For most people, bowling means renting a pair of shoes and having fun while heaving a heavy ball down the alley with the hope of knocking over at least a few pins.

That’s how Whitefish’s young Alex Crowley bowled, too, until he asked his mom if he could try it without the bumpers and she said yes.

“So she took me to the bowling alley and I found it challenging,” he said. “I really liked it and it kinda grew from there on.”

Crowley, age 13, is now a highly competitive junior player who was recently one of 10 bowlers named to Storm Products’ Evolution Team. According to Storm, the team is composed of youth athletes from around the country who have an unbridled enthusiasm for the sport of bowling. Being named to the Evolution Team is an achievement comparable to earning a sponsorship in other sports.

Storm is a bowling ball and equipment manufacturer and its Evolution Program provides support materials to young bowlers via its website. Hillary Crowley, Alex’s mom, said the Evolution Program is open to all kids, no matter their ability and it is free.

“The Evolution Program is basically when you get assignments from Storm — fun things, like what you can do to help your community. Storm Evolution Staff is when they ask you if you want to be on the Storm Bowling Team as a junior bowler,” Alex said. “And that includes getting discounted prices on bowling balls and merch and stuff.”

Alex’s list of achievements is impressive. He is a Montana Pepsi State Champion as well as a Storm Youth Championship title holder. He was the youngest bowler to attend the Wichita State University (WSU) Shocker Camp and finished 13th in his first Junior Gold appearance.

“WSU is a big bowling college… that hosts a three-day-long bowling camp… and it’s so much fun,” Alex said. “They teach you how to bowl. They teach you how bowling balls are made, how bowling balls work. It’s pretty cool. They teach you how you can up your mental game.”

His mom said attending the camp is like going to college and the players stay in the dormitories. The first time Alex went he was just nine years old.

The Junior Gold Championships is the largest tournament for youth bowlers and perhaps the most challenging. The first time Alex participated in the week-long competition, he was 11 years old and finished in 13th place.

“Over 4,000 youth bowlers show up,” said Hillary. “It’s usually across four or five bowling centers. They have a huge expo, the pros come. The host city changes every year.”

Hillary said bowling might be the only youth sport that offers scholarships at an early age.

“You can go and bowl and… be a beginner and you can still win scholarships… for educational purposes, whether that’s college (or) trade school,” she said. “If you start early, you can accumulate these wonderful scholarships all the way up until you graduate and that could be very financially helpful.”

Alex competes in the Big Sky Tour, a travel league where bowlers from across the state of Montana come to compete, meet other bowlers, improve their game and have fun. Hillary explained the Big Sky Tour has a division for beginners and she encourages young bowlers to come out and “be excellent at having fun.”

Alex also participates in the Maulers League at Bigfork’s Grizzly Lanes.

Professional bowler Rhino Page and his business partner Jeff Heinle purchased and refurbished the bowling lanes in Bigfork where they host two youth leagues. Now in their second year, the Maulers, for kids aged 12-17 and Griz Kids for kids aged 5-11, are attracting more and more players.

“They’ve given upwards of $4,000 in scholarships since they started,” said Hillary. “To go from nothing to now having a viable youth program is pretty awesome.”

IT SEEMS Alex was interested in bowling from day one. He was born in Whitefish on a hot day in July after his mom did everything she could do to speed his arrival. She said they went to the Amazing Fun Center, walked for hours and ate spicy food, but nothing happened.

“Then, (we) went to disco bowling (at the Pin & Cue) and I started to feel a little funny,” Hillary said. “And I went into labor. I think he heard the pins and was like, ‘Ok, I'll come out.’”

The family moved to California, where Alex’s passion for the sport continued to grow, and they returned to Montana in 2020.

“I started back in California with this funky style. It was weird. A chest pass,” Alex said. “And then I met a person, his name is Curtis Woods and he coached me and he helped me bowl the way I do now.”

Alex bowls two-handed, a technique that has become popular over the last 20 years, after it was used in the U.S. Open. His ball has two holes for his middle and ring fingers. Coaches who specialize in two-handed bowling have helped Alex with his technique.

The game at Alex’s level is full of variables that would mystify a casual bowler. There are different oil patterns on the lanes that vary in configuration, volume and length. Bowling shoes can be made more or less slippery with stones, brushes and replaceable soles. The makeup of the ball’s cover stock can determine the amount of hook it will have.

“At the competitions that we go to, nationally, it's not uncommon to see kids show up with around nine balls to choose from,” Hillary said.

How many balls does Alex own?

“Um… I’d have to estimate somewhere around 30,” he said.

When he’s not at the lanes, Alex enjoys skiing, jiu jitsu and basketball. His parents are thrilled to celebrate his hard work and accomplishments. They urge other kids to try bowling because it is a sport for any size, age or ability and it’s a lot of fun, too.

“I can see myself sticking with bowling. It's a fun sport, it's challenging, it has a lot to offer and I can see myself going a long way with it,” Alex said. “I want to be the best.”