South Florida International

Bring the family - the week in Orlando isn't all bowling. Parties, sightseeing, shopping, and a "fun tournament" for both entered bowlers and guests to enjoy with special prizes are among our special activities of the tournament week.. All special activities are included in your bowler or guest entry fee.

Our headquarters hotel is on Orlando's famed International Drive in the heart of all the tourist activities, with Disney, SeaWorld, Wet & Wild and Universal Studios near by. Enjoy an excellent vacation hotel at special tournament rates. (Details on hotel reservation form and on entry information page.) If you would like to extend your stay, our tournament hotel rates apply for 3 days both before and after the tournament dates.

And don't worry about driving in Orlando during tournament time - the tournament provides buses, running between the lanes, Headquarters hotel and all of the activities on the schedule.

Catch the wave to Fun in the Sun at our Florida International Bowling Tournament.
Make your plans now to join us in Orlando for a great bowling vacation.

More details? - go to Entry Information . Then print out your entry form
and hotel reservation and send them along to us. Or enter and reserve your rooms on-line.

Bowlers from around the world are welcome to participate in the Florida International, known for its first18 years as the Greater Miami International at Cloverleaf Lanes, Miami, or the South FLorida International at Don Carter's Tamarac Lanes, Tamarac, Florida (a part of the Greater Fort Lauderdale area of Broward County, north of Miami-Dade County) for it's 19th and 20th year.

Our move to Orlando, Florida in 2008 will allow bowlers and families to have even more fun and competition.

This open tournament has two divisions for both Men and Women - Regular Division and Senior Division. The Regular Division is scratch competition for bowers from 16 years of age and older. The Senior Division, for bowlers of 50 years of age or older, is handicapped by age (Seniors 50-55 years= 0 pins, 56+ receive one pin for each year in age with a max of 20 pins).

During the week-long event, each bowler rolls 18 games of singles and 12 games of doubles – 6 games per day. The top five scoring bowlers, in each division, after the 30 total games roll a stepladder final event for the Masters Tournament Championship in pro-style, one match, bowling – 5^th place vs. 4^th, winner vs. 3^rd Place, winner vs. 2^nd Place, and winner vs. top seed bowler after 30 games. Three places of trophy prizes are awarded in each division for Singles, Doubles, All Events and Masters Event (*see rules). The Master’s Event Champions of each division also receive a special Champions tournament jacket.

Don't have a bowling partner for doubles? There are others who do not and we will partner you with one of these players.

Purpose of the Tournament

Over the years, many requests were made to open our invitational WTBA American Zone ranking tournament, the Lee Evans Tournament of The Americas, to bowlers outside of the American Zone. Not wanting to disturb the traditions of that tournament, John I. Smith, as then Executive Director of the Bowling Tournaments of The Americas Association, decided upon a new annual tournament to extend the friendship and hospitality theme of the Tournament of The Americas to bowlers world-wide. This annual singles and doubles scratch competition is open to all ABC, WIBC or WTBA adult bowlers. To stress camaraderie as well as competition, many activities are planned during the week to encourage the bowlers to make new friends and to enjoy their stay in the Central Florida area.

History of the Tournament

As Founder and Executive Director of the Bowling Tournaments of the Americas Association
and General Manager of Cloverleaf Lanes, John I. Smith, with foresight, inspiration and a positive attitude, created the Greater Miami International Bowling Tournament. And on June 4, 1988, the inaugural Greater Miami International Bowling Tournament was held at Cloverleaf Lanes with a very small group of bowlers from Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Holland, Norway, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Thailand and the USA. Now it is not unusual to have over 100 players representing fifteen or more countries of the world.

The original tournament format had only Men’s and Women’s divisions competing for top honors in Singles, Doubles and All Events Stepladder competition. Two new divisions, Senior Men and Senior Women, were added in 1993. The Senior division changed from scratch competition to being handicapped by age in 1998 to allow older players to compete with younger seniors.

Mr. Smith retired with his wife Leota to Iowa in March 1990 but continued his involvement as a Member of the Board of Directors until his death in November 1996. Paulette Crowers Watson, formerly the tournaments' Coordinator for many years, took the helm in 1990 as both Tournament Director and Executive Director of the Bowling Tournaments of The Americas Association which runs the Lee Evans Tournament of The Americas and the Greater Miami International - now the South Florida International. Ms. Watson made some additions and changes to allow for growth of the tournaments, however, the spirit that John I. Smith fostered in both the Greater Miami International and the Tournament of the Americas tournament continues. The 10^th Anniversary of the tournament in 1997 was dedicated to Mr. Smith and the tournament now carries his name, in memory of a remarkable person dedicated to bowling, as the John I. Smith Greater Miami International Bowling Tournament and now the John I. Smith South Florida International.

In 2005, after our 18th tournament, the Cloverleaf Lanes, home to our Greater Miami International, closed its doors to bowling. Moving our tournaments from Miami-Dade County to Broward County was not without regrets of leaving our roots. The tournament, scheduled in 2006 to be at Sawgrass Lanes in Sunrise, Florida, was moved to Don Carter's Tamarac Lanes, due to the closing of Sawgrass for the year because of Hurricane Wilma damage.

The move to Broward Country necessitated a new name to reflect our new bowling home. South Florida International was chosen as the tournament's new name to reflect our move but to still keep our roots, for both counties adjoin each other in South Florida.

In 2008, we move even further north to Orlando in Central Florida. With new things to see, but the same tournament traditions, a Board of Directors and a Tournament Staff dedicated to continuing the tournament and the help of many people spreading the word, the tournament has seen an increase in bowlers and countries represented since its small beginnings. We expect that the Florida International will continue the tradition of fine bowling competition in combination with a great bowling vacation in Orlando.