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Bowling's popularity isn’t a recent phenomenon — people of various cultures have enjoyed the game for thousands of years. Now, with automated pin stacking technology and polished bowling lanes, modern 10-pin bowling has come a long way.

Below, South Lanes Pizza, a bowling alley and pizza restaurant in La Crosse, WI, explains some of the highlights of the game’s history:

Egyptian Bowling

Some of the earliest bowling games were played in ancient Egypt between 3,000 and 5,000 B.C. The ancient Egyptians created many versions of the classic sport. Some of these games remained popular and continue to be played such as bocce ball and lawn bowling.

European Bowling

Bowling was also played throughout Europe as early as 300 A.D. It was a religious ritual in some regions and a sport in others. Bowling was even outlawed by King Edward III, as he thought it distracted his troops from training. The oldest bowling site still in operation is in Britain, which was first opened in 1554.

Bowling Today

bowlingThe closest ancestors to modern American bowling are the German nine-pin game, Kegeln, and skittles. Modern bowling was initially developed by German immigrants on the East Coast during the Civil War and became popular when the wooden balls were replaced with hard rubber. Ball materials and bowling alley technology improved drastically throughout the following decades, leading to the game people know and love today.

Feel like bowling while eating a few slices of the best pizza in La Crosse, WI? South Lanes Pizza invites you to bring your family and friends for a game! For questions, give them a call at (608) 788-0830. More information about the local bowling alley is available on their website. To check out their daily specials, “like” them on Facebook.

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