Zach Wilson/The Falcon Sophomore Eric Kurimura finishes his follow through Sunset Bowl. On April 14, Sunset Bowl will close its doors to the public, forcing many SPU regulars, like Kurimura to look elsewhere for a place to bowl.

Being short on cash, then-sophomores Brad Kulp and Stephen Rouner decided to wager something a little different on a friendly game of bowling two years ago: the loser had to shave one leg. Kulp prevailed by a single pin, and Rouner followed through with a sleek shave job on his right extremity.

The memory was one of many for Kulp and his floormates during biweekly Third West Emerson "Broho Bowling" nights the past two years. Along the way, Third West bowlers also wagered milkshakes at Dick's or a lap around Wallace Field with no clothes. Senior Nate Goodwin and junior Nick Anderson created the tradition, which used the floor's nickname and often had 10 to 20 residents meet at Sunset Bowl for some relatively cheap bonding time.

Soon the stage for those memories will have its final curtain call.

Sunset Bowl, Ballard's 51-year-old leisure sports landmark, will close its doors at 1 a.m. on April 14.

Local bowlers will have to take their business to one of Seattle's three remaining alleys. This is down from 32 alleys just 25 years ago, said Greg Olsen, the executive director of the Washington State Bowling Proprietors Association (WSBPA).

For SPU students, that means the nearest alleys are 15 to 20 minutes away, and the drive is a half-hour to the nearest 24-hour facility, Skyway Park Bowl.

The price tag for Sunset's property proved much higher than if someone had purchased the business. Avalon Ballard, LLC, paid $13.2 million for the building and looks to develop it into apartments, according to King County records.

Most of Sunset's approximately 25 owners are elderly, Olsen said, and opted to use the alley as a "nest egg" rather than investing millions of dollars to modernize.

"It was an easy decision for them, really," Olsen said of the sale.

Sunset's land may have been lucrative, but the sale wasn't for lack of business. There's often a waiting list, and since the alley announced its closing, bowlers have been waiting up to three hours for a lane on Friday and Saturday nights, said Chad Olson, an employee of nine years at Sunset.

Just two years ago, the same group of owners sold nearby Leilani Lanes for $6.25 million, according to King County records. The two lanes were supposed to be a package deal, but the owners chose to keep Sunset functioning, said Olson.

After seeing Leilani close and hearing of Sunset's sale, Ballard resident Jim Bristow started a campaign to raise funds that could keep Sunset in business. Bristow proceeded to get 3,400 signatures on a petition to save the alley and started a website at www.savesunsetbowl.com. He also arranged for a $100,000 credit line to operate Sunset with its current employees and equipment.

Bristow's efforts thus far have yet to save the alley from demolishment and future development, but according to a March 29 article in the Seattle Times, there is a slim chance Avalon Ballard could install a new bowling alley below the planned apartments.

That might somewhat satisfy the host of regulars who have been working or bringing their business to Sunset for decades.

"The whole thing sucks," regular customer Chuck Cornell said. "They could just build over the top, but the price was right."

Chuck and his wife Pat are 25-year Sunset veterans. For the past six years, the Cornells have woken up with their four dogs on Sunday mornings before heading to Sunset for 69-cent games beginning at 6 a.m.

A sub-contractor at Boeing, Chuck sported a wrinkled red-green plaid shirt with a worn spot in the pocket for his chewing tobacco. He warmed up with a respectable 206 as the song "Love Shack" played in the background. Pat bowled a 238.

"She usually kicks my ass," he said.

Despite the patronage of many people like the Cornells, the closing of Sunset Bowl signals a larger trend in the industry.

"It's not predicated on the league bowler anymore," WSBPA director Olsen said of the new aim in the bowling business. "It's all about birthday parties and corporate and charitable events."

The new trend, Olsen said, is toward "chic boutique" bowling alleys like the recently-built Lucky Strike Lanes in Bellevue. Lucky Strike is two minutes from Microsoft, and Olsen said business deals from Microsoft and other companies are often coordinated over a lunchtime game.

Fundraisers are also lucrative in the bowling business, Olsen said. The Jamie Moyer Foundation annually rents out Acme Bowl in Tukwila to raise between $10,000 and $20,000.

Yet there are still bowling die-hards like the Cornells and many SPU students who say they want to see the time-honored trends of the sport continue.

"There will always be a place for the traditional style," SPU sophomore Eric Kurimura said. "If they start making it for big corporations and parties, it's going to lose the aspect of fun for dedicated and passionate bowlers."

Like many SPU students, Kurimura appreciates Sunset's location and environment. He often takes study breaks to bowl at midnight and has gone as late as 3 a.m. Plus, they have great food, he said, including his favorite dish, the roast beef wrap.

Kurimura is a lifelong bowler with ambitions of competing at a collegiate level next year. He owns three balls, including one he calls "No Mercy" because, "when it hits the pins, it leaves no pin behind."

Kurimura is concerned that the absence of lanes like Sunset's will lead to the downfall of the sport as recreation and as a professional trade for those who are part of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA).

"It's too prized for a portion of society," Kurimura said of conventional bowling. "We need to preserve the traditional standards."

Senior Andrea Warnock and her fiance, alumnus Chris Grafmiller, are also concerned at decline of bowling opportunities. They looked forward to bowling in a couples' league at Sunset after their marriage this summer. Now they're left looking for a new place to bring their business.

"It's like finding a new church," Warnock said of the search for a new bowling home. "It's not easy."

Though they will continue bowling, Warnock said she and Grafmiller will not be able to go as often, and that throws a kink into what they thought would be an activity they could share.

"He's not one to show much emotion," Warnock said of her fiance, "but I think he's pretty devastated."

Warnock planned to have her bachelorette party at the bowling alley this summer. Instead, she's preparing to see off Sunset with a "big extravaganza" sometime before the closing in April.

"Broho Bowling" creator Anderson also plans to celebrate the closing, which is the same week as his birthday. Kulp, with his ball named "Cherry Bomb," and Anderson, with his black and purple "Black Widow," even hope to fit in a couple more friendly wagers before April.

And what will Anderson do after the alley closes?

"I don't want to say video games, but that's probably what will happen," he said.