Jason Belmonte
The Australian maverick who revolutionized bowling with a two-handed style, shattering records and redefining what's possible in the sport.
Born 1983 (age 43)·Australian professional ten-pin bowler·Birthday: July 29·Millennials
Biography
Jason Belmonte didn't just enter professional bowling; he attacked it from a radically different angle. As a child in Orange, Australia, he found he could generate more power and hook by cradling the ball with two hands, a technique he perfected in his family's bowling center. Dismissed by traditionalists early on, his unorthodox method produced an unprecedented amount of revs and pin-crushing force. His arrival on the PBA Tour was a shock to the system, and he systematically dismantled the record books. Belmonte didn't just win; he dominated the sport's most prestigious events, collecting major championships at a rate never seen before. More than his titles, his true impact was making bowling exciting for a new generation, proving that innovation could triumph over convention and turning himself into the sport's global ambassador.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Jason was born in 1983, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jason Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Jason's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1983Born
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1988Started school
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1996Became a teenager
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Could drive
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Could vote
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Turned 21
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2013Turned 30
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 40
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 43 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Has won a record 15 major championships on the PBA Tour, the most in history.
- Captured the PBA Player of the Year award a record seven times.
- First bowler to win the PBA's Triple Crown (US Open, Tournament of Champions, World Championship) twice.
- Surpassed 30 career PBA Tour titles, a milestone reached by only a handful of bowlers.
Did You Know?
He began bowling at age 18 months in his parents' bowling center, Orange Tenpin Bowl.
Belmonte is an avid video gamer and has cited games like GoldenEye 007 as a childhood influence.
He uses a unique wrist support device he helped design, known as the 'Belly Guard.'
He proposed to his wife, Kimberly, on the lanes at the US Open tournament.
“I don't see myself as a two-handed bowler. I see myself as a bowler who uses two hands.”
