For St. Paul’s, Richmond, parishioner Jacob Imoo, bowling is about more than strikes and spares, even as he competes at the Panam Youth Bowling Championships in Lima, Peru.
Imoo says the best part of the sport is its social aspect and all the interesting people it brings him in contact with. “Honestly, it’s the community that you meet in an individual sport,” he responds when asked why he loves bowling. “You get to meet so many different people.”
Inspired by his faith in Christ, Imoo is representing Canada in Peru, from July 30 to Aug. 4.
This is Imoo’s second time representing Canada internationally after last year’s IBF World Youth Championships in Helsingborg, Sweden.
“I feel pretty good, pretty confident,” the 19–year–old told The B.C. Catholic. “I’ve been practising a lot. Last year I was able to go to Sweden and it was eye-opening for me.”
“I think I am better prepared this year mentally,” he said. “Hopefully I will take home a medal.”
Imoo will join seven other athletes from across the country and is the only B.C. member of Team Canada.
The competition is divided into several team formats, including doubles and trios, but he is most excited about individual competition, because success is based on personal skill and understanding.
Like most people, Imoo started bowling as a fun pastime, but as he learned more about the game its technical qualities ignited a passion that has brought him national success and the chance at international competition.
“I really love learning about the equipment, specifically the bowling balls,” he said. “It’s interesting to see how they interact with the lane.”
“It probably took about three years to understand the important of having your own equipment,” he said.
For the uninitiated, bowling is about more than the ball and the pins. The lane itself plays a key role in how the bowler interacts with the game.
Bowling balls come in various types, and in addition to the material they are made of can be symmetrically or asymmetrically weighted. These characteristics affect how the ball responds to different lane conditions.
This is important because the lanes are coated in oil that is best comparable to the layout of a golf course. In the past, this oil was simply used to protect the wooden surface of the lane, but today it is used intentionally to complicate the way the ball will travel toward the pins by increasing or decreasing key variables like surface friction, thus making it more challenging to hit the pins.
Just like in golf, competitors can practise on a lane, but ultimately a large part of the skill in bowling is learning to read the lane and choose the right ball for the right shot.
To prepare for these varied conditions, bowlers can bring as many balls as they wish, and Imoo brings between six and nine balls when he attends the competition.
And while the chance to compete is its own reward, Imoo says he appreciates bowling as a place to share his faith.
“Unlike in volunteer opportunities [with the Church] where you are surrounded by other Catholic people, competition is a big opportunity to show off my faith,” he said, noting that he always wears his crucifix and makes the sign of the cross before his first throw of each game.
Imoo also said Christ’s example of perseverance has always inspired him.
“I thought that if I practised hard I would be successful. But I think there is a big benefit to losing,” Imoo said.
“Relating to Jesus’ life: nothing he did was easy. He would never stop persevering. I think there is a beauty in that because whatever challenges I encounter in bowling I am inspired to keep moving forward.”
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