Mayor Ayoub Challenges Safety Harbor Wii Bowlers

Any good sportsman knows that competition is about competition, whether it's on a gridiron, a diamond, a course or a court.

So when Mayor Joe Ayoub decided to challenge a group of competitive Wii bowlers who meet regularly at the Rigsby Center, he should've realized these seniors we're going to compete in their arena - the video screen.

Ayoub engaged in a "friendly" competition with the squad on Wednesday morning at City Hall, and he found out just how good - and competitive - they were when it comes to video game sports.

"I was surprised at how competitive they were," Ayoub said.

"I thought I was in good shape and pretty competitive, but they kicked my butt!"

The event was all in good fun, but these bowlers mean business when they meet for competitions around the area.

In fact, the undefeated Safety Harbor All Stars squad is currently preparing for the national Wii bowling championships in August.

"These guys are so competitive, they're always looking for a challenge," city leisure services official Gary Sawtelle said. 

"We heard the mayor was looking for a challenge, so of course we said 'bring it on!'"

Sawtelle said the competitive team meets regularly at Rigsby to stay sharp, and they constantly try to pick up games against other teams in the area.

Members of the 10-person club say the team is a great way to stay active and be social.

"We love it," Beth Guttermann said. "It gets you out, we're meeting a lot of people. It's just good fun."

So would the mayor be able to make it on this senior strikes squad?

Sawtelle was dubious.

"Right now, no way," he said. "Maybe with a little practice he could eventually make it. But now he's got no chance!"

Check out the video of Mayor Ayoub bowling with the team above. For more information on the Wii seniors bowling team, contact the Rigsby Recreation Center at 727-725-1545.