Music thumps and lights flash.

Sunday, December 30, 2001

Music thumps and lights flash. Pins, balls and lanes glow in the dark. Fog drifts across the lanes.

This is not your typical bowling.

It’s Xtreme.

Loren Kaiser, co-manager of Holiday Lanes, said the bowling alley originally offered Rock-n-Bowl, but had to change it because of a copyright.

Holiday Lanes put in new AMF lanes in 1995, which glow with black lights. There are also TV screens which project digital video discs, machines that &uot;fog&uot; up the alley, and even strobe lights.

&uot;The kids go crazy even time we turn on the strobe lights,&uot; Kaiser said. &uot;But we don’t leave them on for long.&uot;

Holiday Lanes of Albert Lea offers Xtreme bowling to the public three times a week: on Fridays from 9:30 p.m.-midnight; and Saturdays from 4-6 p.m. and from 9-11:30 p.m.

Kaiser said the afternoon session, which costs $6 per person, is a big draw for families. It’s a non-smoking session. The evening sessions are $9 per person. These draw both adults and young adults alike, he added.

The cost includes shoe rental, and people can bowl as much as they want during that time period.

Xtreme bowling is popular for fund-raisers as well as kids’ birthday parties. &uot;We have between five and eight birthday parties a week, after school Fridays or on Saturdays,&uot; Kaiser said. Bumpers are available on 10 lanes.

On days when school is out, the bowling alley offers Xtreme bowl-a-thons. Holiday Lanes works with Albert Lea Park and Rec on an after-school bowling program. &uot;We have about 60 kids who do it,&uot; Kaiser said. &uot;Any time we do things with kids, it’s non-smoking. And parents can bowl free with after-school bowling.&uot;

Holiday Lanes also works with the Albert Lea Family Y’s School’s Out program.

Elementary schools in Albert Lea, Hollandale Christian School, Alden, Glenville-Emmons, United South Central and Ellendale schools send gym classes to the bowling alley.

In addition, Holiday Lanes has 140 kids in its youth bowling program. That includes 38 teams of junior bowlers and 18 adult/youth teams. Arc Freeborn County had 75 bowlers on Mondays from September through November.

&uot;We try to be strong with kids,&uot; Kaiser said, adding the bowling center has sponsorships/ coupons with Burger King, Dairy Queen, Perkins, Domino’s Pizza and Applebee’s.