break 200.  My average is about 155-160, so bowling 200 or better is fairly rare and special, which is why I keep track of the number of times I do it.

All glory to God and God bless all!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 255 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

A New Record for People Who Use Sip-and-Puff Wheelchairs

Bill Miller's 224 and 15th 200 Game -- and 585 Series

At our Central Florida Quad Squad Bowling outing on January 28th, I bowled my highest score to date -- a 224 -- which is a new record for wheelchair users who operate their chairs by sip-and-puff (mouth control). I also bowled my highest series of three games -- 179, 182, and 224 for a 585 series -- and the 224 was my 15th game of 200 or better.

Many people have bowled that well before -- but I happen to be a C1-2 quadriplegic who is paralyzed from my neck down and ventilator dependent. And using an IKAN Bowler (which is legit because it's sanctioned by the USBC) I've now had a 200, four 201s, two 202s, a 203, 205, 206, 210, 212, 221, 223 and 224.

Here's the link to my scoresheet and commentary is below:

http://www.wheelchairbowlingrecords.com/Bill_Miller_224_Story_and_Scoresheet.htm

Peggy, Aaron, and I were the three Quad Squad Bowlers / IKAN Users on this day, and we were assisted by volunteer caddies from LovExtension (Connie, Pat, Nancy, and Linda, who caddied my 224 game:). Peggy did well, considering it has been a couple months since she bowled, and Aaron did well too, considering he was using a brand new ball for the first time. We all had fun -- it's always a festive environment with a combination of caddies, caregivers, family and friends cheering us on.

I started out very well, bowling a 179 in my first game, and having only two open frames (a frame with no spare or strike). I managed to stay hot in game 2, bowling a 182 with just one open frame.

So, after just three open frames out of the twenty frames in my first two games, I actually had two open frames halfway through my third game and was sitting on 77 after the 5th frame. That doesn't sound like a start that would beat my previous high game of 223.

But when you roll six-consecutive strikes, the score adds up fast! :-)

Bowling is always fun, even if I don't score so high. But my goal is goal is to have a 500 (or better) series each time I bowl, which is a 166.7 average (or better). That's pretty solid bowling, because such an average usually requires us to have 8 or 9 marks (spares and strikes combined) out of 10 frames. I say that because we have limited ball speed (6 mph) compared to able-bodied bowlers (adult males usually average 15-20 mph ball speed) and the difference equals less "pin action" at impact. That means it's harder for us IKAN Users to get strikes. So I was certainly blessed to get six in a row.

Though I'm quite happy to have bowled 224, a small piece of me is "kicking myself" because had I made the two single-pin spares in my first and 5th frames, and then finished how I did, my score would've been a 246 -- and would've topped Jon Musgrave's 243, which is the overall world record for wheelchair bowlers bowling dynamically (IKAN style).

See, wheelchair users can be competitive too.

All glory to God.

Bill Miller  :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 224 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Vent-Dependent Quadriplegic Bowls a 212 and 14th Game of 200+

Recently at Quad Squad Bowling, I bowled my third highest score to date, a 212, which was my 14th game of 200 or better.  That's not bad, especially considering that I'm paralyzed from my neck down and use a ventilator to breathe.  I share this to show people, especially wheelchair users, what is possible.

If you're wondering how it's possible, the answer is called an IKAN Bowler, which is essentially a fancy bowling ramp that can attach to pretty much any wheelchair.  I'm actually credited with co-inventing the IKAN Bowler, and we got it approved by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) for league and tournament play -- any league or tournament, anywhere -- bowling with and/or against able-bodied bowlers or fellow IKAN Users.  Of course IKAN Users can also bowl just for fun, recreationally, too.

You can download my scoresheet as a PDF file (if you cannot open it, download free Adobe Reader HERE).

My strike ball was working well that day, but I had an unusually difficult time picking up spares (which is to say that I missed quite a few "easy" spares that I usually convert) especially in the first game.  I managed to bowl a turkey (i.e. three consecutive strikes) which helped me to a 161 in my first game, despite having just one spare.

My second game was the 212.  My strike ball continued to work well as I had another turkey and two non-consecutive strikes also.  I did much better with my spare attempts in game two, converting all five, including in the tenth frame.  I was particularly pleased with that spare pickup because had I missed it, I would've had a 202 -- for the third time.

I'll always be thrilled with any game of 200 or better -- and it's fun to bowl even if the scores aren't so high -- but I really wanted a score that I hadn't bowled before.  So picking up the spare in the tenth frame, and following it with 9 pins with the extra ball, that gave me a 212.  I've now had a 200, four 201s, two 202s, a 203, 205, 206, 210, 212, 221 and 223.

My third game was not-so-good, especially compared to what I'd just done.  Not to make excuses, but I had four splits and also missed two single-pin spare attempts.  That resulted in a 136, which I couldn't possibly end on, so I bowled a fourth game -- which could have been my 15th game of 200 or better.

Game four was good -- I actually had four consecutive strikes.  So I was certainly in good position to break 200 again, but in the tenth frame, I started my ball out too wide and it didn't come back into the headpin enough.  That left me with a difficult spare attempt (4-5-7-8; you can see the setup on the scoresheet) which requires perfectly splitting the 4 & 5 pins, and hoping the 7 & 8 will fall also.  I very nearly split the 4 & 5, just barely missing the 5 pin (the ball is just a bit bigger than the space between the two side-by-side pins, but a very accurate shot is required to get both pins).  And so I ended with a 195.

All in all, it was a whole lot of fun.  I thank my fellow bowlers, caddies, and everyone who was cheering me on, and also those who helped make it possible for a vent-dependent quadriplegic to not only go somewhere, but to physically and fairly compete in a sport.

I'm grateful.

All glory to God.

