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thursday oct 24 2002 25 mitchell brown been there done that paintball will colour you happy like most adventures larry licastros began with a sixpack of beer the year was 1984 and he had just finished playing hockey with his bud dies when someone came into the dressing room and offered the players a sixpack for five minutes of their time turns out themanwiththebeer was looking for recruits for a game of paintball a form of capturetheflag for grownups only with paintball guns called markers in the trade to tag the other team it was great the kleinburg resident said i went home and i lay around the house thinking of all the stupid things i did and how i would have done things differently i thought i have to get out there and do it again so i can do it right fast forward a few years and mr licastro is the proud owner and opera tor of both ultimate paintball an out door range just outside milton and area 51 an indoor range just off keele street and sheppard avenue in downsview as the name suggests area 51 looks like the set of a scifi tv show which isnt surprising when you realize most of the fixtures from fake boulders to flying- saucer thingies were salvaged from the total recall tv show which was once filmed on a soundstage just down the street a couple of little green men and a thorough coat of yellow paint on every conceivable vertical surface complete the otherworldly ambiance of whats mat yes yes i was just getting to the actu- scc paintball page 26 economist sun stouffville tribune sports keqlers come in all shapes sizes by adam malik special in the time lohn white has operated the stouffville bowling centre he has wit nessed a lot of keglers the same can be said about gord maclean at his stellar lanes facility in newmarket and gerry lames at markham bowl all three agree bowling remains a sport for everyone it harbours no prejudices toward those who take to the lanes with the hope of throwing strikes and more importantly having fun here ive got kids as young as three years old who use two hands to throw the ball down the lane to one lady whos 93 and shes here every week in a senior league said mr white he describes his downtown stouffville facility as being bom out of the 1960s with six lanes and no automatic scoring its a sport for all ages added mr maclean while it requires some techni cal skills bowling whether it be five or 10pin is a relatively easy game to learn its far easier than a game such as golf insisted markham bowling enthusiast brian crozier its a game of luck mr crozier said but you can pick the game up pretty quick id say in a couple of weeks and the proprietors at the centres can give you tips as well for youngsters mr white favours the fivepin game because the ball is lighter and smaller than its 10pin cousin but he also cautioned die five- pin game can present more of a challenge because of the smaller ball and pins being more spread out in fivepin if you throw the ball down the middle you might only take down the head pin said mr white in 10pin though if you throw the ball down the middle of die lane youre likely to get a few pins down playing a sport with a whole some image where no physical contact is involved can entice an entire family it has a family and social atmosphere said mr james staff photosjoerd witteveen adele willis 93 left and cecilia sirbovan 81 have a lot of fun bowling at stouffville bowl ms willis remembers when the place had three lanes and pin boys i dont bowl any better i just get older she says who runs 20 lanes at markham bowl bowling is a social activity bowling centres run organized leagues for bowlers regardless of gender and skill level its a sport for all ages stouffville bowling centre hosts one mens league two ladies leagues three mixed leagues and one for the mentally challenged ive got a league of ladies who bowl and they socialize mr white said people bowl to get out and meet new people participating in a weekly mixed league spawned a relationship between mr crozier and his wife wendy some 27 years ago for me bowling was a night out and a way of meeting new people and thats how i met wendy he recalled in some instances business meetings have been held on the lanes just as they are on the golf course to promote bowling to the younger generation facilities open their doors to youngsters through programs run by the youth bowling council in the councils mandate everyone plays unlike some sports where the more talented individuals are offered an oppor tunity to shine everyone plays regardless of ability nobody sits on the bench throughout the bowling sea son the council stages several in- house tournaments which help acquaint members with the excitement and experience of tournament competition at the fivepin level age groups are broken into bantams 10 years of age and under juniors 11 to 13 and seniors 14 to 18 at the 10pin level the age groups include bantams 11 and under juniors 12 to 14 and sen iors 15 to 18 play league and tournament is conducted on a handicap basis and a novice can win an event just as easily as a more experienced player for those who possess more skill the council offers the four steps to stardom program a championship that begins at the house level proceeds to a zone championship a provincial championship and culminates at the national championships currently involved with a youth bowling program in stouffville mr crozier has seen an increase in the number of youngsters this year i see a lot of younger people four and fiveyearolds he said for parents bowling is a viable option for entertaining young sters during the holidays or a sec d0n7 page 26 yorkregioncom your trusted source for york region news for over 100 years is now online wwwyorkregioncom movie listings local news find that special something in the classifieds read your favorite columnist then email it to a friend be interactive with your community newspaper site