Dan Tierney/ dtierney@charlotteobserver.com
May 23 2007 HUNTERSVILLE –As familiar sounds of crashing pins surround her, Mini Tvaska stops three steps from the foul line. With bowlers — some young enough to be her granddaughter — hurling balls down the lane, 89-year-old Tvaska walks to the line and almost politely releases hers.
After Tvaska picks up a spare on one of her slow rollers, bowlers as far as three lanes away clap and yell. Tvaska’s participation in the U.S. Bowling Congress Women’s Championships ties a record of competing in 61 championships.
“I really should conserve my energy, but I love this,” she said. “You can’t bowl for 61 years and not love it.”
The women’s championships feature more than 45,000 bowlers from around the world in an 82-day event that opened in April. Competition alternates between bowling alleys in Huntersville and Matthews.
Charlotte bid $350,000 to host the event, which is expected to bring in $40 million to the area, according to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.
For Tvaska, a St. Petersburg, Fla., resident, the championships allow her to stay around the game she loves.
“She wouldn’t even check her ball at the airport,” said teammate Kati Hendricks. “We had to carry it on the plane. It’s like gold to her.”
Tvaska, born in Philadelphia, participated in her first championships at 29 after moving to Michigan. In 1951, she won the Michigan state championship. Tvaska moved to Florida in 2001, and continued bowling multiple nights each week until she fell while hanging blinds, fracturing her shoulder in three places.
Her injury and medication problems left her without much practice or energy for this year’s championships. But skipping the tournament never crossed her mind.
Despite not breaking 100 on Tuesday, Tvaska’s spirits were high. After a gutter ball, she shook her head and raised her arms in exasperation.
Reminded of the record she tied this year, Tvaska smiled. “I’ve had a good life,” she said. “I can’t complain. I’ve left my little mark on life.”
Want to Go?
The U.S. Bowling Congress Women’s Championships is at Huntersville’s Northcross Lanes and Matthews’ AMF Carolina Lanes through July 2. Events alternate between the two bowling alleys, and the times vary. Free
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