It’s all about that creeping rumble. That big black sphere confidently gliding across an impeccably waxed lane. It’s like the calm before the storm, as it hurtles towards its destination, and just when you think the ball’s predetermined journey will never end, BANG. The sound of lightning hits your ears, and you think to yourself, “this must be how Zeus feels” (of course, if you get a gutter ball, you’re more likely to feel like the god of enduring ridicule, which is quite a step down). Enter the world of bowling alleys in Buffalo Niagara.

Bowling is one of those strange sports where it’s done leisurely as well as competitively. For this piece, I’ll be talking about the leisure aspect of bowling since my knowledge of the world of competitive bowling begins and ends with the movie Kingpin. So as long as you’re not looking for techniques to better your game and are more interested in having fun, then you’ve come to the right place because the bowling alleys in Buffalo Niagara will have you winning or striking out with a smile on your face.

In my opinion, people bowl as a means for cathartic release. If you think about it, bowling is in its own way violent, which makes it a perfect means for some to let go of their pent-up aggression. Don’t tell me this concept never crossed your mind? You’re picking up a heavy object with the purpose of hurling it across the room as best you can so you can hit white pins that will all but explode when they come in contact with the ball (there are more tranquil ways to unwind, you know?).

But that’s the fun of it. Feeling the momentum supercharges you as you continue to play (ever gotten three strikes in a row? You feel like you could throw thunderbolts). Watching the ball glide like your own personal missile, ready to wreak havoc. It’s thrilling, yes, but the steps you take leading up to that hopefully thunderous noise of triumph are just as necessary and sometimes just as fun.

I usually go to Classic Lanes because the word classic for whatever reason makes me feel like I’m going to play well. I rarely do, but I keep going out of habit at this point (Your lucks bound to change with consistency, right?). Walking in that place always sounds like a construction site (that happens to sell beer; don’t tell the union rep). It’s a welcoming noise now, but I’ll admit it was startling when I first started going, but after a while, I grew to relish it because every time you hear those balls rolling, some action is soon to follow.

I head over to the counter, pay my fee and get my shoes, which never seem to 100% fit how I like them, but then again I’m bowling, not doing track & field.

Every time I go, I think it’s only been an hour or two, then I check the time, and it’s been six. If nothing else, going to one of the bowling alleys in Buffalo Niagara is an absorbing time sink and a great way to settle mild disputes with friends (even though, in my case, most of my conflicts stem from bowling). I think of it as a modern-day duel. Instead of white gloves, pistols and bayonets, we grab our bowling balls and go for it.

Bowling under a competitive setting such as this can be an exhilarating ordeal. The thunderous and rolling sounds being so vivid under such pressure that you feel like “CRASH” and “BOOM” will suddenly appear in big colorful letters like an old-school Marvel comic. And when the dust finally settles, and a winner is finally declared, you and your opponent feel like you’ve had a true battle of wills, and the loser buys the beer (which is usually me, I’ve noticed that the reason I don’t drink too much is because when I do it’s due to dealing with a loss or paying for a loss.)

Each of the Bowling Alleys in Buffalo Niagara are wholly unique places. Where else can you hurl a heavy object across the room, have a beer, and no one will put you in jail for reckless endangerment? It’s one of those games everyone plays that isn’t overhyped and distorted by commercialism. Almost everyone likes bowling, that’s a fact! So, if you’re a bit angry and looking for a good outlet that’s a little violent but won’t land you in jail, or you’re looking for a way to settle disputes with friends, or if you just want some hard-hitting loud fun, bowling most certainly checks all three boxes.

So head on over to your local bowling alley and know no matter how bad a bowler you believe yourself to be, rest assured that I’m much worse!