Bowled over

Facility ends final frame with a split

By Kellen Olshefski

Editor

Last week officially marked the end of an era in Elkhorn as demolition crews razed the Two Seasons Bowling facility on North Wisconsin Street.

Owner Bruce Kudick closed the bowling alley as recreational facility at the end of summer after running it for 25 years.

Kudick, who has been attempting to sell the facility for 10 years – aggressively for approximately 1-1/2 years – said with the current economy, there was no serious buyer interest so he decided to shut it down.

With the metal and block building down, Kudick said the 13.5-acre property is being set up for commercial development. He said the front lot, on which the building previously stood, is going to be divided up into two lots.

Kudick said he has been going through the process with the city in regards to dividing the land, and he hopes the plan is approved in December. From there it will go to the City Council.

While an Elkhorn staple may now be officially gone, Kudick said his goal is to bring more commercial development to the City of Elkhorn.

“We hope it’ll be a positive thing,” he said. “Even though Elkhorn is losing a bowling center, we’re hoping this will bring some jobs to the area.”

With two lots available, Kudick said anyone interested in putting in a retail store is encouraged to contact him for more information.

As for Kudick, he plans to stick around the area for a little bit while his son gets closer to finishing college.

Though he’ll be moving to Florida, tentatively after his son finishes spring semester, he will still likely return to Wisconsin to visit his son from time to time and even attend some Green Bay Packers games up at Lambeau Field.

Regardless, Kudick said, he’s thankful for all of the support over the years from the Elkhorn community. He said he wishes area residents the best, and hopes they keep bowling, even though it will not be at Two Seasons Bowl.

Two Seasons

Originally built by Phil Welch and Bob Reed, this year marked Two Seasons Bowl’s 50th anniversary.

According to Elkhorn resident and long-time bowler, George Paulsen, up until closing the facility stood true to vintage bowling, maintaining original hard-maple lanes, six of which came from the old bowling center owned by the Mischler family in the 1950s.

Kudick took over as manager of the bowling alley in 1988, and purchased it in 1989, after the Langerman family had owned it for many years.

Throughout his 25 years, Kudick held onto all of the lane certifications, from lanes one through 12 from the American Bowling Congress and United States Bowling Congress, dating as far back as 1965, something he’s considering donating to Elkhorn’s Webster House Museum.

For Paulsen, the demolition of Two Seasons Bowl serves as somewhat of a sobering reminder. In an earlier interview with the Elkhorn Independent he said bowling has unfortunately lost its luster.

He recollected days when bowling establishments in Milwaukee were luxurious, and the city ranked as one of the top 10 nationally as a bowling destination.

“The establishments in Milwaukee just don’t have the luster they used to have,” he said. “They’re just not as attractive as they used to be.”

Though he said popularity of bowling as a sport has declined over recent years, he hopes he can strike up some passion among youth in for a chance that the sport might one day come rolling back.