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Kona Lanes
The KONA LANES BOWL
roadside sign in 2002
Map
Full nameKona Lanes Bowl
Former namesNew Kona Lanes (1980s)
Address2699 Harbor Blvd.
LocationCosta Mesa, California, US
Coordinates33°40′15.9″N 117°55′13.1″W / 33.671083°N 117.920306°W / 33.671083; -117.920306
OwnerJack Mann Jr. (last)
TypeBowling center
Construction
Built1958
Opened1958
Renovated1981
Closed2003
Demolished2003

Kona Lanes was a bowling center in Costa Mesa, California, from 1958 to 2003. Known for its "Space Age" design, it featured 40 wood-floor bowling lanes, a game room, a lounge, and a coffee shop (later the Island Grill and finally a Mexican diner).[1] Built during the heyday of Googie architecture, its Polynesian Tiki styling extended from the massive roadside neon sign to the building's "flamboyant neon lights and ostentatious rooflines meant to attract motorists like moths."[2]

Kona Lanes was one of the last remaining examples of the Googie style in the region; when it was demolished, only Java Lanes in Long Beach remained until it was razed in 2004.[3] Following a sale of much of the equipment, the building housing Kona Lanes was leveled while the distinctive sign was saved and sent to Cincinnati, Ohio, for inclusion in the American Sign Museum.

During public hearings on the future of the site, members of Costa Mesa's planning commission originally approved a proposal to build a department store. Following public outcry, those plans were scrapped in favor of senior apartments and commercial development.

History

Early years

Kona Lanes before (top) and after a remodel that tamed its "ostentatious" features while preserving its "fieldstone walls, large angled eaves and an inherent sense of campiness"[2]

Kona Lanes opened in 1958, featuring the Tiki-inspired signage and architecture that became popular following World War II.[4] The building on Harbor Boulevard near Adams Avenue was one of three designed and built around the same time by Powers, Daly, & DeRosa featuring the Googie style; Kona Lanes and its sister center,[5] Java Lanes, used names that suggested South Pacific island locales.[6] They were "expensive and attractive buildings that screamed, 'Have fun here'",[7] and Kona retained much of that old-time feel over the years. Its original neon-lit street sign remained for the life of the building,[8] and Kona was the only bowling establishment in the area to eschew automatic scoring equipment throughout its existence.[9]

Kona Lanes hosted the Southern California PBA Open twice, in 1964 (won by Billy Hardwick) and 1965 (won by Jerry Hale).[10] Longtime general manager Dick Stoeffler,[a] known at the time as the host of TV Bowling Tournament on KTLA,[11] finished third during the televised finals in his own building in 1964, behind Hardwick and Bud Horn.[12] When Stoeffler rolled back-to-back 300 games in one league session at Kona in 1968, he was one of only four men in the country to have managed the feat.[13]

Peak years

Numerous champions bowled at Kona Lanes during its 45-year history, including John Haveles, the one-time Orange County Bowling Hall of Fame inductee who began a stint as Kona's manager in 1974;[14] two-time female Bowling Writers Association of America Bowler of the Year Aleta Sill; future Michigan Women's Bowling Association Hall-of-Famer Cora Fiebig;[15] and Barry Asher, the multiple-Professional Bowlers Association tour champion and Hall of Fame inductee who as of 2014 was running the pro shop at Fountain Bowl in nearby Fountain Valley.[16][17] Kona Lanes and Tustin Lanes hosted nearly 10,000 teams of five players each taking part in the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships in 1986.[18]

Under Dick Stoeffler's "innovative" management, Kona Lanes kept busy 24 hours a day, making him one of the most successful proprietors in the country. Stoeffler met his future wife there,[11] and similar reminiscences were printed in local newspapers.[1][2][19][b] Kona was often so busy that customers would have to make reservations to get a lane during "open" (non-league) bowling hours.[21] At its peak, Kona Lanes "was the busiest place in Orange County, averaging more than 80 lines" on each of its 40 lanes.[22][c] A flier posted in the building in 1993 to promote its 35th anniversary called Kona "'the place to be' in Costa Mesa."[1]

Bowling as a participation sport flourished starting in the early 1960s,[24] but its popularity would be diluted due to overbuilding—the number of bowling alleys sanctioned by the then-American Bowling Congress peaked at about 11,000 by mid-decade,[25] and Kona was one of more than 30 in southern California alone—and to a decline in league bowling starting in the 1980s.[24][26] One AMF Bowling official argued that the customer base remained steady because an increase in open bowling made up for fewer league bowlers.[27]

