01x04 - The Real Kingpin

[bunniefuu]

[TV static drones]

[bright tone]

[indistinct chatter]

[flowing orchestral music]

- Patrick can still
force some people

to mark in the tenth frame
here if he can find a way.

♪ ♪

[audience gasps]
Oh, my goodness.

[cannon blasts]

[Tchaikovsky's
"1812 Overture"]

narrator:
Oil is slippery,

but also essential
in bowling.

Consider that every bowling
shot starts with the approach.

The steps and slide
to the line

are crucial
to getting the ball

and/or your body
to go where you want.

And whether you're an amateur
or professional,

navigating that step and slide
can be tricky.

♪ ♪

[cannon blasts]
- Look at this!

narrator: All why bowling
shoes are always required.

In the old days,

pros would put ash on their
shoes to help them slide more

or spit on them
to make them stick better.

And while bowling alleys
now look pretty different

than they did in the days
of smoking and spitting,

bowling shoes pretty much
still look the same.

Though Jason Belmonte,

or Belmo,
as the kids call him,

wants to change that.

- Over the last few years,

I've kind of fallen down
the wells of sneakers.

[upbeat funky music]

"Research."

Because I wanted to bring
sneaker culture into bowling.

narrator: Belmo capitalized
on his superstar status

and produced his own shoe,

unmistakably reminiscent
of a legend,

which might make you wonder

if footwear could be tied
to on-lane success

as very famously postulated
by the esteemed Mars Blackmon.

- Money's gotta
be the shoes!

Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!

Shoes!

[upbeat rock music]

♪ ♪

[birds singing]

[upbeat folk music]

♪ ♪

- ♪ Here in Australia,
I was born ♪

♪ Heavy away, haul away ♪

♪ Old Australia
'round Cape Horn ♪

♪ Going to Australia ♪

narrator: Now if you couldn't
tell from his accent,

Belmo is from Australia,

where they call bowling
tenpin bowling.

And here he is
showing off the bowling alley

his parents bought when
he was just a baby.

- ♪ Australia ♪

narrator:
Yep, just like EJ Tackett.

[upbeat blues music]

Now, because of
Belmo's endorsement deals

and the fact that
he's won more majors

than any other bowler
in history

by a lot, it means
he can afford something

other bowlers can't.

Beyond a nice house
and 200 pairs of Nikes,

he can take time off,

which is why
he didn't think twice

to skip this year's
Pete Weber Classic

and return home to
New South Wales, Australia,

where he's been
a bit of a celebrity

dating back to when
he was a kid.

- Meet Jason Belmonte.

His highest score is 259

and his results
are consistent,

and all from such
humble beginnings.

- Dad said when you were
just born, like 18 months,

I started bowling
my first ball.

[dramatic western music]

♪ ♪

When my parents built
a bowling center,

neither of them were bowlers.

It was purely this crazy idea
for a business.

Bowling in my hometown
was new.

No one--

no one knew how to do it.

♪ ♪

And I'm this 18-month-old kid
and I want to bowl.

♪ ♪

And so I would just
do my best to carry it

and kind of, you know,

throw it down the lane
with two hands.

[upbeat music]

But it was
really soon thereafter

that I was able
to do something

that no one else in town
was doing,

and that was create this hook.

Everybody that bowled,
traditionally,

would bowl really,
really straight.

I was just
curving the whole lane

as like a four, five,
six-year-old.

And that made me different,
but it was cool.

♪ ♪

- Jason Belmonte is a rarity
in tenpin bowling,

as is his bowling style.

♪ ♪

- It's been
one of the wildest things,

to see how many people are
bowling two-handed.

- A double-hander.

- When I was a rookie,

almost no one does it.

To today, where half the people
on tour are bowling this way.

And I remember
having conversations

you know, in my early 20s
or late teens

when I'd have this success,

and then people would start
to be like,

hey, I don't think
you can do this.

- No story has gained
as much national traction

as Jason Belmonte.

His two-handed style

has caught the attention
of everyone.

- There was this underlying
feeling of he's cheating.

- Two hands is
a lot easier to do.

I don't agree with it.

I don't think that
it's a part of the game

that should be in play.

- He's revving the ball
so much

and he strikes so much
and we can't do this

and so we gotta ban that style
altogether.

