UF students can now bowl against someone across the country without having to travel farther than the Reitz Union’s Game Room.
UF is the first university in the nation to offer XBowling, a social mobile application that combines traditional bowling with technology. It allows bowlers to connect with players worldwide, said Bill Fasig, chief marketing officer at its parent company, Sports Challenge Network.
Students can download the app for free on any smartphone.
“XBowling is bowling without boundaries,” he said. “We eliminate the physical and time boundaries to allow people to bowl with someone around the world.”
Sports Challenge Network set up a server in the Reitz Union’s Game Room that reads live scores and transmits them to users’ mobile devices within seconds, said Fasig, 49.
All users have to do is download the app to their smartphones, set up an account and register their location to see their game live, he said. Most challenges are free, but some may cost up to 10 cents.
Not only can users play their opponents live, but if a competitor is only able to bowl later in the week or month, the scores can be recorded at separate times, Fasig said. For the later bowler, the score will show up as if the game is live, with the competitor’s score showing up frame by frame.
Game Room manager Charlotte Dare said she thought using the app was a good way to stay in touch with someone without physically being with them.
“I think it’s the next big thing that’s happening,” she said. “I think it brings a little bit of newness to bowling, a little bit of excitement to bowling.”
Dare said she hopes having the app at UF will increase the amount of Game Room bowlers.
Philosophy junior Brett Palaschak, 20, checked his XBowling app as he bowled his third game Wednesday in lane 15 of the Game Room.
“I don’t really understand it fully yet,” he said, “but I’ve been using it to keep track of my averages.”
Palaschak said he would challenge people once he learns more about the app.
Fasig said he hopes UF can take the lead using the app, eventually challenging other schools, doing intramurals or even conducting charity events via XBowling.
“What I love and see is people getting excited about the ability to connect with anyone in the world,” Fasig said.
Tyler Wells, 18-year-old biology freshman, sets up for a strike at the Reitz Union Game Room on Thursday. The UF Bowling Club meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m.
