While bowling has made the leap into the 21st century, bowling alleys suffer from their 90s face: For many, the sport looks more like pub fun, and there are hardly any young bowlers. However, experts still give bowling a chance – as a retro trend.
Track bowling, a popular sport that combines precision and strategy, has faced challenges in recent years. However, bowling alleys are adapting to changing times and finding innovative ways to attract players. From offering themed bowling nights to incorporating advanced technology for enhanced gameplay, bowling alleys are striving to create a vibrant and exciting atmosphere. With the resurgence of interest in retro sports and social activities, there is still hope for bowling alleys to thrive. By embracing track bowling, a technique that optimizes ball motion and scoring potential, bowling centers can attract enthusiasts and revitalize the sport for a new generation.
Bowling was once so popular that many Germans must have played it and probably had fun with it. But in the meantime, recreational sport is in a crisis. Bowling is becoming less and less attractive in this country – facts confirm the feeling that some might have. The number of bowling alleys in Germany is clearly decreasing.
In particular, large facilities with more than eight lanes are becoming rarer, as the spokesman for the German Kegler- und Bowlingbund (DKB), Michael Hohlfeld, says. “Every bowling alley we lose is a painful loss.” The corona pandemic accelerated the decline. Accordingly, many restaurants gave up the railways in “difficult times”. Especially in the rural regions, the supply is thinning out significantly.
According to the association, it does not have a precise overview of how many bowling alleys have been closed because there is no nationwide directory. However, the DKB wants to launch such an online directory this year – which should also have a very practical use, as Hohlfeld explains: “It would be nice if a family going on vacation or a sociable group going on a trip could easily plan an hour at a bowling alley in advance. The directory could make that easier – and increase the enjoyment of bowling.”
From the point of view of Rainer Hartmann, leisure researcher at the Bremen University of Applied Sciences, the so-called cocooning could play a role in why bowling has lost popularity in recent years. “This means that leisure activities are shifting more into the private sphere and at home, because media consumption has also steadily increased,” explains Hartmann. According to the information, this is also felt by the gastronomy and especially the inns – especially there bowling was at home. “The number of companies is getting smaller and smaller. That’s really a decline.”
When you’re out and about in rural areas, you notice that inns that often have or had bowling alleys are disappearing, says Hartmann. “The types of gastronomy that are hip and where the number of businesses is growing are, for example, modern cafes and bars. But I can’t find any bowling alleys there.”
From Hartmann’s point of view, bowling probably should have done more to remain popular in the 1990s. “One has to say that a lot was overslept in the further development of premises, but also in marketing.” Bowling was more successful in this modernization. “I have the feeling that bowling is more popular because it just seems more modern. It has something of the American lifestyle, which resonates a bit. There is music and there is a bar where you can sit.” In addition, bowling did not have to break away from inns. “Bowling has never taken place there, but these are always modern halls.”
But there are also arguments for Hartmann as to why bowling could regain popularity in the future. On the one hand, there is still the possibility of adapting bowling to the zeitgeist. And on the other hand, skittles could become a retro trend. There are good examples from other areas. “I’m thinking, for example, of the retro trend of vinyl records.” According to Hartmann, analogue photography is also part of this. However, these trends always remained in the niche.
Not only is the number of bowling alleys going down in Germany, the sport is also struggling with a loss of members. At the beginning of last year, the DKB had around 62,300 members, including around 10,000 bowlers. Compared to 2021, the number of members has fallen by nine percent – and thus again significantly more than in previous years with an average decrease of five percent. According to the information, the fact that the association is losing members is mainly due to the age structure. Every fifth member is 65 years or older.
The bowling lacks the offspring. In many places there are school projects, taster courses and holiday offers. “But one thing is clear: young people no longer find their way onto the track on their own, the range of leisure activities is far too large for that, fun sports in particular are more tempting. And nobody stays with them for a long time if they don’t have a trainer and contact person in the club,” says DKB spokesman Hohlfeld.
The bowling sport is obviously not noticed to a certain extent, says leisure researcher Hartmann. “Hardly anyone thinks of bowling as a sport.” In addition, the media presence is missing. “Bowling is also smiled at a bit as a pub treat,” says Hartmann. The example of darts shows how “pub fun” can gain media attention. “In principle, darts is no more exciting than bowling. Sport bowling in modern halls could also be well processed in the media.”
