Walter Ray Interview done via email September, 98.
10 questions ( and sub questions) I ask
1. After you won your 1st major
this past spring. Dick Weber bowed to you after the victory and
you bowed back.
(that must have felt great) How did it feel to finally get your
1st major title and get that monkey off your back?
"WR". I never really felt
as if I had a monkey on my back. I have led all three of
the 'triple crown' tournaments and I have won the Touring Players
Championship (after leading it). Just like 'regular' tour
events, it takes some great bowling and a fair amount of luck to
win
2.Who are some off the new players that has impressed you over
the last year? "WR." This year
probably had the best rookie players since the inception of the
PBA. Chris Barnes, Robert Smith, Sean Swanson, & Pat
Healey are some of
the more well know names coming from the high roller
tournaments.Other notables are Lee Vanderhoff, Warren Guernsey,
Rohn Morton and Jason Hurd. Unfortunately for them, they haven't
gotten off to the quick start that many people expected.
I think that says something about the competition on the
tour and I am sure that many of these players will be major
players on tour once they get used to the lane conditions and add
some other game plans to their repertoire
3. I know you packed up the truck and moved from
California to Florida recently. Are you enjoying the change?
"WR" I grew up in
California (as did my wife) she was the big impetus behind the
move. I find it amusing that
FL refers to itself as the Sunshine state. But, it averages
about 7 inches of rain a month in June, July, August &
September. Stockton CA averages about 17 inches a year
(mostly in December - April). It isn't quite as hot in FL
as California is during the day, but doesn't cool down in the
evening like it does out there. Of course it is pretty
humid, but I can stand it. As long as the thunderstorms keep
to a minimum and the tornadoes and hurricanes stay
away, we'll be happy with the weather.
4. How is your horseshoe pitching
going? Any big tourneys that you have won? Where are you ranked
as of today? "WR"
I last pitched at the World Horseshoe Pitching tournament in
Nebraskawhere I finished 3rd.
That was August 1st. The National Horseshoe Pitchers
Association keeps track of averages and I have the 2nd high
average in the Mens division behind Alan Francis of Ohio. He is
the current World Champion including wins in 89, 93, 95, 96,
& 97.
5. I know your wife Paige mentioned to me that you may do an instructional video for bowling and/or horse shoes. Are you thinking of doing that, or working on it? "WR" I have no immediate plans for an instructional video for bowling or horseshoe pitching. Maybe someday.
6. They have made 2 movies about bowling recently.
"Kingpin" which was very entertaining. And "The
Big Lebowskie". (I didn't care for.) They were both
unrealistic, but at the same time did acknowledge bowling!
Do you wish they would make a movie that portrayed a Pro bowler,
and the things that go along with being on
tour? The movie "Greed" had a little of that, but was
bowling was only a sub plot in the movie. "WR" There was
a movie which was filmed several years ago that hasn't as faras I
know been released on a large scale. It followed
myself, Bob Vespi, Tony Rosamilia, and Sonny Pavelchek for a
season on tour. (not sure about the spelling of the last 2
names). It was supposed to be a documentary. But when I saw
it, they kind of made a movie out of it as
they talked about me and Bob Vespi going for PBA player of the
year which never happened. It was a pretty realistic movie
in that it showed life on the road and the struggling rookies
(Tony and Sonny). The name of the movie was 'Pin Gods'.
7. Since you are in sunny Florida, how's your golf
game coming along? "WR"
My golf game hasn't improved because I don't work on it.
The same applies to bowlers who want to improve. If you just bowl
a little bit, you will only improve a little bit.
8. If you had not become a pro bowler, what do you
think you would be doing right now? "WR" I would either be teaching
math or physics or working for NASA or Jet propulsion Lab.
9. Lets do some favorites. So your fans can see what
you like.
Favorite movie? Comedies
(World according to Garp)
Favorite TV show? Comedies
and bowling shows (Seniors and Women included)
Favorite Concert? Only
been to one (I don't care for all the partying, I
don't drink, smoke or do drugs and the loud music isn't
necessary)
Favorite actor? Robert
DeNiro
Favorite actress? Meryl
Streep
Favorite group? Pink Floyd
10. I'M still waiting for you to send me an
autographed 300 ball:) Do you keep certain balls that you won
tournaments with , or special games? Do you plan on building a
trophy room for the 26 you have, and the others you will win? "WR" I don't keep 'special'
balls which I win tournaments with or bowl 300 games.We are
planning on building special trophy cases for some of my trophies
that Paige likes and maybe one or two that she doesn't like.
11.I think if the PBA had the right people going after
sponsors. Bowling could become huge! They are handing out
millions
in every single sport except bowling. Why don't they let someone
who understands what it takes to get big sponsors, and who
knows the game of bowling. Let them try to take the sport to the
same level as all the other sports? (As I have discussed with
Paige, I think I could go out myself and bring in big sponsors!). "WR" I agree that bowling should have
more money. But I do believe that the PBA does have a very
good marketing partner in the Marquee Group.They are handing out
lots of money to only a few sports. There are many more sports
that don't have very much money at all. Unfortunately, the people
who control a lot of the money for sponsorships are not very big
on bowling. They say that the average viewer is older than they
want .The
marketers want 19-35 year old males. The bowling shows are
more around 50 years of age. This is interesting because the
people with most of the money are over 50 not under 35. But they
say that the younger people are more susceptible to advertisement
than older people.