The Powder Era

In this edition of Eye on the Culture, I would like to discuss something near and dear to me…Powdering. One could argue that in the sport of Bowling, or Kegling, the 5 pin is the easiest to cover. Missing that pin is extremely rare. In fact, that spare it typically so easy to make that all over the world there are various traditions to punish an individual when they fail to cover the dreaded 5 pin spare. Typically, when one is attempting to make this spare you will see everyone observing with their hands raised. This is clear indication that something bad will happen if the person fails to cover the  pin. So, in the event that this person fails to cover that spare, there will often be cheers, yelling that that person “SUCKS” and usually making that person take a trip to the bar to buy a few rounds of an alcoholic drink for others to consume on that person’s tab. Ultimately, you get the point, miss the 5 pin at your own peril.

Well, no other organization quite punishes for the 5 pin miss like the Underground Bowling Association. We do it so well that every other organization has tried to copy us. Again, you can copy the style, but you cannot copy the Culture. The UBA powders for the 5 pin miss and yes, there is a defined history behind it.

One may ask, “What is powdering?” Well, there is a live video  on Facebook or YouTube of my twin brother suffering an epic powdering (my turn is coming at Mega Bowl). However, for those living under a rock, powdering is the taking of copious amounts of baby powder and putting on the head, arms, face, shirt, etc. of the individual that missed the 5 pin.

There is a grand history dating back to the beginning of the UBA. Starting with the powder smack, which has started to dwindle away, and now the full powder shower, we have seen a resurgence of baby powder being put to good use to shame those bowlers who make the grave mistake of failing to knock over that taunting pin.

This Battle Bowl had several epic powderings and the trend seems to be continuing. Trust me when I say the entire bowling community is watching and recognizes the 5 pin powdering as a distinct UBA tradition. We set the trends and we are only improving upon them. So, if you see someone miss a 5 pin at a UBA event or tour stop, embrace the culture and give him or her the powdering they deserve. There is history behind it, and we should be honored to continue it and keep this special tradition alive. And for those staring down that 5 pin, I only have one thing to say: “Don’t miss.” The Culture is watching, and it has its Eyes on you.