Silver Star Mountain Resort has delivered a new attraction to its ever-growing list of family-friendly activities. And this one is geared towards those looking to get out of the cold.
Open since December, Pinheads Bowling Alley is Canada’s first, and only, ski-in, ski-out, 10-pin bowling experience.
Located at the FireLight Lodge, Pinheads has four state-of-the-art lanes, including bumper rails for the kids, 70-inch LCD screen entertainment, lighting displays and touch-screen automatic scoring pads.
And three of the lanes are available for reservation, while the fourth is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We thought it would be something that everyone could enjoy,” said Duncan Miller, Pinheads owner.
“It would be something that would benefit Silver Star and the whole area. In terms of the commercial area, it seems to fit in very well. It’s right opposite Brewer’s Pond, so it’s right in the whole of the kids’ corner. If someone had actually planned it, you wouldn’t put it in a different spot.”
Miller may not be a household name in Canada, but he is somewhat of a celebrity in his native Australia. He teamed up with best mate Mark Bowyer to compete in the hit Aussie reality television show The Block in 2010.
The duo – known as ‘The Two Fat Tradies’ – became instant fan favourites, and were invited back to the 10th anniversary all-star edition, which recently finished filming.
The series follows four couples as they compete against each other to renovate houses and sell them at auction for the highest price.
“That’s a good reason why I came here for six weeks. I’m not noticed as much over here,” chuckled the laid-back Aussie. “In saying that, the Australians (working at Silver Star) notice me.”
As the father of four “ski-crazy” sons, Miller was drawn to Silver Star about five years ago.
“We just typed in the five best places in the world to ski with kids, and Silver Star was one of them. It just ticked all the boxes.”
In addition to the bowling, Pinheads is also serving up a new dining option with its adjoining Final Run Bar and Bistro.
The bistro’s menu and wine list was created by Ricardo Scebba and Sue Miller – co-owners of the popular Kelowna restaurant Ricardo’s – and features a range of healthy food options, sandwich bar and hot foods.
“It’s simple food, but when Ricardo comes in, he seems to make even simple food taste unreal,” said Duncan Miller.
While Miller might be handy with a hammer, he admits his bowling skills wouldn’t pass inspection.
“My oldest son still holds the record on the screen, and I’ve been trying my hardest to beat it,” he said.
“I’m happy with about a 150. That’s about my best so I’ve still got a long way to go.”
Pinheads is currently organizing a tenpin Silver Star league, and Miller also sees potential for a Vernon league and school group functions.
