Don't try this at home

[JackD]

Jack for those of us  out of the loop ,what is the 'unlimited bowling ball record' ?

It met all the criteria that was appropriate to the attempt.
1. The ball was in contact with the ground for a minimum of 90% of the distance recorded like a jet car for example.
2.Their was no outside assist except the arm strength of the contestant.
 I or it was not shot from a gun.
 My feet were firmly planted and I did not pass the foul line when I released the ball.
3. Wind was at near zero and had no effect on the speed.
 Like anything else, the air density and temperature surely made a difference but was not considered a factor.
We were actually very near the water level, but that is not a requirement.
 As are most speed records because of the speed and sure property damage the attempt was conducted outdoors but that was not a requirement either way.
4. This was done in a single direction as are many speed attempts when the various condition dictate.
You have never seen a bowling ball thrown except in one direction.
5. It was documented by an independent expert agency and filmed.
 Both average speed over the entire distance traveled and the terminal speed were listed.
It was from a standang start and also "Out The Back Door" so to speak.
It was done as part of my 20th birthday celebration.
There you have it.

OBTW: Duh Ya think ifin I did it at Bonneville over 200 sunpthin could I git in da club. (I couldn't resist asking anyway.)

[JohnR]

Jack,

BUT WHAT WAS IT!!! (The speed that is)

I would support you 2-club entry, but only if you were in the ball

[JackD]

The "In the ball" record was likely set at Niagara Falls and I have no idea how fast it was.
 It was quite another deal.
As for the speed of the bowling ball, because that was done in secret by Representatives
 of the Department of Defence and Defiance , the information remains safe with them.
Remember it was done during the days of the Nuclear testing in Nevada
 and not a lot of information was released that was not on a need to know basis.
If our enemies knew, they might use it against us.
I can tell you in private after a suitable background check in the interest of security.
Of all the car and bike speed records I have set, I consider this to be My personal best.

[mtkawboy]

Have you been taking your medication Jack? I once dumped a bucket of golf balls off the top of Haulover Bridge, the highest point in Miami at 16. I had no idea it would get that out of hand and they could bounce that high. I did not stay for any official timing due to unforseen vehicle damage and the fact that we were out of beer.

[Glen]

Problem is, Jack dropped the ball on his good foot while the other was in his mouth. Now he can't walk the walk or talk the talk. He is trying to recover playing shuffle board on his sailing barge in SanDiego harbor.

[JackD]

Now a Golf Ball through the air might be a suitable condition that a speed record might be recorded.
Ground based efforts however, must remain in contact with the ground for a specified duration.
I guess you are going to have to go back and do it again but this time with suitable documentation.
I can help you with that but the beer supply is your deal.
As for the gentlemean that would get behind my entry into the 2 club in a ball.
Thank You for Your support.

[JackD]

Problem is, Jack dropped the ball on his good foot while the other was in his mouth. Now he can't walk the walk or talk the talk. He is trying to recover playing shuffle board on his sailing barge in SanDiego harbor.

Having walked the walk, I see the the talk among most others is idle speculation and is suitably rewarded.
I will share a speed secret with you if you promise not to tell Romero.
I sent it down the face of Hoover Dam and the boom at the bottom is still ringing in the ears of anybody that was working there.
With today's security measures, I would not suggest you try and beat it.
John on the other hand needs close watchiing.

[mtkawboy]

Golf balls kept reaching higher and higher trajectories, which I hadnt allowed for. I got away once and Im too old & smart to try it again. Maybe If Id have rolled them instead of dumping them out the window things would have worked out better. They were 50 feet in the air by the time they got to the bottom of the bridge. People were not happy!

[JackD]

Was it really 50 feet or are you just making that up.
We documented and timed our effort with a High Speed camera used on a jet to record missle tests.
It featured and on screen display for the duration that timed to .001 seconds.
We saw a couple of the tourists in Boulder City later and they said the Dam People didn't
 know where it came from or what the black pieces were.

[DCarr511]

I once dumped a bucket of golf balls off the top of Haulover Bridge, the highest point in Miami at 16. I had no idea it would get that out of hand and they could bounce that high. I did not stay for any official timing due to unforseen vehicle damage and the fact that we were out of beer.

Hmmmm that brings back a memory of us .. errr  some guys I knew who had a washing machine box filled with urethane skateboard wheels and it got knocked over in the back of a truck and down Woodley Hill .. for those in the S.F.V.

[mtkawboy]

Thats a rough estimate, cars were crashing, we were beating feet out of there. A bucket of golf balls bouncing down the bridge combined with a teenage DUI and Id just be starting driving next week if Id lived thru the butt whipping from my dad. We lacked any certified test equipment, it just seemed like a good idea at the time. After 46 years of time to review it wasnt. Now some bowling balls would have been the truth, just didnt think of it. Golf balls were easier to get at the driving range too, cant feature walking out of the bowling alley with a dozen balls and not being noticed

[JackD]

We got the ball from the trash at the service club.
 It had a gouge and we only anticipated needing one to complete the mission.
The Navy sent jets up the river valley from Arizona to fly with our boys at Nellis all the time.
 They made practice bombing runs on the dam.
 They got the credit, we got the record.

[mtkawboy]

At 62 I reserve the right to enhance any and all stories of my youth and skills. The older I get the smarter I was. As you can tell I wasnt to smart at 16 so I had no where to go but up. Were you actually in the plane when the bowling ball was released? Perhaps you can up the record if needed with a more aeroed out ball with high tech coatings

[Glen]

Maybe if the bowling ball had dimples like golf balls the record would higher,finger holes don't count

[JackD]

You guys need to go back and read the rules for the LSR Bowling Ball record again.
 Their was no artificial help from a car or a plane.
The air drop stuff came much later.
The surface of the ball was stock with no performance enhancing surface treatments added to bastardize the class.
 It wasn't like the Sports Racing class became Gas Streamliner or the Modified Roadster became such a streach.
I might have the "UN-ATTACHED" tire record on a public road record also but it was not suitably recorded.