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In some cases, participation in our sport encompasses many difference facets. Hall of Fame Player Jim Hoult of Richmond Hill used his abilities as a dominant bowler to also build the sport of 5 pin bowling at the zone, provincial and national levels.
Jim was a pinboy in his youth and began his bowling career at the Olympia Lanes at Logan and Queen Street in Toronto’s east end before moving to Acorn Central Lanes, located downtown in the same city. The pinboys of the day had their own league, and while Jim started his on-lane career with this group, he advanced his skills through his work league at McLean Hunter and participation in the Toronto City Major League.
When bowling began to expand in 1957, as a result of the invention of an automatic pinsetter, O’Connor Bowl scheduled a major tournament, open to all bowlers across Canada, that offered the largest prize in bowling to that date, namely $1,000. Jim won this first tournament and, with this victory, began a list of accomplishments that would shape our sport.
Initially, Jim was named as chief instructor for the Double Diamond Company, one of the two major pinsetting manufacturers of the day. Jim was joined by Volda Hefner and Hall of Famers Bert Garside, Lea McBeigh, Don Walker, Dot Peppin, and Rusty Starr. This group opened literally hundreds of bowling centres, and offered instructional clinics under the banner of the Double Diamond Advisory Staff. In addition, Jim, collaborating with Bert Garside, syndicated a thirty week instruction column that appeared in one hundred and ninety-two newspapers and later became the basis for the Master Bowlers Association of Canada instruction book.
As bowling continued to expand, Jimmy was an obvious selection for Hellewell’s All Stars, a group that toured Ontario and bowled every second week during the bowling season for three years. Overall, the barnstormers only lost two matches and Jimmy, who usually bowled second behind Hall of Famer Bert Garside, was an excellent showman on the lanes. His popularity also led to the formation of the Jimmy Hoult Fan Club and through the efforts of another Hall of Famer, Doug Miller, a Jimmy Hoult Bowling Game was distributed on the retail market and sales reached several thousand units.
Jimmy was a charter member of the Master Bowlers Association as this elite group was formed in 1964. He was the chief instructor for the MBA, a group that eventually would deliver the instruction and coaching program both in Ontario and across Canada.
While Jimmy was contributing to the growth of the instruction program, he also became tournament chairman for the Ontario Bowlers Congress. During a five year stint, Jim was in charge of tournament sanctioning and also the scheduling of OBC events. Jim also introduced a colleague, Al Richardson, to organized bowling at both the local and provincial level. Al introduced the High-Low Doubles, the most popular event on the bowling calendar to Canadian bowlers and, last year was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Builder.
Jimmy’s accomplishments have been recognized on several occasions. In 1991, Jim received a Life Membership from the York Simcoe 5 Pin Bowlers Association and was also inducted to the Players Division of the Ontario 5 Pin Bowlers Association Hall of Fame. Furthermore, in 2001, Jim was a charter inductee to the York Simcoe 5 Pin Bowling Hall of Fame as a bowler.
This dual induction now raises membership in this exclusive club to six, Jimmy joins Bert Garside, Mabel McDowell, Evelyn Wood, Walter Heeney and Ernie Roggie, who have been recognized previously.
Today, Jimmy continues to enjoy golf and good health as well. With his wife, Jean, their children Bob, Steve, and Sandy have four grandchildren and, who can be assured, that their grandfather raised the profile of 5 pin bowling as a Builder of our Industry.
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