Louisville bowlers set Guinness World Record for most strikes in 24 hours

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Lane One at Kingpin in Jeffersontown is now home to a Guinness World Record.

Louisville bowlers Steve Wiseman, Trace Wiseman, Kyle Reed and Erik Howard now hold the record for most strikes in a 24-hour period in 10-pin bowling with four people.

This is new territory for the world records. There was no prior record for strikes in 24 hours, so Guinness set the mark at 1,200.

"We passed that record about 1:45 today, and we're going to keep bowling and driving that number way high so nobody can beat us," Wiseman said after breaking the record with more than 10 hours remaining.

There were cheers and hugs when the record was officially set Monday afternoon, as you can see in this Facebook live stream of the attempt.

The bowlers bowled, friends kept count of strikes, others videoed the effort so the record could be verified. There was no Guinness official on site.

"We have to have 24 hours of continuous video that shows we actually accomplished what we say we did and what the score sheets show," said Wiseman.

The Guinness Book of World Records is not new to the Wiseman family. With this record, Steve and Trace have now broken three world records for bowling.

In addition to the most strikes in 24 hours, they have the records for most pins knocked down in 24 hours by a team of two and four.

Angie Smith, Steve's daughter and Trace's sister, said it's all about strategy for the boys.

"Each bowler bowls 15 balls," Smith said. "When they finish their 15th ball, the next bowler comes up and they get a break."

Smith helps the people keeping track of the strikes and makes sure the stream is never cut off. She's proud of her family and friends, but aims to use the feat for a bigger purpose.

She organized a raffle for the 24 hours of bowling. Anyone can buy a ticket for $1 and have a chance to win Professional Bowler's Association autographed merchandise, other gear and even a signed bowling ball used by Kyle Troup to win the 2024 U.S. Open.

The money will be donated to the Friend for Life Cancer Support Network, a cause near and dear to Smith's heart as an 8-year survivor of breast cancer.

"They linked me up with someone who was close to my age, who had a similar type of cancer to what mine was and also had small children when they were diagnosed, so that I could talk to someone that had been in my shoes," she said.

The raffle continued until midnight, as did the bowling.

Despite the blisters and sleep deprivation, this team now has its third Guinness World Record and money to give to a good cause.

Smith grinned, "All worth it."

To learn more about the Friend for Life Cancer Support Network, or to make a donation, click here.

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