Hall Of Fame Inductee

Fraser Hambly

Inducted into: Builder Division in 2017

Inducted into: Player Division in 1989

Location: Toronto

Deceased: 2018

  • Builder
  • Player

This year, we will recognize Fraser Hambly as the sixteenth dual inductee to the Ontario 5 Pin Bowlers’ Hall of Fame.

Fraser was inducted as a bowler in 1989. Since that time, Fraser has added extensively to his Hall of Fame credentials. Specifically, he won the provincial Open singles championship in both 1990 and 1992 and these triumphs led to silver and bronze medals nationally giving him a total of four national singles medals, having won gold in 1968 and 1973. As well, Fraser was an Ontario champion on three more men’s teams, winning in 1992, 1993 and 1996, having previously won in 1968. He also added a senior provincial team title in 2006. In the Master Bowlers’ Association, Fraser won five additional provincial tournaments and nationally won a gold medal with the men’s team at the 1991 MBAC nationals. On the MBAO senior tour, Fraser won twelve provincial events and four aggregate titles, and was a recipient of the MBAC Award of Excellence in 2015. With his accomplishments in the year 2000, Fraser was voted by his peers, as the number one male bowler since the beginning of our sport.

While Fraser first started to bowl as a teenager in the 1950’s, his on-lane successes were continually used as promotional tools by 5 pin bowling. He appeared with radio personality, Joe Crysdale, as a young “phenom“ and, for two weeks, a photo of Fraser on the lanes was featured on the trucks of the Toronto daily newspaper, The Telegram, and also on their corner boxes promoting “Lines on an Alley“.

As 5 pin bowling entered the 1960’s, the sport was in a period of tremendous growth. The introduction of the automatic pinsetter would revolutionize the bowling industry at the proprietor level and spawned the growth of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of Ontario (BPAO). From the bowler’s point of view, the Ontario Bowlers’ Congress (OBC), the Youth Bowling Council (YBC) and the Master Bowlers’ Association of Ontario (MBAO) were just beginning and their growth would be extraordinary.

With this expansion, a youthful Fraser Hambly not only began to star on the lanes, but he chose to work within the sport as well. Along with Hall of Famer Doug Cain, he certified bowling lanes east of Oshawa and throughout eastern Ontario. He parlayed that skill to teach the lane certification program at the first Convention in 1967. Also, while starring in the Toronto City Major League, he also founded the first Young Adult Bowling League. In addition, he became an executive member of several leagues, including the presidency of the Toronto Major League and also reached the Vice President level with the provincial Master Bowlers’ Association, a position that only ended in 2015. That said, to this day, he continues to compile the lifetime averages and history of the tournament winners for the MBAO. He also created a database to track “years of service“ for the members and assisted in the design process for the pins awarded for these milestones.

Fraser was also a frequent promoter of 5 pin bowling in all forms of media including newspaper, radio and television. He was featured in the Toronto Star and also authored many articles published in the Bowlerama Times and later the Canadian Bowler. Along with several radio interviews, Fraser has appeared on television throughout Ontario from cable television, to TVO, CTV, and CBC networks. These promotional opportunities included an appearance on a segment of the “Strombo“ show entitled “Something You Might Not Know About Canada“ filmed at Parkway Bowl; and also bowling, with Hall of Famer, Diane MacLeod, during the halftime show at a Toronto Argonaut football game.

With the birth of the annual Bowling School in 1991, Fraser was part of the organizing committee and subsequently, attended for several years offering his expertise to the eager students. As well, he was instrumental in creating the Top 90 program for the Ontario 5 Pin Bowlers’ Association and took this program to the Canadian 5 Pin Bowlers’ Association to help create the Century of Excellence award to recognize the top one hundred male and female bowlers from across Canada. In addition, he continues to sponsor both the Hall of Fame reception and the “Shootout“ at the provincial Open and recently, initiated a sponsorship of the year end tournament of the Master Bowlers’ Association.

In summary, for over sixty years, Fraser has won both tournaments and high average titles in seven consecutive decades. As such, over that time, if you were looking to promote 5 pin bowling, Fraser Hambly was the “go to“ person. Whether it was Big Brothers, meeting tenpin legend Earl Anthony, participating in the Queen’s royal visit to the CNE, appearing at a provincial bowling tournament, opening a charity event or just doing a variety of administrative chores behind the scenes, these were all events involving Fraser as a builder of our industry.

Now 74, Fraser, a former school teacher, continues to live with his wife, Hope, in North Toronto.

Despite being only 46, and the youngest bowler ever inducted to the Hall of Fame, Fraser Hambly of Toronto takes his rightful place with the all time greats of 5 pin bowling.

In a 30-year career, Fraser Hambly has won more tournaments and more prize money than any other bowler in the history of 5 pin bowling.

These victories began in 1956-57 as the Canadian junior team and singles champion, and continued to the 1969 Dick Adams tournament in Oshawa.

In between, Fraser has won 34 individual tournaments and over $65,000 in official prize money.

Heading the list of victories are the Ontario and Canadian open singles titles in both 1969 and 1973, five Master Bowlers Association victories and a $10,000 first place finish in 1974 in the Canadian Invitational Singles Championship at O’Connor Bowl.

As well as tournament victories, Fraser has also dominated his league play and, in almost every case, won the high average award. In the men’s major league, Fraser won his first high average title at Spadina in 1959, at the young age of 16. In the Metro Toronto Major League in 1988, Fraser won the high average again and this span of twenty-nine years between titles is a major achievement in both his career and our history.

Overall, Fraser’s career has been one of both firsts and superlatives. As well as winning more tournaments and more money than any other player, Fraser has won the city major league high average crown seven times, including a career high of 276.5. He has 16 perfect games and 1162 three game score.

Now a school teacher, Fraser can look back to 1973-74, for example, when he earned $9,000 as a teacher and over $12,000 on the lanes. Included in that amount was the $10,000 from O’Connor, a cheque his wife, Hope, quickly transferred to a down payment on a house in North Toronto, where Fraser and Hope still reside.