Local bowlers get tips from pro

Professional bowler Rhino Page from Bigfork was in Thompson Falls last week to give individualized bowling lessons. Ginger Ward, the bowling association manager, said she set up the lessons to be held at the Rimrock Lanes last Monday. People pre-booked their lessons two months in advance, according to Page.

"Bowlers from Thompson Falls traveled to Bigfork to my bowling alley, Grizzly Lanes, and asked if I could come to their town and give lessons," Page said. He gave seven lessons at the Rimrock last Monday. "Each lesson is one hour long and they are confidential. I video the students so that I can better help them with any issues they have," Page added. Six bowlers signed up for lessons Jan. 22 as well. "My lessons focus on bowlers' techniques. I take videos and notes from their past lessons to compare. New students, I ask what their averages are, what they want to improve, things like that. Everybody thinks they have a straight swing and walk straight, but they normally don't," Page said. His original coach was Ron Hatfield from Ohio. Page was 17 when he competed on the Junior Team USA. Hatfield was his coach in San Diego. "I learned a lot from him and he helped with my coaching certification." Page said that Hatfield taught him how to communicate with students and solve their issues.

Page was born in San Diego and grew up loving the sport. At the age of four while playing t-ball, Page said his coach called him Rhino because he was so intense, he looked like a rhinoceros. "I didn't like the nickname, my name was Ryan. But when I saw that a bowling ball had the name Rhino on it, I never wanted to use my given name again," Page said.

From San Diego, Page went to the University of Kansas to study atmospheric science. "My ultimate dream was to be a hurricane hunter. I did some tornado chasing in Kansas. It was pretty scary. But bowling has always been my love," Page explained. He said he left college before graduating to become a pro bowler. Hurricanes still fascinate him. "I didn't evacuate during Hurricane Irma, in Florida in 2017," Page recalls.

COVID-19 and a friend in Whitefish first brought Page to Montana. A realtor approached him about buying a bowling alley. "My bowling supply business in Spokane didn't pan out, so I was looking for other options when the real estate fell into my lap. It was a great facility. Everything fell into place. I love the area; a perfect outcome," Page said.

Ward said that Rimrock Lanes did a great job in hosting Page for the lessons. She is a certified coach who oversees financial funds and keeps everything organized and does the advertising when the leagues start. There are adult leagues and youth leagues. The kids start in December and go until March, bowling each Sunday at 1 p.m. There are currently 20 in the league according to lanes manager Nate Wilhite. The adult leagues start Labor Day and continue through April. "We have five certified sanctioned leagues," Ward said. The leagues are registered with the National Bowling Congress. Scores can be submitted for honor scores and averages compiled for tournaments nationwide, Ward concluded. One of Page's students was Susan Sweatman who was the 2019 Senior National Champion for her age group at the competition in Cincinnati, Ohio. "It is important to get the kids involved in bowling so that they grow up wanting to bowl. That is what keeps the sport going," Sweatman said.