- You know, everybody
just wants a fair shake

and you could make rules that
prohibit the two-handed style,

and I would be for that.

[dramatic music]

- Thankfully,
those that write the rule book

said it's totally OK.

And if anything, that just
gives you more confidence.

Like, you walk in going,

everyone here that has
said something about my style

is threatened by me.

[birds singing]

I really don't think about
my own bowling when I'm here.

I'm really engaged
in what the family's doing.

- This.
- Mango.

- Do you want some mango?
- Yes.

- I'm gone for six,
seven months of the year,

and so the months that
I have here at home,

I want to be really present.

- No, no, no.
- [laughs]

- I have to cut it.

Otherwise, how are
we gonna get into it?

- Is that good?

- So my life when Jas is gone,

I guess it can become
a little bit lonely at times.

But I definitely think
it's harder for him.

- I know.

- You're really
hacking into that.

- I am.

The best way that
I can describe leaving is

I absolutely hate it.

But before leaving,

I'm very excited about going
and competing.

[dramatic music]

Of the last ten
Player of the Years,

I've won seven.

And the three that
I hadn't won,

I was filthy with myself.

People say, like,
you've won so much.

Like, you just enjoy what
you have.

And that's just, again,
not acceptable.

- Strike for the win.

- A strike does it.

Legendary!

- Jason can do anything
with a bowling ball.

- And that's his third
major win over EJ Tackett.

- Boom!

EJ and I have been battling

for the best part
of this decade.

And I'm not ready
to give up my crown.

I want to be
the greatest that's ever

laced up a pair of shoes
and rolled a ball down a lane.

And in order to do that,

what I want to achieve is

in a single word,

dominate again.

That's two words.
[chuckles]

Dominate.

[upbeat music]

narrator: Belmo's next chance
to dominate a major

will come back on the
other side of the world,

in the Paris
of Western Nevada.

♪ ♪

You could call
the World Series of Bowling

the Mecca of bowling events.

♪ ♪

It's a month-long challenge

set this year
in the heart of Reno, Nevada,

where 200-plus bowlers
from over 18 countries

will fight until there's
only one man left standing

on the lanes.

♪ ♪

Now if those lanes
look familiar, they should

if you've
seen the movie "Kingpin."

- Welcome to my church.

narrator:
Which, by the way,

some say is the greatest
bowling movie ever.

Anyway,
the World Series of Bowling

isn't just
a single big event

that gets its name
from baseball,

it's actually
five tournaments,

including
the PBA World Championship,

rolled into one.

Now, the series'
first four events

each use a distinctly
challenging oil pattern

to affect the speed and spin
of the bowl,

each inspired
by a different animal.

Why animal patterns?

Well, in the words of
Sir David Attenborough...

- It's a mystery.
Nobody knows.

♪ ♪

[elevator bell rings]

- See if we can fit
a couple guys in here.

- Reno's a little different

because in that
little downtown area,

there's really
not a whole lot to do.

[peaceful music]

♪ ♪

[soft upbeat music]

- At least
the mountains are nice.

- We're all just stuck
in the same place

doing the same thing.

- And we stayed
at the Silver Legacy,

a fine establishment.

Next question.
[laughs]

[quirky suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

My roommate, my best friend,
Jesper Svensson...

♪ ♪

We're gonna spend
almost a month in Reno.

He's tall, Swede,
with a bunch of tattoos.

He's very quiet.

Uh, but he's a k*ller
on the lanes.

He's the Iceman.

[dramatic music]

[soft upbeat music]

He's been there with me

through the last
several years.

Once I got engaged
to Brianna,

I knew my best man was
going to be Jesper.

- I'm a long way from home,

so to have people here
that treat you like family,

that's pretty special.

[soft upbeat music]

- Our kitchen is
in the bathroom.

And our microwave and griddle
and stuff stay in the closet,

so, you know.

♪ ♪

I think anywhere for 20 days

is gonna, you know,
wear us down a little bit, so.

There's not really a lot
to do around here.

Just bowl.

[wondrous ambient music]

♪ ♪

[upbeat electronic music]

♪ ♪

- Seventh frame,
for a 44-pin lead.

You bet.

♪ ♪

- EJ Tackett...

got some help!

- One to win.

♪ ♪

And he got it!
- And he got it.

- Kyle Troup is
bowling beautifully.

