North American Bowling News
The Canadian Sensation: Kristi Lampman
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| WNDA Newcomer, Kristi Lampman |
Among the newest headliner of Canada's exports into the duckpin game is Woodstock, Ontario's Kristi Lampman. Lampman won the June tour stop of the WNDA at Johnson's Lanes in Hamden, Connecticut earlier this summer. The "Johnson's" stop was her first tour appearance of 2011, and her 1133 qualifying round score was 6th among all the participants. Kristi joined the WNDA in 2010 and played in 2 events, but as they say, 'the third time was the charm', as she defeated the Hagerstown tour champion, Mindy Thomas in this year's final.
A month later at White Oak Lanes, Kristi ascended to new heights as she was top qualifier in the preliminary round, edging Bethesda's Pat Rinaldi for those honors with an 1191 score.
Lampman would move on to Sunday as the top seed in the stepladder finals with a 5-0 record, but would finish as runner-up to the eventual champion, Janet Sauter (Baltimore).
While Lampman is a new face on the WNDA at a youthful 29 years of age, she's no stranger to the winner's circle in her native fivepin bowling homeland. Kristi is a 7-time National Gold Medal winner, and also holds 2 Silver Medals. Kristi also has a perfect game of 450 on her fivepin resume, a feat which she achieved in 2002. She also has a 3-game high fivepin series of 1056, and a 1480 mark for 5 games.
Lampman could be considered the 'Woodstock Emissary' for duckpin bowling, as there are no other WNDA tour members in any of her leagues, due to her geographic location, with Woodstock being about 1½ hours away from Toronto. Lampman stays razor sharp by bowling 3 leagues per week, and averages an impressive and substantial 260—an exceptional mark in the game of Canadian fivepins.
When asked what was her initial impression of the duckpin game when she played it for the first time, Kristi was enthusiastic in her reply: "The element of surprise is exciting. You never what to expect."
Lampman decided to try her hand on the ladies duckpin tour through the influence and encouragement of fellow fivepinner and WNDA tour member, Connie Ward, and has been a welcome addition to the women's tour.
It will be interesting to see more of the "Neighbors from the North" in duckpin competition in the near future. Who knows, with the versatility of bowling styles, we may see a prodigy appear on the WNDA or DPBA scene, who may not necessarily excel at the highest level in fivepins, but is molded for the duckpin game, just as the reverse is true from duckpins to fivepins. Along with fellow transitioners of 2011, Connie Ward, Jen Galbraith, and Karole McDonnell, Kristi Lampman is yet another one of the northern adventurers who is making such a prospect possible.