Peabody Bowler Takes Home Top Prize At 'Outrun the Bear' Tournament

PEABODY, MA — A Peabody bowler survived the gauntlet of competition during the 2023 Outrun the Bear candlepin tournament to win the Singles Stratch title in Millis.

Barber was top bowler with a 136 average over 12 games.

Established in 2014, the elimination-style tournament is known for its high level of difficulty and is praised for its challenging format.

After each round, a percentage of the lowest-scoring bowlers are eliminated, leaving two bowlers to battle in the final round. OTB presents three tournaments a year with a mix of styles — singles, doubles, teams, scratch, and handicap.

The tournament was founded by husband-and-wife Dan and Caitlyn Finn of Franklin.

This year's tournament also featured a standout performance from Glennis Hickey-McKingly, who now holds the women's house singles record of 189, a high triple score of 407 and a high five record of 644. Her 189 is the highest single string for any bowler in tournament history.

This event was sponsored by B&B Seamless Gutters, Reardon HVAC, Tax StrategyPro, Mel's Commonwealth Café, Lighthouse Productions RI, and Candlepin Corner.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)