Pete Weber
Pete Weber (born August 21, 1962, St. Ann, Missouri, U.S.) is an American bowler who was one of the sport’s greatest players, though he arguably attracted more attention for his brash personality. He was the first bowler in the history of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) to complete the “triple crown” at least twice (1989 and 2013) in a career.
Weber was introduced to the sport at the age of two by his father, PBA Hall of Famer Dick Weber. The younger Weber joined the PBA in 1979 at age 17 and competed in 21 events his first season. He quickly made a name for himself with a brash, in-your-face attitude that made him one of the most entertaining and controversial bowlers on the PBA Tour. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1980 but did not win his first title until 1982. He secured his 10th title at the age of 24, thus becoming the youngest bowler to achieve that feat. Two years later he completed the triple crown by winning the 1989 PBA National Championship after having already taken the Tournament of Champions in 1987 and the U.S. Open in 1988.
In 2013 Weber captured his second triple crown, and that year he also became the oldest player to win the Tournament of Champions title. The victory left him tied with Earl Anthony for the most career major PBA titles (10). By that time, he was also tied with Norm Duke for third all-time on the PBA Tour titles list with 37, and his five U.S. Open titles (1988, 1991, 2004, 2007, and 2012) were the most of any bowler, one more than those of his father and Don Carter. Weber joined the PBA50 Tour in 2013, and fittingly enough, his first title on the tour came in a major as he took the crown in the USBC Senior Masters. He went on to win two other major events (2015 and 2016) on the PBA50 Tour before retiring in 2021.
Despite all his success, Weber was perhaps better known for his antics, outbursts, and raunchy celebrations during matches. He wore sunglasses when bowling on television because he said that it helped combat the glare from TV lights, and, inspired by his love for professional wrestling, he sometimes did a “crotch chop” after rolling a strike. Weber was also suspended for six months in 2000 for “conduct unbecoming a professional” during a PBA Tour event. Following in his father’s footsteps, he was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1998.