Kona Lanes: early 1960s (top) and 2002

Jack Mann bought Kona Lanes in 1980; he began a renovation that tamed some of the building's colors and features, and re-branded it New Kona Lanes the following year.[28] Mann's family owned several bowling centers in the region; he was behind the creation of Fountain Bowl in 1973 and the short-lived Regal Lanes in Orange in 1974.[9] He also owned Tustin Lanes before selling it to his youngest son, Alex.[d] Mann bought Kona not because he loved bowling, but because it would continue to pay dividends "even if I were incapacitated."[e] Mann would later sell Kona to his son Jack Jr.[24]

Music

The center's lounge, known as the Outrigger Room, hosted numerous local artists over the years. Jazz quintet The Redd Foxx Bbq released four songs recorded there, while Roscoe Holland recorded a set of eight live performances for his album Beyond the Reef.[30]

In later years, large portions of the bowlers' area would be taped off for rock concerts and weekend promotions like Club Crush, which proved popular among teen-agers and also led to album recordings.[31] The idea failed at least once: Kona Lanes was hit with some negative publicity when a planned event featuring a local punk rock group was shut down by the Costa Mesa Police Department.[f]

Decline and demolition

The waning "nostalgic appeal" took its toll on Kona Lanes over time,[9] despite efforts to maintain relevance and to appeal to a more diverse customer base by hosting local music acts, supporting a Polynesian-themed restaurant called Kona Korral,[2] and promoting gimmicks like "nude bowling".[1] Eventually, the property became more valuable than the business.[33] The landowners, C J Segerstrom & Sons, gave Jack Mann Jr. a choice: spend US$10–20 million to update the center, or give it up. Mann chose the latter rather than spend such a sum on a site without a long-term lease.[2][34][g]

Plans to build a Kohl's department store on the site occupied by Kona Lanes and the already-demolished Edwards Cinema Center and Ice Capades Chalet were approved by the city's planning commissioners but met with resistance by neighbors who didn't think it fit in.[9] Then-mayor Karen Robinson complained that Costa Mesa's policy-makers had "completely lost sight of play for the quality of life" of city residents, and appealed the commissioners' decision in February 2003.[36] By April, the city council had rejected the proposal.[37] Meantime, efforts to save Kona Lanes failed;[9] it closed for good in May 2003 and was leveled soon thereafter.[38]

Rezoning and new use

The 7.5 acre parcel was rezoned in 2010 for senior housing that was expected to provide a new customer base for the restaurants and retailers already in the area and for commercial developments still to come.[39] By October 2013, after the lot had sat empty behind a chain-link fence for a decade, construction on the 215-unit complex was under way;[40] Azulón at Mesa Verde opened in 2014.[41] Several dozen palm and eucalyptus trees were saved and replanted on the site.[42]

Legacy

The loss of Kona Lanes was a repeated topic at political events. One Costa Mesa city council candidate said he made a commitment to public service when the building was torn down, because he "didn't hear local officials kicking and screaming."[43] Another would-be council member agreed that "they should have never torn down the bowling alley!"[44]

Kona did see an increase in activity in its final days, due to the nostalgic value of potential keepsakes. Manager Juanita Johnson said people were asking to buy furniture, office equipment, and more. "Some of that is older than I am."[1] The more substantial items, including the "legendary" original wood lanes,[45] had been sold off prior to demolition,[2] while dumpster divers hit the parking lot each day, looking for anything of interest.[1] The occasional knickknack was still being offered for sale more than ten years later.[46]

The surviving KONA LANES section of the sign on display in the American Sign Museum in 2014

Nine years after its only remaining bowling center was leveled,[47][h] Costa Mesa looked to the future: plans to upgrade the retail space known as The Triangle—bordered by Harbor Boulevard, Newport Boulevard and West 19th Street, two miles south of the Kona Lanes site—included a 10-lane bowling alley that opened in 2014,[48] answering a long-standing "outcry for an upscale bowling alley in town."[47]

Historic roadside sign

The huge, neon-lit KONA LANES BOWL sign was featured in such publications as The Book of Tiki and Tiki Road Trip.[49][50] It inspired professional paintings,[51] an unofficial T-shirt,[52] and an effort led by then-Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner Katrina Foley to save it from the scrap heap.