♪ ♪

- Belmo...

said, don't forget about me.

At 41 years old,
still at the top of his game.

narrator: The four
animal pattern tournaments

always separate the predator
from the prey.

- Is this a good one?

Oh!

narrator:
And not everyone survives.

Simo has a terrible showing.

- He didn't like it at all.

- And that's the result.

- You f*cking dumb f*ck.

narrator:
And then packs it in.

- Damn it, man.

♪ ♪

- Meanwhile,

EJ reaches the final round
of every animal pattern,

but loses over
and over and over again.

[soft dramatic music]

And--

- I know.
I--

[sighs]

[upbeat country music]

narrator:
It's important to remember

that the greatest bowlers
in the world

don't get there on their own.

Their skills only
take them so far.

- Watch his ba*ls.

No, he's got me.
I just want him to watch.

narrator:
Their ball reps do the rest.

Bowlers will tell you
they're like caddies,

but really, a ball rep's
more like a cutman.

- Cut me, Mick.

- I don't want to do it.
- Come on, cut me.

narrator:
Keeping their guy fighting,

or a psychologist
without a license.

- You want a fresh one?

narrator: Ultimately,
more than anything,

a ball rep's a friend
who's there for you.

- What if I throw it like that,
dickface?

narrator: No matter how poorly
you treat them.

- ♪ Oh, it's so nice
to be with you ♪

♪ I love all the things-- ♪

narrator: Someone who's
looking out for your future...

narrator: To guide you...

narrator: Sweet-talk you...

narrator: And be the friend
who will always

take care of your ba*ls.

- ♪ Oh, it's so nice
to be with you ♪

♪ I love all the things
you say and do ♪

[car horn honking]

- Category for Final Jeopardy
is Games People Play,

and here's the clue.

Unable to lift the ball
as a toddler,

Jason Belmonte
devised a two-handed throw

that made him an outcast...

- Oh, someone better get it.
[laughs]

narrator:
Then a champ in this sport.

What is basketball?

- B--no.
- I'm afraid that's not it.

Oh, what is the shot put?
- Shot put? Shot put?

- What sport did
you think of, Roy?

Bowling.
- Roy.

- That is correct.
- Gets it right.

- Jason Belmonte
is a professional

two-handed bowler.

- I mean, I think that's good.

One out of the three
knew who I was,

so I'm famous enough
to be a question on Jeopardy,

but not famous enough
that all the people know.

I think that's
a perfect blend of fame.

[laid-back upbeat music]

- I hate to ask this question,

but people think because
you're not winning

as much as you were that
you are not at the caliber.

How do you deal with that?

- In terms of rivalry,
EJ's been my biggest rival

even before I was washed-up,
as Kimberly calls it.

- I didn't--I--no, no, no, no,
no, no.

- Yeah, oh, you didn't do the--
- No, it's not me.

- You didn't do the quotes.
- No, it's not me.

- You didn't do the quotes.
- No, I said people said.

I did not say that.
- Yeah.

- I did not say that.
That's not fair.

- When it comes to my career,

it is very much what have
you done for me lately?

From fans, from myself.

- Oh, my.
- [indistinct]

- No one else seems
to be scrutinized the same way.

You know,
if EJ has a bad week

or if Anthony has
a bad season,

no one really cares about it.

you know, I have a bad week
or two or three,

it's time to retire.

What's wrong with this guy?
He's past his prime. You know?

And EJ is proving
to be quite the adversary.

- You know, you can only sit
atop the mountain for so long

before Father Time
knocks you off.

[tense music]

- In 2023, World Series
World Championship...

[dramatic rock music]

Ooh.

I remember bowling
up against EJ and the title.

- For the win, Tackett!

- Yeah!
- He's done it!

[upbeat rock music]

- Come on!
Let's f*cking go!

Let's go!

- Yeah, it was
a pretty amazing moment.

- Boom! Boom! Yeah!
[indistinct]

- [shouts indistinctly]
- Damn right, man.

- You know,
he was able to beat me,

which at that point
I had a really strong record

against him
in major championships.

That's why I think it's
a little more special for him

than it was for me.

But I still appreciated it.

[somber music]

♪ ♪

Now that I'm not number one,
I kind of want it back.

But with the opportunity to
win the World Championship,

it's a make-or-break for me.

