By Sara Martin
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

After 40 years together, it is hard to imagine that Sandy and Ruth Herman might need marriage counseling. But as members of opposing Wii Bowling teams, family ties take a backseat when the league title is on the line.

"Ruth’s team, the Strikers, won first place last season," says Mr. Herman. "My team [the Supersonic Eagles] came in last. It was tough, but I still love her."

Now that the third season of Wii Bowling has gotten rolling on campus, any lingering hard feelings are giving way to healthy competition.

"The Supersonic Eagles are alternating between first and second place, depending on the week," says Mr. Herman. "Hopefully, we can stay at the top this season."

Widespread appeal
Wii, a gaming system made by Nintendo, gives players the opportunity to test their skills in sports like bowling, baseball, golf, and boxing. Holding wireless controllers that detect motion, players move as if they were actually swinging bats or rolling bowling balls.

When the gaming console was introduced at Eagle’s Trace, Wii Bowling was an instant favorite.

"We started the Wii Bowling league in February 2007 with six teams," says Frankie Hope, league president. "Residents who were interested in playing put their names in a hat, and we selected the teams randomly to ensure fair competition."

Competition takes place weekly in the Audubon Clubhouse. With two Wii consoles in use, "lanes" are set up alongside each other with a TV screen at the end. Competition continues until all teams have bowled three games.

"Now we have 10 teams and 19 people on the substitute list," says Joy Nall, league secretary. "That’s a total of 59 people on campus who have been bitten by the bowling bug."

No age limit
At 93, Gertrude Roeh is the league’s oldest player. In a recent competition, she bowled eight strikes in a row, eliciting cheers from her teammates and other residents who turned out to support their favorite teams.