BATON ROUGE - The column takes a turn we weren’t expecting this week with the passing of two I would call national legends of this sport. First is a Louisiana bowler who with her New Orleans friends provided one of the most memorable and enduring moments in the WIBC/USBC’s long women’s national championship history.

Linda Prattini may not be a name that rings a bell right off the bat in bowling circles, but if I tell you she was one of the founders of the famed Zodiacs of New Orleans, then you might know of her and her bowlers.

Prattini, who passed away on Oct. 6, made 57 consecutive tournament appearances from 1967-2024 and introduced the Zodiacs at the 1969 Women’s Championships in a way that would protest the tournament’s dress code of the time. Her team arrived in full-length formal dresses that would break away at the knees once they were ready to bowl.

Since that appearance, the Zodiacs became an anticipated part of the women’s championships each year, including in 2017 when the tournament was in Baton Rouge at the Raising Cane’s River Center. The picture above, courtesy of the USBC, is from that tournament and the Zodiacs had very nice LSU themed outfits.

The team made its 50th consecutive appearance one year later in 2018 and celebrated 56 years earlier this year in Las Vegas.

There was one year when the costumes proved a bit of a problem according to an old interview we found with Prattini.

"I wanted to go against the rules because I wanted to bowl in slacks," Prattini said. "It only took three years, and in Atlanta in 1971, we wore bell-bottom slacks. The bell bottoms kept triggering the foul lights, though, so they had to assign two officials to us to make sure we weren't going over the line."

A lot has changed in this sport over the year but the Zodiacs were a constant and their yearly outfits would make bowling news all over the country thanks to a little protest that turned into a phenomenon.

Services for Prattini will be Thursday morning at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in New Orleans.

Mr. 900

Glenn Allison, who passed away on Oct. 7, was well known for his success on the PBA Tour, the senior tour and the ABC/USBC Tournaments. But it was for a score that never counted that made him internationally known.

Allison rolled what was the first 900 series (three perfect 300 games) on a late-night league in California. At a time when there was still some “rigid” lane condition rules the series was disallowed, which brought even more attention to it and more demand that then the American Bowling Congress and later USBC make a change because who knows what patterns some of the 900s that have been approved have been bowled on since.

Allison’s perfect performance at La Habra 300 Bowl on July 1, 1982, serves as one of the sport’s most recognizable achievements even though the series was not approved. The USBC reevaluated the award application in 2014 but upheld the decision approved by its predecessor.

Allison was inducted into bowling’s Hall of Fame in 1979.

He first appeared at the Open Championships in 1947. By the time he bowled in his last event in 2024, he set the all-time record for appearances at 72.

Allison’s wins at the Open Championships took place in 1962, 1964, 1966 and 1970.

As Allison continued to accrue accolades at the Open Championships, he also made his way toward the top of the tournament’s pinfall list. He joined the 100,000-Pin Club during his 55th appearance in 2006 and finished his career in third place on the all-time list with 123,341 pins across 72 years for a lifetime average of 190 at the tournament.

Allison – a charter member of the Professional Bowlers Association – was inducted to the PBA Hall of Fame in 1984 after claiming five national titles. He also recorded one victory on the PBA50 Tour.

Allison and his family did not travel to Baton Rouge this year to bowl in the championships because of the distance from his California home.

I had the chance to meet and visit with him briefly at other appearances here in Baton Rouge for the tournament. He was one of those legends of the sport who in the back of his mind, like many, believe whether approved or not, his was the first 900 set no matter whether approved or not.

That’s it for this Monday.

Until next week, good luck and good bowling,

                      Kent Lowe