[distant pins clattering]

[upbeat music]

- Want us to lock arms?

[laughter]

- We've got
a heavyweight fight

between two of the greatest
in the game right now.

Jesper and Kyle are--

not only are they
best friends,

but they're roommates.

When they get out
on the lane,

it's gonna be
a battle royale, man.

♪ ♪

- Jesper is my brother.

But then when
we compete against each other,

it don't matter to me.

At the end of the day,
it's about

rolling a ball down a lane
and knocking down ten pins.

[pins clatter]

♪ ♪

- f*ck, man.

f*ck you, m*therf*cker.

- [chuckles]
That's terrible.

- There's my f*cking answer.

[pins clattering]

All right.
[sighs]

Next time, just ball change

instead of f*cking
thinking about it, g*dd*mn it.

[somber music]

f*cking p*ssy.

You know, I was definitely
pretty hard on myself.

Feeling really low
at that moment.

My emotions were just
not in check again.

And that ultimately cost me.

- So Jesper, I know obviously,
that's a tough match.

You never want to bowl Kyle
unless it's on TV.

Walk us through how
you got it done.

- I mean, it's a crazy match.
You know, we got to five games.

- It's piling up.

The continued losing,

like, it's definitely
a struggle mentally.

♪ ♪

- Welcome to Bowl TV's
continuing coverage

of World Series of Bowling.

We talked about somebody
that we both kind of like,

and that's gonna be Cam Crowe,

who seems to have
the right attitude.

- Cam's always got
the right attitude.

He's Mr. Positive all the time
no matter what.

It's refreshing.
It's great to see that.

- Practice is done.
They're getting ready to start.

So I can't remember
who told me.

He said, hey,
you talked to Cam?

So I called him.

[phone buzzing]

- My alarms are usually set
all the time.

[phone buzzing]

This is the one day
we shut the blinds completely,

so it was just all dark.

- I called him again.

What? What? What's going on?
I go, where you at?

- I look at my phone.
I said, oh my God, it's 8:55.

- Bro, they're getting ready
to start.

- [gasps]
Oh, sh*t.

Oh, f--
oh, no.

Hung up the phone,
put my clothes on.

We back.

Good morning.

[energetic orchestral music]

I grab my backpack.

I'm running.
I'm like, oh my God.

I have to be there by 9:00.

That's when
the first frame starts.

Thank you.

Thank God I used to run track.

Oh, thank you.
How you doing?

I get there in frame two
and I was like, oh my God.

I only missed two frames.

Right?
Could have got a lot worse.

- He got here in two frames,
which is pretty fast.

- Very mad at myself.

- F, F, F, F, F, F, F.

- What the...

[word echoing in slow motion]
f*ck?

- So Cameron Crowe
showed up late

and got zeros
for his first two frames.

- Obviously, just pissed off
at myself, very frustrated.

Smack me. Hit me.
Do something.

- [laughs]

- 'Cause what the f*ck
is going on?

Ah, yes. Thank you.
Let's go.

[upbeat music]

- This is a big, big morning
for Cam Crowe right now

'cause he wants to make TV.

♪ ♪

- Crowe really needs a strike
here to keep the pressure on.

Oh, no.

He needed to make a shot,
he made a shot,

and the 8-pin
just didn't cooperate.

You can just feel it.

He just feels sick right now.

[indistinct chatter]

- Every f*cking time
I need a f*cking hit.

That can't happen right there.

That can't happen.
That can't happen.

God f*cking damn it.
[sighs]

[sighs]

[groans]
That was mine.

That was mine.

[sighs]

[exhales deeply]

[dramatic rock music]

- Hats off to Jason Belmonte.

Looks like he is definitely
gonna be the number one seed.

EJ Tackett, looks like
he's gonna be second.

- It's time to pack up
and check out,

'cause today is the finals
here in Reno.

- [grunts]

I travel with a fridge
and a microwave

because I can't eat casino
food for a month, right?

[energetic quirky music]

My concern when
I'm leaving a hotel

or a casino with my fridge
is that somebody's gonna think

I'm making off with their,
you know, their appliance.

[laughs]

- Yeah, buddy.

- My man.

- Lifesaver.
- Yeah.

♪ ♪

- [sighs]

- The things we do
for one another.

- [chuckles] That's it.