Thanks in part to a private donation,[8] the marquee was trucked 2,500 miles to Cincinnati, one of the first 20 signs accepted by the American Sign Museum.[53] The KONA LANES portion was refurbished and is now on display; the larger BOWL section buckled and tore during the unloading process and could not be saved.[54]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ During the PBA Southern California Open finals on December 21, 1964, ABC-TV announcer Chris Schenkel referred to Stoeffler as "general manager, part-owner and resident pro."
  2. ^ At least one wedding was performed on the approach.[20]
  3. ^ Industry standard: a "line" is a single ten-frame game per person.[23]
  4. ^ After 38 years in business, Tustin Lanes closed in October 2015. The Orange County Register called it "the latest victim of the shrinking bowling industry".[29]
  5. ^ "Ironically," Mann said in 2003, "nobody in my family is a bowler."[1]
  6. ^ U.S. Bombs' promoter said the band was being accused of promoting Nazism; a police sergeant replied that it was merely an issue of permits.[32]
  7. ^ In a letter to the Daily Pilot thanking Kona Lanes' customers, Jack Mann Jr. wrote, "the nature of bowling and recreation in general has changed since Kona Lanes was constructed more than 40 years ago. Upgrading the existing Kona Lanes facility to modern bowling standards and current building codes would be prohibitively expensive. It would be equally costly to tear it down to build a new bowling center from scratch. No one is to blame, and it is inappropriate to target the Segerstroms, who have been excellent landlords."[35]
  8. ^ Mesa Lanes on Superior Avenue had closed years earlier. Newspaper archives include references to Mesa Lanes since the early 1960s at least; its final filing with the California Secretary of State's Office was in May 1983. (See here and here for company data.) The exact dates of Mesa Lanes' operation are not in any public archives as of November 2015.

