New high performance ball most
tested in the brand’s history;
features new core, finish

If you thought the mysterious scientist “Q” armed super spy James Bond with some awe-inspiring ammunition, you haven’t seen anything yet.
The Qs at Ebonite have concocted a weapon that will become to bowlers what 007’s 0.32 Walther PPK is to him — a sure-fire winner in a no-win situation.
On Feb. 2, 2010, Ebonite will release its first high performance ball since May 2009. But, according to Ebonite Brand Manager Ed Gallagher, this isn’t just any high performance bowling ball.
“This is the most tested high performance ball we’ve ever made,” he said. “This was the best possible product we could have come to market with and I am extremely excited about this one. It is what I wanted it to be.”
Gallagher said he was given the first prototype for what would eventually become The Mission in June 2009. Six months later, the ball has seen 15 color combinations, five cores and an untold number of tests involving professional and non-professional bowlers across the country in order to make sure the ball would perform on an array of lane conditions for bowlers of all skill levels.
“The time and resources put into this product is unprecedented,” the brand manager said. “If this ball didn’t surpass the Ebonite standards it would not be released. It is vital for the brand and for the company that this ball not only epitomizes the quality and performance standards that are synonymous with the brand but exceeds them.”
Every ball released by Ebonite International, Inc. goes through rigorous testing before it is released to market. The process of making, testing and approving a ball usually takes three to four weeks per test, according to Ebonite International, Inc. Bowling Ball Engineer Ron Hickland Jr., one of many “Qs” at the company. Test bowling with a new ball takes about three days, he said.
The Mission went through this process five times, Hickland said.
The finished product resulted in a red pearl that is the accumulation of a series of never-before-done processes that makes this ball all new from the inside out.
The Mission 1.0 core is much smaller than most high performance cores and still packs a mass bias of 0.013, concentrating the weight in the center. The shape of the core keeps it clear of or less affected by a drill bit, thus maintaining its mass properties.
“The Mission 1.0 core is a balance of mass properties taken from the best core traits that yield the greatest performance qualities,” said Ebonite International, Inc. Vice President of Research and Development Randy Teitloff.
The Mission also features the XL1200 coverstock, but what is new is the finishing process the ball goes through. The ball is moved from the grinder and run through the 500 grit, 1000 grit and finally to the 2000 grit Abralon® stations giving the ball the preferred surface texture, Teitloff said.
“We wanted this ball to have a certain finish that would allow it to perform right out of the box the same as it will with several games under its belt,” he said. “The texture in the polymer allows more interaction between the ball and the lane than the lane and the ball finish, which can change with the course of use.”
The Mission is the beginning of an all new Ebonite and brings with it some features the brand has been missing, according to 15 time Professional Bowlers Association title winner and Ebonite pro staff member Jason Couch.
“The Mission has a great deal of hook and it will definitely put Ebonite back where we need to be — on top,” said Couch, who was ranked No. 24 on the PBA’s 50 Greatest Bowlers of All Time in 2009.
In the two days Couch has had the ball, he said he has practiced with it on a house pattern Saturday and on the PBA Shark Pattern on Sunday.
“I’m very pleased with it right now. The balls rolled just like the prototype balls we used in testing,” Couch said. “I’ve very excited about this product being released. It’s a ball motion we haven’t seen in our product line in awhile.”
Now, with the Mission ready to take fire, he thinks things are going to heat up.
“It’s something we haven’t had in a while and it’s definitely something I will need to use on tour,” he said. “It is the strongest motion down lane than we have ever had in our product line and it gets through the front of the lane really cleanly.”
The Mission will be released worldwide Feb. 2, 2010. To see the Mission in action, visit www.ebonite.com.
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— Ebonite is a brand of Ebonite International, Inc. Based in Hopkinsville, Ky., Ebonite International is a privately-owned company that currently services bowling centers, distributors and retail outlets both domestically and internationally. The company’s consumer product brands include Ebonite, Hammer, Robby’s, Columbia 300, Track and Powerhouse™. Its commercial product brand is Ebonite Bowling Center Direct. Ebonite is a proud sponsor of The Teen Masters and the Junior Bowling Tour.