43
Hubbard winner Ciminelli on a roll
Photo
Ciminelli
It was Thursday morning in Hubbard, when Ryan Ciminelli — winner of the Hubbard Open in March 2011 — answered the phone in Nevada.
“Yeah?”
The tone wasn’t a happy one.
No wonder the still-sleepy professional bowler sounded groggy: his time zone is three hours behind ours.
Dum-bo me.
While an apology was barely out of my mouth, Ciminelli asked, “Did you hear what happened yesterday? The PBA and the World Bowling Tour combined,” he said of news that was released the day before in Las Vegas, near where Ciminelli was bowling in the new WTBA International Open in Henderson (Jan. 28-Feb. 5).
“Basically, the PBA is an international thing. It’s bowling for 24 titles instead of 12.”
He continued, “It’s the best thing they could have done. The new guys who came into office have new ideas because bowling’s taken so much more seriously in Europe and Asia. You go where the money is.”
Ciminelli said he believes that the average bowler might be confused by the new alignment and its implications.
“A lot of people don’t know that this week [Jan. 28-Feb. 5] is for a title,” he said of the WTBA International Open. “A lot of people aren’t going to understand it for a long time.”
Starting with events in January, PBA titles were grandfathered in.
Bill O’Neill’s crown in Finland was an example.
“He’ll get a PBA title for that,” Ciminelli said.
The Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels U.S.B.C. Masters in Henderson, Jan. 23-29, awarded a PBA title to winner Mike Fagan and PBA/WBT points, while the WTBA International Open awarded WBT points only.
Overseas so far this season, Ciminelli finished third in Thailand in September, 11th in Qatar in December and 33rd in Finland (Jan. 9-16).
He’s been on a roll.
Including the WTBA International, Ciminelli made the cut in four international events and missed it in the USBC Masters in January.
“It was the first one where I missed the cut in a long time,” Ciminelli said, noting that he made the World Series championship show that aired on Jan. 1.
Although it’s money-making, Ciminelli doesn’t like the traveling.
“Especially when I’m overseas, I’m picky when it comes to eating. It’s the little things, like being away from family and friends. It’s tough, but it’s what I’ve got to do.”
In the past three months, Ryan, who will be 26 in March, has been home about four weeks and his schedule is busy through May.
“The last time I was home was during Christmas,” Ciminelli said. “I got a few weeks home after Qatar and I got two days in after Finland, but then I had to leave to go to Vegas. It’ll be pretty bad the next few months, but I can’t wait for the Bahamas International Bowling Classic,” he said of the world bowling event in Nassau in May.
With the packed schedule, Ciminelli isn’t sure he will return to defend his Hubbard Open title.
“I hope the dates don’t clash with those overseas because I might not be able to come back,” he said of a conflict with the Brunswick Euro Challenge, Plaza Saint Maximin in Saint Maximin, France, March 16-25, when a PBA title and WBT points will be awarded.
“I’ll be in Paris for a full week sometime in March,” he said. “That would trump anything going on here, especially since I’ve already booked it. Defending titles is the main thing we’re out here to do. When you win, you want to go back and do again, but I’ll be looking at the PBA and world schedule more than the regional.”