The Elgin Cross-Town Classic will be broadcast live on USTREAM TV when it runs the next two weekends at Bowlway and Elgin Lanes. The link is www.ustream.tv/channel/beacon-sports.
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| Bowling advertisement from 1950's. Courtesy of Classic Television Showbiz. |
The telecasts will be produced by the Broadcast Education and Communication Networks Academy (BEACON) at South Elgin High School and the Elgin Academy videography department, which is led by instructor John Fleener. The program will be directed by Mario Calero from South Elgin High School.
Calling the action while the cameras record will be long-time Elgin announcer Jeff Myers (Elgin) from Elgin Today. Providing frame by frame analysis will be Kyle Bault (Elgin), an established bowling coach who heads Bault Bowling in Elgin.
“This is a great opportunity for the students at both these schools to direct and produce an original sports telecast,” said Bault. “It gives them practical experience, a chance to work together, and also helps promote the sport of bowling in Elgin and beyond on the World Wide Web.”
The USTREAM TV production will feature four cameras; two on adjoining lanes, one on the bench and a floating camera to catch reaction shots. Director Mario Calero says he wants to capture every aspect of the experience. “I’m hoping we can bring the sights and sounds of this event to everyone who goes online to watch the show,” he said.
Filming the Elgin Cross-Town Classic pays homage to the classic era of bowling in the early 1950’s when television was just beginning and a new show, Championship Bowling, featured challenge matches that were broadcast live in Chicago at the old Faetz-Niesen bowling center.
“We expect and hope for something very similar to that experience,” said Event Coordinator Sean Hargadon, who was inspired to produce the Elgin Cross-Town Classic because of his late father, Bill Hargadon, a Hall of Fame bowler, who bowled and lost in one of the most famous televised matches in the history of the sport. “My father had the pleasure or the pain you might say of bowling against fellow Chicago bowler Joe Kristof, who rolled a perfect 300 game – the first for a live telecast. It was a great match and my Dad cheered Joe on until the end.”
