Like the local soccer players who finally got their indoor pitch at the Canada Games Centre last year, Yukon bowlers are thrilled to see the new renovations recently done at Mad Trapper Alleys in Whitehorse.

Many soccer players say the new pitch provides better bounces, which can result in more scoring opportunities. Similarly, bowlers insist the newly-sanded lanes are more 'true' and mean better scores.

'It was time to (redo the lanes),' stated Stephen Kwok, the owner of Mad Trapper Alleys, in an interview Thursday. 'It's been over ten years since the last time they were done. Basically, if I didn't do it, I might as well knock the place down.

'It was in terrible shape.'

Kwok spent $50,000 in total on his recent renovations, which also included new rubber on the pins, new balls and new shoes.

'Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about the machine (that resets the pins and sends the balls back� it sometimes gets stuck),' he said. 'It's old, but it never dies. It's like a Rolls Royce. Head office told me they will never run out of parts, so that's good.'

Mad Trapper was closed for a week during the renovations, with workers flown in from B.C. working 12 hours a day to get it all done. By all accounts, it was well worth it.

'You can make strikes now,' commented Elaine Sumner, who bowls in the seniors league. 'The lanes are smooth and even. The pins bounce and have some life to them.

'It's made a big difference. You could throw a good ball and you wouldn't get anything (points) last year. This year, you could throw a bad ball and still get something because of the liveliness of the pins.'

Kevin Murphy, who was the first to test the new lanes along with his three sons, agreed. Murphy, who helps coach the Yukon's youth bowling team and also plays in men's league, said it's a move that's been long overdue.

'To me, it's gorgeous. The lanes are running very true and there's new rubbers on the pins, so when balls hit them, there's a lot more action. The pins seem to explode a little better when hit.'

Kwok said the first night of recreational league bowling, one of the participants bowled 307, which she'd never hit before. He attributes a lot of that to the fact there are no longer big dents and scratches on the lanes.

The owner is hoping the improvements he made to the bowling alley will draw more people in. And now that Kwok has spent that kind of money, he's committed to keeping the bowling alleys open for at least five more years.

The mixed, men's and youth leagues all have lots of room left for those interested in joining.

You don't need to have a team in order to join and you don't even need to be a good bowler, said Kwok, because mixed league is done on a handicap system.

The mixed league runs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings while men's league runs Monday nights.

'We're definitely expecting to see the averages grow,' said Murphy, with regard to the renovations.

Murphy is also looking for more kids to join the youth league, which runs Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m. There are three age groups for the competitive bowling bantam, junior and senior which forms Yukon's junior team that goes to nationals each year.

This year, the nationals will be in Winnipeg.

But as long as you can hold a ball, Murphy said, he's seen kids as young as seven play in the local league. And, Kowk added, you don't necissarily have to join any league in order to enjoy bowling at Mad Trapper.

There are nightly times for recreational, drop-in bowling as well, although Kwok recommends calling ahead to make sure there is space. They also cater to birthday parties.

'Bowling is a great outlet for kids. It's a fun, recreational sport people can play for a lifetime.'