Jack Lippert's interest in bowling began in the 1940s when he got a job at a bowling alley near his home on Chicago's North Side.
"I became a pin boy to make money...I thought," he explained. "I was there, so I could bowl for free, so I started bowling, and I’ve been bowling ever since."
Some 70 years later, Lippert's interest in bowling is as strong as ever. If his age isn't enough, he recently accomplished one amazing feat: bowling a perfect score of 300.
"‘Oh my gosh, Jack’s got seven, eight in a row. Nine in a row,'" Lippert's coach Gregg Zicha recounted of the big moment last month. "Then he got the 11th strike, and I’m like, ‘I’d better get my camera out.'"
"As soon as I threw it, I knew I got it – I raised my hand up," Lippert added. "I was very happy to do it, believe me. It’s a thrill."
Zicha said at 90 years old, someone may just be lucky enough to bowl and throw the ball down the lane - let alone bowl a perfect score.
"But to do it with consistency, and to knock all 10 pins down 12 shots in a row, is remarkable," Zicha said.
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There's no mistaking how much Lippert loves coming to the bowling alley and bowling itself. His license plate "BOWLR76" is evident of that, with the seven and six referring to his number of children and grandchildren, respectively.
Lippert's recent perfect game was the fifth in his life.
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Had it taken place in a sanctioned event, Lippert would be tied for the oldest American to bowl a 300, according to the U.S. Bowling Congress.
"It’s exciting," he said. "I hope I do it again – I sure do."
