This year four major tenpin events are being staged at the Bowling Pedralbes, the small 14-lane center with the big international reputation.

Back in March there was the Catalonia Open then July saw the Ciutat de Barcelona. Both of these events were EBT major tournaments with substantial prize funds. The latter was immediately followed by the inaugural Federation Cup and October will see the European Women’s Masters with the Samaranch Cup. We covered the Catalonia Open earlier, now for the Ciutat de Barcelona and the 1^st Federation Tenpin Bowling Cup.

With the Women’s European Championships quickly followed by the World Youth Championships and the Men’s World Championships just on the horizon, a large entry to the 30th Trofeu Internacional Ciutat de Barcelona was not expected, so a total of 152 individual entries representing 23 nations was more than satisfactory and the 15 squads at Bowling Pedralbes were well supported.

The format called for six qualifying games in one division, the women receiving the usual eight pins per game. Re-entries where space permitted and no final desperado squad. The top 42 qualifiers were joined by six women not making the cut for the Sunday’s final rounds. For this, just 50 per cent of qualifying pinfall was carried forward, an unusual feature which did encourage more re-entries from folk already qualified but looking at improving their pinfall.

American pro bowlers Sean Rash and Pete Weber topped the qualifying, Rash hitting 1444 and Weber 1420, reflecting a tougher lane pattern than that the previous week in San Marino. ’Honest wood’ from new pins was also instrumental in making ’carry’ a lot harder.

The field of 48 quaifiers bowled a further four games on Sunday morning with the top 24 advancing to the semi-finals. Nicole Sanders from the Netherlands, a 19-year-old who has completely turned her game around this year and is now second in European rankings, topped the field with 944, including bonus, from Thomas Larsen of Denmark and Norway’s Tore Torgersen. Weber was down in seventh and Rash a humble 14th.

Then the top 24 took to the lanes for four more games, fighting for every pin as only the top three would go forward into the stepladder final.

Sanders stayed on the crest of her wave and came into third place on 2504 overall, but if Tomas Larsen had doubled in his tenth frame of the last game he would have taken her place. Pete Weber clinched second by one pin over Sanders, but the top seed was three-time European rankings champion, left-hander Paul Moor from England, enjoying a late burst from the wilderness to sit on top with 2514.

It looked all over for the left-handed Dutch youngster as she shoed up for the Weber encounter, obviously extremely nervous for the most testing match of her career. But it was Weber who got to worry as Sanders started with five strikes to build a great lead over the American but then suffered an open frame by taking just one pin from the 3-9. Then a split, strike, open and the advantage was lost. Weber came back with four strikes to take the first match, 236-211. Had Sanders converted her open frames, she would have won by one pin.

”This was a great experience,” reflected Sanders. ”It was my first European Bowling Tour final. It was a surprise to start with five strikes but then I started to get nervous. But I’m really happy to finish third and I really enjoyed playing aginst the best in the world. I’d really like to do that again.”

Once again, Weber faced a leftie for the final, and Paul Moor started with an open frame and two nine-spares and a split to be just on 84 in the fifth frame against Weber’s 128. Match over? Not quite. Moor came back with four strikes, seven-spare and struck out in the tenth for a face-saving 211, the same score as Sanders, but despite an open ninth frame, Weber came back with 214 to win the game, set and match in a squeaker.

”This was a great final, but it didn’t look as though it was going to be after four frames,” commented Moor. ”I thought that Pete was going to steam-roller me after my bad start. I managed to pull things back at the end, so it must have been a good final to watch. The TV pair were a little bit weird and they caught me out for the first few frames. I found a line but by then it was just too late.”

There was no way that Pete Weber had an easy ride. ”It was so much fun out there,” he joked. ”I knew what I needed to do to make the TV show. I knew I needed 240 and I got 240 and that made me feel pretty good. I put on the game face for the TV show and did what I had to do. I was pretty worried when Nicole came out with the front five. In the States, my name might intimidate some people, but Nicole came out firing . She did great all week and she did great in San Marino. There’s nothing she has to be ashamed of and I’m sure she will be there again.

”I noticed earlier that Paul had a couple of games where he didn’t start real good but came back strong. Fortunately for me, I got the better end of it. Paul’s a great bowler and will be there many times. I respect the bowlers I have to bowl against.

”The European bowlers do not fear anyone. They’re great bowlers and they know how to play on the conditions that are put out. When the PBA bowlers come over they cannot underestimate their ability and they make great competition.

”You’ll see me back again next year. I want to defend my title and play a few more European tournaments. Hopefully, Storm will be in agreement with me and send me over.”

The Catalan Federation can chalk up yet another success and thanks to the efforts and professionalism of their Clara Roca and Joan Ricart the bowlers keep coming back.                                                                                           Keith Hale

Final standings: 1. Pete Weber, United States €12,000; 2. Paul Moor, England €6,000; 3. Nicole Sanders, Netherlands €3,000; 4. Thomas Larsen, Denmark 42,500; 5. Pasi Uotila, Finland €2,000; 6. Tore Torgersen, Norway €1,800; 7. Osku Palermaa, Finland €1,700; 8. Frederik Ohrgaard, Denmark €1,600.