Taking on the world at 90+
A photo of Jack Giddy and Dave Jones is superimposed on the World Indoor Bowls Championships logo. The pair represent NZ at the championships in January.
A pair of Taupō bowlers with a combined century of experience are heading to England in January to compete in the World Indoor Bowls Championships.
By Dan Hutchinson
Jack Giddy will be 92 when the competition starts in January next year, which will make him the oldest competitor ever to reach the finals stage of the prestigious event.
Jack has been bowling for 51 years, and team skip Dave Jones brings 49 years of experience.
They will be taking on the best indoor bowlers in the world at Potters Resort in Hopton-on-Sea after winning the World Pairs category at the national PBA Bowls finals in Auckland recently.
Dave and Jack are members of Taupō Bowling Club but head over to Hastings to compete in the indoor PBA winter league — a sudden-death indoor competition played on carpet under lights throughout the winter months.
Their path to the nationals wasn't easy, finishing runners-up in the regional competition after losing on a tiebreaker.
But they were called up to the national finals when the winners couldn't attend.
Once in Auckland, they faced some of New Zealand's best, including Selina Goddard, a current New Zealand representative, and Briar Atkinson, part of the New Zealand development team.
It was a bitter-sweet victory for Jack, who has made the finals before with Dave, narrowly missing out in Dunedin about five years ago.
His wife spoke to him the night before the national final to say she had a good feeling about the competition.
“That's a bit unusual, I thought, gosh. And the next day Dave said the same thing.
“When we hopped on the green to play the final, I said to Dave, listen, I said, we're playing this today for our families who put up with a lot with us disappearing.”
They were about to start when Dave’s phone rang.
“He went and answered it, and he come back and he said it was someone ringing to say that my brother-in-law had died.
“So, he said, now we've got something, someone else to play for. And boy, didn't we play.”
Jack doesn’t use a bowling arm or any other aids to help him, and says his secret to staying in shape is simple.
"Because Dave keeps dragging me along to all these tournaments. He says we're going here and we're going there, and I'm just so determined. I know I've got to get fit, or I can't keep up with everyone. So that makes me get out and do something and keep the legs going and keep fit."
The World Championships features the world's top 16 ranked players on one side of the draw, with qualifiers from New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Canada, the United States, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom on the other.
Jack and Dave will face one of those elite players in their opening match.
"We are going to be playing against the best," Dave says.
"Some of these guys have won Commonwealth Games gold medals. Paul Foster and Nicky Brett and Les Gillett — they've got MBEs after their names."
He says Kiwis have historically struggled at the event and need to contend with bowls that have a slightly different bias, along with jetlag.
“But we'll give it our best shot. Give these boys a shake-up."
The trip also carries a sense of family legacy for Jack. His brother-in-law represented New Zealand in the 1980s and travelled to England to compete, and his brother did the same in the 1990s.
The pair are due to depart New Zealand around January 4 or 5, giving them a few days to settle in before competition begins on January 8.
Each has received $1,500 in prize money to help offset travel costs, but they're hoping to secure additional sponsorship for the trip.
Dave says it’s not cheap but it’s the trip of a lifetime and they just have to go.