At Storm, one of the best parts of our jobs is supporting the events we sponsor. As bowlers ourselves, we really enjoy being in our element and getting to interact with our customers and fans in a setting that we do not normally get the opportunity to be in. Working the True Amateur Tournament is always one of the highlights of my year, a very large privilege and perk of my job. At the TAT, we have a ball room, where we hand out bowling equipment, towels, bags, shirts, you name it, to the entrants of the tournament. Getting to interact, field questions, take photos and sign autographs. It really is one of the best parts of my job at Storm. Our company is mainly comprised of bowlers, we love bowling, and every chance we can, we want to make sure we let our customers know how much we appreciate them supporting our family run business.

This summer’s TAT was a celebrity filled room. Norm Duke, Tim Mack, Chris Schlemmer, Lee Upp and myself. I joked a few times that when I’m the worst bowler in the room, it’s a pretty good room. Counting the number of titles, HOF’s, accomplishments, experience and knowledge in that room is not even possible, but that’s who we are at Storm, we have the best and brightest on our team to provide the best products we can for our customers. Also, it’s a great incentive to bowl the TAT! Not many places in the world can someone have access to all of that knowledge and experience.

When the door closes on the on our room, the lights are turned off, the group often changes and meets for a meal and libation. This is where many stories are told, memories shared, and laughs had. For a kid growing up in a small town in Minnesota, I never dreamed I would get the chance to be a part of a family like this. Many of the tales told are ones that will remain untold to the masses, they are our stories, the ones that get passed down from generation to generation inside our team. We form a mutual trust and bond with each other working on the same events, year after year, and become very close. I’ve worked at quite a few places in my life, but none like Storm. Working on the road can be one that is difficult, stressful and makes one long for their own bed, a home cooked meal, and the other comforts of home. However, the experiences more than make up for the time spent away from home and have made my life a very rich one!