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COLUMBIA DARK ENCOUNTER
- Price: $159.95
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Specs:
Hook Rating: Unrated
Product Description
Columbia 300 lived up to its name at the recent PBA World Series of Bowling, as its new Dark Encounter helped Chris Barnes to a perfect 300 game during the finals of the PBA Shark Open.
Because the finals won’t air until March, Barnes was given special dispensation to use the Dark Encounter in WSOB competition, even though the actual release date is not until Jan. 5, 2012.
“The Shark pattern played the tightest out of all the patterns at the WSOB,” said Barnes. “The lanes we bowled on for the finals were installed in an arena setting, so we had a more pristine lane surface than we had in qualifying. This meant the lanes were a little tighter.”
The Dark Encounter contains the same dynamic Encounter core used in the original Encounter. In addition, the Elastin 6.0 cover used in the Encounter was improved with even larger pores and increased length of the polymer chains. This solid version, Elastin 7.5, has resulted in a ball that has the great backend motion seen in the Encounter, but with greater traction in oil for big hook.
It’s the combination of new core and cover that create such a dynamic new product, according to Columbia 300 Brand Manager Bugsy Kelly.
“Chris used the original Encounter during qualifying,” explained Kelly. “Because the lanes were tighter during qualifying, he needed a stronger version of the Encounter. The Dark Encounter was perfect for him, and he couldn’t have thrown it better. It bit through the oil in the front of the lane, and gave the right amount of backend motion.”
“This was the first time I’d gotten to throw the Dark Encounter,” added Barnes. “I’d never even seen the ball before that day, and I shot a 300 game. The ball’s traction motion was perfect in the heavier oil, but the aggressive backend gave me the carry I needed in the arena.”