In Oshawa, Dale Strutt grew up around the local bowling centres, namely Motor City and the Oshawa Plaza. Dale’s parents, Bob and Patricia, worked every Saturday night at the lanes in the plaza, located under the grocery store in the Oshawa Shopping Centre. As such, Dale spent considerable time at both centres, under the watchful eyes of both his parents and the proprietor, Bruce England.

In the Youth Bowling Council (YBC), Dale was a fast learner. At just eight years old, Dale bowled a 408 single and a year later, he was repairing the Brunswick pinsetters under the watchful eye of Hall of Famer, Nick Pagniello. As well, in 1977, Dale was a member of the YBC senior boys’ team that won the provincial title, only to finish sixth at the national finals in Winnipeg. Also, in 1979, Dale qualified to bowl in the youth program that was offered at both the Sportsmen’s Show and the Canadian National Exhibition. In addition, at just fifteen, Dale also bowled an unsanctioned perfect game during one of his many practice sessions.

Joining the adult ranks, Dale was a driving force in both the provincial Open championships and the Master Bowlers’ Association as well as the many open tournaments offered nationally to all bowlers in Canada. In the provincial Open, Dale qualified fourteen times, seven as a singles representative, twelve on the men’s team and two on the mixed team. While Dale did not win provincially at the Open, he used the Master Bowlers’ Association to break through as a tournament champion.

Specifically, he won his first event in Lindsay in 1989 and overall, won six tournaments in a period from 1989 to 1995. In addition, Dale qualified to represent Ontario at the Master Bowlers’ Association of Canada (MBAC) national finals on four occasions. In 1989, Dale won a bronze medal, but added gold medals in 1991, 1995 and 1996. Finally, Dale won the Mark Ten Accuracy contest in 1996 to join a select few who have won this satellite competition. Overall, in 922 games, from 1983 to 1996, his average was 260.36, one of the highest ever recorded for over 900 games bowled.

Like many top athletes, bowlers being no exception, Dale knew the importance of practice. Around his job at General Motors, Dale would bowl one hundred games a week. This effort paid off locally as he won the 3-6-9 perfect game pot at Motor City Bowl on Friday nights and this success earned him $8200. When the Bowling Proprietors of Canada began a series of events on CBC television, Dale qualified four times in six years to be an Ontario representative. In 1991, he was victorious, earning $25,000 while bowling at Roxy Lanes in Winnipeg.

Dale also enjoyed the national tournament program and on fifteen occasions, bowled in both Saskatoon and Winnipeg. Specifically, at the KG Open in Saskatoon, Dale earned $23,000 with a win and a second against the best bowlers from across Canada. In all, Dale estimates his tournament winnings at $111,000.

Off the lanes, Dale and his wife, Penny, married in 1986 and with a blended family of three youngsters settled in Trenton for a four year period from 1989-1992. While his wife chose to stay there, Dale moved back to Oshawa to continue his bowling career that was in a high-performance mode in all programs.

Dale ended his bowling activity in 2004 and also took a buyout from General Motors at the end of 2008, ending his career as a quality control technician. Will he return to the lanes? At just fifty-six years of age, there is still time as several programs await his participation.