TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Bowling strikes and spares isn’t just a form of entertainment. Some of the best bowlers can make a career out of the sport.

The Professional Bowlers Association, or PBA, has more than 3,000 members, with a select few traveling with the PBA Tour.

PBA bowler Kyle Troup on the red carpet during the 2019 State Farm Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational on January 17, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images for PBA)

The grinding PBA Tour has participants traveling about 30 weeks out of the year, typically from January through May. Players stay true to their roots, often returning to practice and play at their home bowling alleys. 

Kyle Troup is from Taylorsville, but his home alley is at Newton’s Pin Station. Strikes come naturally for Troup.

“I wanted to be like my father, bowl in the PBA, be a professional bowler, and be an entertainer,” Troup said.

His father, Guppy Troup, was quite the entertainer as a professional bowler in the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s. Kyle practically grew up at the bowling alley.

“My mom told me he pretty much never wanted to put me down, carrying and showcasing me, saying look what I did — because my dad was a pretty wild and crazy bowler back in the day,” said Troup.

Like father, like son. You can’t miss Kyle on the PBA Tour, whether it’s his personality, hair, or unique pants.

“Back in the 80s, he wore wild pants. He wore the crazy designs. They looked like curtains from your grandmother’s room back in the day. And so it was kinda the Troup Tradition,” Kyle said.

PBA bowler Kyle Troup bowls during the 2019 State Farm Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational on January 17, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images for PBA)

Another family tradition is winning. Guppy Troup won 42 titles, including eight national titles. Kyle so far has ten regional titles and a PBA Players Championship. 

You may be surprised to learn the players on the PBA Tour have never averaged above 230 in a single season. You could blame the lanes because none of them ever roll the same. Variables like weather, air conditioning, and oil patterns all come into play.

“Some of the lane surfaces are wood,” Troup said. “We have four different types of synthetic material. Some of them have a lot more friction in them, so it makes the ball want to curve a lot more.”

The dynamic grind of the PBA Tour is what keeps Kyle Troup going. He still has years ahead of him and possibly plenty of more titles.

“Bowling is always going to be a part of my life,” Troup said. “I will say I probably don’t want to be bowling 30 weeks a year when I am 50, but I will say until I am at least 40, I want to hit the ground running full speed. I’ve got a lot of goals.”

Among his goals, Troup hopes to own his bowling center one day and become a full-time bowling coach.