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Pignataro, Anthony (May 8, 2003). "Goodbye, Nude Bowling: The Last Days of Kona Lanes". OC Weekly. Costa Mesa. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Martelle, Scott (May 27, 2003). "O. C. Bowling Alley's Days Roll to an End". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  3. ^ "ALERT: Java Lanes". PreserveLA.com. April 13, 2004. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
       Cohn, Matt (April 28, 2014). "Java Lanes Remembered As Long Beach's Tiki, Space-Age Fun Place". Long Beach Post. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  4. ^ Mendenhall, Carolyn (videojournalist) (January 22, 2014). The American Sign Museum. YouTube (video). Cincinnati, Ohio. Retrieved May 27, 2014. (Tod Swormstedt:) The guys came back from the war in the Pacific, they'd been in those kind of Hawaiian-flavored bars and restaurants, they came back to the States after the war, there was this whole advent of the Tiki look.
       Epting, Chris (June 9, 2010). "Tracking Tiki culture, influence". Huntington Beach Independent. p. 2. Retrieved August 15, 2015. (Chris Jepsen, Orange County Historical Society:) The [Polynesian] theme was fully embraced in Orange County as it became almost a status—a sign of class and distinction. A normal bowling alley now became 'Kona Lanes', and it stood out. Developers even incorporated the Tiki theme into their housing projects.
  5. ^ Douglas, Leo (July 1, 2004). "The Birth, the Death, the Ghost". OC Weekly. Costa Mesa. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  6. ^ Pico HRA 2013, p. 16.
  7. ^ Hurley 2002, p. 155.
  8. ^ a b Clinton, Paul (June 24, 2003). "Piece of Kona Lanes to Live On". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e Newman, Dierdre (April 5, 2003). "Pins Set to Fall On Kona Lanes". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  10. ^ "PBA Tour Champions by Season". PBA. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  11. ^ a b Goodwin, Jim (February 2007). "Heaven Has a New Headliner: After 8 Year Battle, Cancer Finally Claims Dick Stoeffler" (PDF). Stars & Strikes America's Bowling Newsmagazine. p. 2. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  12. ^ "Southern California PBA Open: Archived Standings". PBA. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  13. ^ "Californian Sixth with Consecutive 300 Games" (PDF). Leader-Herald. Gloversville, New York. February 5, 1968. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  14. ^ Groh, Fred (March 28, 2013). "Linbrook Bowl's John Haveles Retires" (PDF). California Bowling News. p. 4. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  15. ^ Scott, Gerald (June 30, 1986). "WIBC Tournament: Bowlers Wrapping Up 3-Month Event". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  16. ^ Horvitz 2002, p. 116.
  17. ^ Larsen, Peter (March 21, 2013). "Bringing the Bowling to 'The Big Lebowski'". Orange County Register. Santa Ana. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  18. ^ Program Yearbook 2013, pp. 3, 22.
  19. ^ "Articles About Bowling Alley". Daily Pilot (search result). (Costa Mesa). Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  20. ^ "Bright and Brief". Associated Press. October 11, 1988. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  21. ^ Paul, Kent M. (June 11, 2011). "Community Commentary: A Few Strikes Against Modern Bowling". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  22. ^ Lyou, Joe (February 2007). "Tenpin Slants" (PDF). Bowling World: 16. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  23. ^ "Glossary: Line (game)". Bowling Depot. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  24. ^ a b c Norman, Jan (March 4, 2010). "34 Years of Bowling is Enough". Orange County Register. Santa Ana. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  25. ^ Sanchez, Jesus (August 30, 1988). "Ralph Cramden Might Not Recognize the New Bowling Center". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  26. ^ Pico HRA 2013, p. 17.
  27. ^ Newman, Dierdre (May 28, 2003). "Not a Gutter Ball Yet". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. p. 2. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  28. ^ "New Kona Lanes, Inc., California". BusinessProfiles. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  29. ^ Edwards Staggs, Brooke (October 9, 2015). "Shuttered Tustin Lanes to become Orchard Supply Hardware". Orange County Register. Santa Ana. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  30. ^ "Kona Lanes (venue page)". discogs. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  31. ^ Buffa, Peter (March 2, 2003). "Bye, Kona Lanes and Tiki Googie". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
       Pasillas, Gena (August 20, 1998). "Guitar Alley". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
       Instagon (December 23, 2009). Space 1999 (10th Anniversary Edition) (album) (MP3). Tracks 5–7. Retrieved November 14, 2014.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  32. ^ Kane, Rich (August 19, 1999). "Police On My Back". OC Weekly. Costa Mesa. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  33. ^ Edwards Staggs, Brooke (October 25, 2015). "Orange County's fading bowling alley scene: just 15 centers remain". Orange County Register. Santa Ana. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  34. ^ Newman, Dierdre (May 28, 2003). "Not a Gutter Ball Yet". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. p. 1. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  35. ^ Mann, Jack Jr. (April 8, 2003). "Simple change is Kona Lanes' end". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  36. ^ Newman, Dierdre (February 28, 2003). "Mayor Plans Appeal of Kona Lanes Vote". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  37. ^ Newman, Dierdre (April 9, 2003). "Costa Mesa Rakes Over the Kohl's". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  38. ^ Newman, Dierdre (May 31, 2003). "Demolition nears for Kona Lanes bowling". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  39. ^ Brower, Martin (April 1, 2011). "New Plans for Old Kona Lanes Site". Coast Magazine. Santa Ana. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  40. ^ Zint, Bradley (July 30, 2014). "Looking for Costa Mesa's Historic Buildings? They're Not On the Local Register". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  41. ^ Zint, Bradley (December 19, 2014). "55-and-Older Complex Opens in Costa Mesa". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  42. ^ Francis, Kedric (January 12, 2015). "The Azulón Aesthetic". Coast Magazine. Santa Ana. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  43. ^ Shadia, Mona (October 12, 2010). "McEvoy: No Ties, No Strings". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  44. ^ Pirani, Niyaz (October 23, 2008). "Economy, Recreation Hot Topics at Costa Mesa Forum". Orange County Register. Santa Ana. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  45. ^ Thornburg, Barbara (October 24, 2009). "Barn Becomes Home in Renovation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
       McNatt, Cindy (November 17, 2013). "OC Home: November 2013". Orange County Register. Santa Ana. pp. 24–26. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  46. ^ "Kona Lanes Bowling Glass Costa Mesa California I Bowled Over 250 Tumbler Glass". eBay. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  47. ^ a b Peters, Sarah (October 24, 2009). "Revitalization in the Works for Triangle Square". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  48. ^ Bordas, Alexandria (March 13, 2014). "Alley Owner Hopes to Pin Down Success". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  49. ^ Kirsten 2000, p. 197.
  50. ^ Teitelbaum 2007, pp. 84, 234.
  51. ^ "Kona Lanes". Paintings by Michael Ward. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
       "Kona Lanes Bowling Painting Reproduction from Ross Studio". The Neon Road. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  52. ^ "XL Kona Lanes by Pupntaco". Etsy. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  53. ^ Pennington, Amanda; Robinson, Alicia (April 29, 2007). "Sunday Story: Our 14 Wonders". Daily Pilot. Costa Mesa. p. 8. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  54. ^ Swormstedt, Tod (January 29, 2014). "American Sign Museum". Facebook (official). Retrieved January 29, 2014. Picking the smaller 'Kona Lanes' section went fine ... the larger 'BOWL' section did not go as well: as the sign was raised off the trailer, the sign began to bend in the middle and the crane cable loosened. The crane operator quickly raised the boom to tighten the cable, but the sign began to tear apart in the middle ... almost in two jagged sections. ... The sign was basically unsalvageable and was scrapped. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
       Staff (October 9, 2015). "American Sign Museum". RoadsideAmerica.com. Retrieved October 10, 2015.

Bibliography

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