Oh, sh*t.
Forgot the truck was here.

[laughs]

♪ ♪

- We're in?
- Yeah.

- Let's go.

- We survive.

[upbeat rock music]

♪ ♪

- Welcome to Reno's
National Bowling Stadium

for the PBA World Championship

as two of the greatest bowlers
of this generation,

Jason Belmonte and EJ Tackett,
are your one and two seeds

as we wrap up
the World Series of Bowling.

- I put myself into the best
possible position I could

to win the championship,
number one seed.

But when you're the number
one guy for the TV show,

you have a lot to lose.

♪ ♪

- Now it's championship time.

- Come on, man.
Good luck. Have a good one.

- Have a good one.

- It's the ninth time these
two have met in a title match

and Belmo holds the advantage
5 to 3.

♪ ♪

[chuckling] Ooh.

- In the third frame,
I left a 10-pin

on a shot that I thought was
pretty much perfect.

So your mind is racing.

Do you slow down?
Do you speed up?

Do you change ball?
Do you change your target?

Do you--there's so many
different possibilities.

But whatever you do,
you get one crack at it.

And in a ten-frame game,
that's 10% of your game.

You make two wrong decisions,

that's a fifth of your
title match that is bad.

Oh, Jason.

[suspenseful music]

- Almost got away with it.

- I started off with
four consecutive strikes.

And in the fifth,

I...
[feedback screeching]

Threw one not so great.

This basically
ties our match back up.

- Chance for Belmo
to take the lead.

- And gives Jason
the opportunity

to throw some punches.

- I looked
at all my equipment.

I looked at all my
possible answers.

And I was thinking...

[inhales deeply]

Do you make that change
and really, really risk it?

95% of my career,
I have had 100% confidence.

And in the last couple of
years, doubt creeps in.

You're holding the ball
in your hand

and you're thinking,
is this the right ball?

♪ ♪

As the ball was going down,

think this is gonna be
a pretty good shot.

- Oh, boy.

He had the opportunity
right there and he lost it.

- How does that
go that straight?

- He throws his own split
and he opened the door for me.

And I was able to throw
some punches back.

- Man, did he get back
to business.

[upbeat music]

Has to have this one.

Oh, OK!

[chuckling]
OK!

- How?
How did that strike?

If there is a God

and He is a bowling fan
and He likes me,

He'll let EJ miss
and give me the moment.

- Couldn't ask for more.

Coming down to
the tenth frame, needs two.

- I had to throw a double
in the tenth frame.

But throwing two strikes when
it's strike or you lose,

it's very, very difficult.

[upbeat funk music]

♪ ♪

[upbeat funk music]

- One more for the win.

♪ ♪

- In high-pressure situations,

I have a tendency
to get kind of quick.

So reminding myself
to say slow,

and I try to hyper-focus
on this one thing.

It seems simple,
but it's extremely difficult.

[exhales deeply]

♪ ♪

One more.

♪ ♪

[tense notes]

[suspenseful funk music]

♪ ♪

[energetic upbeat music]

- [shouting]

♪ ♪

- And I guess
God is not a bowling fan.

- Holy sh*t.
- What a fight, man.

What a fight.

Go get that trophy.

♪ ♪

- If there is no God

or there is, then
He doesn't like me very much,

'cause he just made EJ bowl
two of the greatest shots

EJ's ever thrown.

- What a match.
Jason is--[chuckles softly]

he's not old by any means,
but he's still unbelievable.

And he showed it again
this week, how great he is.

[sparse somber music]

This match was awesome.

I mean--[chuckles]

It was two of the best shots
I've ever thrown in my life.

[sparse somber music]

♪ ♪

- That was a tough one, yeah.

♪ ♪

f*ck.

♪ ♪

Well, good news is
I get to

get on a plane now,
go to Detroit.

[soft upbeat music]

narrator:
After bowling 80 games

and spending a month
in the same hotel room,

the change in scenery
might improve Belmo's mood

as much as a new pair
of high tops.

As for EJ, fresh off his
second major win in a row,

he's about to drive
30 straight hours

to the Motor City, Detroit,

hoping a third straight
victory awaits.

He'll bring the $100,000 check
with him,

which could buy a lot of
Dr. Peppers for the road.

- Nice.

[energetic hard rock music]

♪ ♪