Perhaps you've heard what sounded like cracked pins the last time you went bowling. Maybe you left a buried 8 pin on a shot that looked perfect. Or did the pins at your local center look a little off or discolored during league? You're not alone.
According to a few local bowling centers, ordering new pins has come to a standstill, with many using pins 3 years old or more. Others have scrambled to purchase pins from now defunct bowling centers that went out of business and no longer needed their supply. And what this has caused is many centers using cracked or damaged pins, leading to frustrated bowlers.
Take a look at these pins that were found in a local center just recently. These damaged pins, removed now, were in use only a few days ago and the centers fear problems like this may persist going forward.
In September, 2021, pin manufacturer QubicaAMF had to halt pin production entirely due to supply chain issues and employee layoffs. And from what it seems like, the problem still has not been rectified, with one local center claiming they put in an order for new pins in February, 2021 with a delivery date of August. They're still waiting for their delivery 6 months later.
And with QubicaAMF providing no updates or insights into when the pins will be delivered, don't be surprised if your average plummets into the spring months. It may not be you.