Sincerely,
 

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Our IKAN Bowler on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition!

My friend, MGT partner, and IKAN Bowler co-inventor Claude Giguere, will help a young adult wheelchair user bowl IKAN-style on the "Keefer Family" episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition -- this Friday, October 21, from 8-10 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

Edit: you can watch both parts online at these links: Part 1 and Part 2.

From the show's website: "Keefer Family -- The team helps build a home for the family of a man who quit his job to take care of his paralyzed adult son."

If you're new to my blog, the IKAN ("I can") Bowler is an empowerment device for wheelchair users, even power / electric wheelchair users.  The IKAN Bowler is sanctioned by the USBC for league and tournament play -- bowling with and/or against able-bodied bowlers or fellow IKAN Users.  It's therapeutic, recreational, and a genuine thrill to be able to get a spare or strike for someone who cannot pickup a heavy bowling bowl (i.e. power wheelchair users like me).

We have video on our website, and two sets of pictures from Quad Squad Bowling outings are linked from an earlier blog post.

Essentially ANY wheelchair user CAN BOWL with the IKAN Bowler, regardless of driving method or reason for wheelchair use (SCI, MD, CP, amputee, etc).

See record scores in various categories HERE.

Something you might not realize is there are entities to which tax deductible donations can be made that can help wheelchair users be able to bowl IKAN-style.  Contact my partner Vincent Tifer (vincenttifer@ikanbowler.com) for details.

God bless!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Quad Squad Bowling

Our "Quad Squad" is a group of mostly power wheelchair users who get together in Central Florida and bowl (usually twice a month) using the IKAN Bowler.  (The IKAN Bowler is an empowerment device that attaches to the front of almost any wheelchair -- it's fun, therapeutic, and legit: www.ikanbowler.com.)

We usually have between 3-5 IKAN Users bowling, and have had eight at one time.  Since we bowl regularly, a non-profit organization called LovExtension (www.lovextension.com) provides caddy help for us bowlers, which gives our caregivers a chance to relax and cheer us on.

See pictures of a Quad Squad outing for free on Facebook or Shutterfly (no account required to view them from either entity).

Here are record scores for various categories of wheelchair users:

http://www.WheelchairBowlingRecords.com

The name "Quad Squad" isn't trademarked or anything, and anyone reading this could start their own Quad Squad group in their area.  No worries.

We typically bowl twice a month: on the 2nd Saturday of each month at Classique Lanes in Tavares, and on the 4th Saturday of each month at Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages (addresses below).  We bowl from roughly 4-6 p.m. 

When it's bowling week, I send an email to my Quad Squad Bowling list (I'll add anyone who wants on) to remind and affirm when and where we plan to bowl (I occasionally share additional items I believe are noteworthy also).

Most importantly, Quad Squad Bowling is a WHOLE LOT OF FUN! :-)

If you'd like to join us sometime, contact me via my website (www.lookmomnohands.net).  We usually have an IKAN Bowler available for someone to borrow!

Here are the addresses for where we usually bowl:

CLASSIQUE LANES (Bowling Center)

15026 Classique Lane

Tavares, FL 32778

352-343-5333

SPANISH SPRINGS LANES

997 Alverez Avenue

Lady Lake, FL 32159 (Lady Lake/The Villages)

352-750-9440

Thanks for your interest and God bless!

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Two Videos and a Slideshow on Power Wheelchair Bowling! :-)

Greetings! :-)

At the links below are videos showing two different Quad Squad Bowling outings, one of which is accompanied by a picture slideshow. We currently have about 8 Central Florida Quad Squad members who get together and bowl generally twice a month (contact me for more info if you want to check us out and/or join us!:). We generally have 3-4 wheelchair users bowling, and it just so happens that the same three are in the two videos below.

Video one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4i6DaLYmic
Video two: http://www.wftv.com/video/13470876/index.html
Slideshow: http://www.wftv.com/slideshow/13471076/detail.html

Video one above is very well done; it has tastefully appropriate music throughout, so I'm going to provide some commentary if you're interested:)...

That's me at the beginning having the Universal Mount and IKAN Bowler arm attached to my chair. I've been a C1-2 quadriplegic for almost 10 years, after dislocating two vertebrae in my neck in a freak fall that actually occurred in my off-campus apartment when I was a student at the University of Florida (I'm back in school at UF via their online business program). I'm bowling with the Blue ball and controlling my chair via sip-and-puff.

My friend Jeff is bowling with the Orange & Black ball (which he got because he likes Tony Stewart -- I joke and say that Tony Stewart ball is holding his game back!:). Jeff has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and bowls via joystick. Our friend Melissa, she has Cerebral Palsy, she's bowling on the other side of Jeff and she uses a head array to control her chair. The videographer / editor was trying to get good shots from everyone, and to keep it relatively short. The lanes were pretty dry that day and I think we all struggled bowling a little bit. My ball wasn't breaking nearly as much as normal, with my strike setup.

Where the ball's finger holes are positioned, determines the shape of the shot. With my ball, when all the finger holes are on the left, it curves left, and when they're all on the right, it curves right. If the holes straddle the top, it goes straight. I usually use a straight ball setup when attempting spares.

Video two and the accompanying slideshow were done (very well:) by the Central Florida ABC News affiliate. Both have narration accompanying them, so I won't elaborate here.

If you want to see the record scores for multiple categories of wheelchair users, checkout our message board and feel free to register & post! Here are the links:

Main forum: http://www.ikanbowler.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2
Bowling records: http://www.ikanbowler.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3

For more of the basics and details about power wheelchair bowling, see my introduction to this blog, scroll way down or click HERE! :-)

Sincerely,

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 202 High Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.IkanBowler.com
Personal website: http://www.LookMomNoHands.net