ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Visit Albuquerque President/CEO Dale Lockett and Albuquerque Convention Center General Manager Tom Morton officially welcomed the United States Bowling Congress and the 2008 USBC Open Championships at a kickoff press conference Thursday at the Albuquerque Convention Center East Complex.

The event gave the local media, tournament sponsors and supporters, local bowling association members, and other dignitaries the chance to get a final look at the empty convention floor before construction crews turn the space into a state-of-the-art 60-lane bowling stadium.

Since Sunday, nearly 30 truckloads of materials and supplies have been delivered to the Albuquerque Convention Center. Office and vendor walls already are going up, and parts the foundation for the lanes and pinsetters has been place on the convention center floor. Construction is expected to be completed during the first week in February.

In just 58 days, the first of more than 60,000 bowlers will make the traditional march down Center Aisle at the 2008 Open Championships. So far, 12,293 teams are registered to compete during the tournament’s 143-day run from Feb. 16 until July 7. The last day for team competition will be July 6.

The largest tournament held outside of Reno, Nev., was in Baton Rouge, La., in 2005 and featured 13,222 teams, which was followed by Corpus Christi, Texas, in 2006 (12,606).

“It’s amazing how many people in Albuquerque remember when we were here in 2000 and are ready to welcome the bowlers back to town in 2008,” Open Championships Tournament Director Brian Lewis said. “The local support has been amazing, and we are definitely looking forward to working with everyone during the next seven months. Things are moving along nicely and it’s been exciting to see the trucks moving and the walls going up this week.”

WEBCAMS MOUNTED AND READY

Since being introduced in 2004, one of the most popular features of the USBC Open Championships and USBCopen.com has been the unique interactive Webcams that are mounted in the rafters above the tournament lanes and give friends and family members a chance to watch the bowlers in action.

The webcams are capable of taking live (still) pictures of the tournament action as it happens. Viewers can manipulate the cameras from home, allowing them to zoom in or out or photograph different parts of the venue. The webcams can be accessed by clicking on the point-and-click camera graphic on the bottom right-hand corner of USBCopen.com.

In past years, one camera was placed above the scoreboards to view the bowlers from the front, while a second camera was placed above Center Desk so users could see the scoreboards.

In 2008, however, USBCopen.com visitors will have the access to five webcams. Two will be placed over the scoreboards on the main 48 lanes and two will be placed on the opposite side of the building facing the scoreboards. The final camera will be located over the 12-lane Roto Grip Challenge to give visitors a view of the entire venue.

Two cameras are expected to be up and running by the end of this week, while the remaining three will be accessible after Jan. 1, 2008.

There are still plenty of spots available for the 2008 Open Championships. The deadline for entries has been extended to Jan. 18, 2008. For more information, please check out USBCopen.com, or contact the entries department at usbcopenchampionships@bowl.com or by calling (800) 514-BOWL, ext. 3170.

United States Bowling Congress
 
The United States Bowling Congress, as the national governing body, ensures the integrity and protects the future of the sport, provides programs and services to more than 2.6 million adult and youth members and enhances the bowling experience.

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