PETER Kampman stumbled into lawn bowls three decades ago — barefoot and thirsty.
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The Koroit-born farmer was 23 and working on a cattle property in Bourke in remote New South Wales when he took up the sport socially.
“I joined the club because it was the only place you could buy takeaway grog for the sheds for the weekend,” Kampman said.
“(It was) the Chook Run. You played in bare feet.”
Kampman remembers thinking bowls would be easy, a simple game anyone could master. He soon learnt a lesson.
“I was playing against a guy who was (pretty much) blind,” Kampman said.
“His skipper held a hanky up one end and he could see that. He gave me a walloping.”
Kampman, 60, is still working on the land and playing bowls some 38 years later.
He’s played pennant for 12 years, winning a division two flag with Western District Bowls Division (WDBD) club Warrnambool and joined Koroit Blue last season.
Today he will play second as the Victoria Park-based club attempts to break the City Memorial Red and Warrnambool Gold duopoly on division one grand final spots.
Koroit Blue plays Warrnambool Gold in the second semi-final at Dennington, with the winner to advance directly to the decider.
The loser will meet either City Memorial Red or Port Fairy Red, playing off in the cut-throat semi-final at Warrnambool in the preliminary final.
Kampman works at Minjah Station near Hawkesdale and spends each weekend at his Framlingham property with wife Irene.
He said his decision to join Koroit ahead of the 2013-14 season was a smart one.
“Because I was up north of Koroit on a sheep and cattle property, it was my closest club and I could see they were energetic and progressive and were a forward-thinking club,” Kampman said.
“It (playing in Koroit) made it easier to get to practice. I go up Thursday nights.
“Last night we went and practised on the greens we are playing on at Dennington (in the semi-final) and it was pretty funny because pretty much everyone from both sides was there — we could have played then.
“There is a feeling of excitement and nervousness in a way because we haven’t been in a division one final for many, many years.”
Kampman said he enjoyed playing top-grade pennant against players he rated as some of the state’s best bowlers in his age group.
“Warrnambool bowls association has some of the best age bowlers between 55 and 65 in the whole of Victoria I think,” he said.
“Brian Scott from City Memorial won the over 60s state championships last year. It is a great sport and with the synthetic greens you can play all year round. I can’t wait until I am semi-retired so I can play more.”