Next WFS Meet:
When Furballs Strike 51
Date: November 16, 2024
Time: Noon-5:00pm
Registration/Check-in: 12:15-1:45
Group Photo: 2:00-2:15
Bowling: 2:15-4:15
Awards/Prize Raffle: 4:30-5:30pm
Group Dinner: 5:45-7:00pm
Location: Kenmore Lanes
7638 NE Bothell Way
Kenmore, WA 98028
Updates/Announcements
When Furballs Strike 51 is set for November 16! The theme will be “OMG Aliens!” as we enter our own furry “Area 51” 👽 and celebrate intergalactic characters from across the pop culture universe. There will be many alien-themed raffle prizes and giveaways for our Ultrasponsors (details below)! Please RSVP on Meetup if you plan on attending! The Group Dinner is now live on Meetup as well, another pizza party in the Kenmore Lanes banquet room. If you haven’t RSVPd for bowling yet, please send payments together!
When Furballs Strike 49 was a another record-breaker! Kenmore Lanes is the biggest bowling center in the entire Pacific NW and we
Our record from WFS 49 didn’t last long! When Furballs Strike 50 had an unbelievable turnout of 382 attendees, 274 bowlers (which was the most ever for one event in Kenmore Lanes’ 66-year history!) and 198 fursuiters. Our world-class DJs TekFox & Avian Invasion kept the beats going all afternoon and we gave away some amazing prizes in our raffle and Charity Auction, including a fursuit head, custom Kigu and brand new Oculus Quest 2 VR set! In total, through some very generous bids we raised a total of $2,560 for Homeward Pet Adoption Center, a local shelter based in nearby Woodinville (www.homewardpet.org). We gave away more than 100 each of FurLife T-shirts and commemorative medallions to our Ultrasponsors, and congrats to Tucker who took back the all-time WFS scoring record (fursuit division) with a huge 212 game! Thank you to everyone who attended, contributed, volunteered, and helped made our 50th furbowl extra special. WFS 51 will be announced in mid-September for a November date!
High Score Winners
Regular Division: Krissie (210)
Fursuit Division: Tucker (212) – All-Time Record
When Furballs Strike 49 was a another record-breaker! Kenmore Lanes is the biggest bowling center in the entire Pacific NW and we NEARLY filled it to capacity, selling out 49 of 50 lanes. In total we had a mind-blowing 244 bowlers (new world record), 164 fursuiters and 332 attendees in total. DJ Brenda Banks played an awesome set of Top 40 Remixes, we gave away more than 50 prizes in one of our biggest raffles yet, and 70 pride flags went to our Ultrasponsors and Supersponsors in celebration of Pride Month!
After bowling and the raffle, we had a catered Pizza Party and BBQ by Kenmore Lanes Restaurant that went really well – our group consumed more than 40 total hamburgers and hot dogs along with 5 XL pizzas!
We had another All-Time scoring record go down, congrats to Siku who bowled a 207 in suit, breaking Tucker’s record of 201 set at WFS 47. For setting an all-time record, Siku will receive a free entry to WFS 50.
Our big milestone meet WFS 50 will be on August 17 – we are finalizing some details about how bowling will work since it we will be reserving all 50 lanes, but once we have everything set, we will make a Meetup Event Page and post the link above. We hope to see you at WFS 50!
High Score Winners
Regular Division: Kit (200)
Fursuit Division: Siku (207) – All-Time Record
WFS All-Time Scoring Records:
Regular Division: Krissie (267) – WFS 48
Fursuit Division: Siku (212) – WFS 50
Anyone who breaks an all-time record earns a free bowling entry to the next WFS!
To be eligible for the Fursuit Division, bowlers must at minimum wear a fursuit head on every shot thrown that game.
About When Furballs Strike
When Furballs Strike is a fun, fursuit-friendly bowling meet that takes place quarterly in the greater Seattle area. The meet is organized by Kijani through Furlife: Pacific Northwest Furries, a Meetup group with over 4,600 members of the anthropomorphic “furry” fandom.
From its humble beginnings in 2008 with 40 attendees, this meet has evolved into one of the largest furry bowling gatherings in the world, with recent meets reaching 250-300+ attendees, including well over 100 fursuiters, from all over the state of Washington, Canada, Oregon and even California!
This highly social event is family-friendly and open to furry fans of all ages… and no, you don’t need a fursuit to attend!
After bowling ends, there is always a fabulous prize raffle in the party room where lots of gifts are given away as a “thank you” for attending the meet and bowling with us at WFS. Each bowler gets tickets included in their registration, and more can be purchased for $1 each (or 5 for $4).
We typically do a Charity Auction alongside the Prize Raffle around once a year, benefitting a local 501 (c)(3). At WFS 50 we raised $2,560 for Homeward Pet Adoption Center, a no-kill pet shelter in Woodinville, WA, making a positive difference in helping the animals in their care.
Pricing & Registration
Base Registration
- Two games bowling + shoe rental
- 1 Raffle Ticket
- Sponsor Upgrade includes 5 Raffle Tickets + FurLife Decal
Supersponsor
Support WFS and get extra swag!
- Two games bowling + shoe rental
- 15 regular raffle tickets
- One FurLife logo decal
- Supersponsor Gift: Choice of: WFS/FurLife Magnet or WFS Holographic Decal
Ultrasponsor
Get two special gifts & our undying gratitude!
- Two games bowling + shoe rental
- 15 regular raffle tickets
- One Ultrasponsor raffle drawing ticket for special prizes
- One FurLife logo decal
- Supersponsor Gift
- Ultrasponsor Gifts – Choice of: Rainbow UFO or Invader Zim Pin, choice of Stitch or Baby Yoda Collectible Figurine
Attendees who wish to bowl have four options from $12 base reg, to $30 Ultrasponsor which comes with all of the Supersponsor swag, a bonus Ultrasponsor raffle ticket, and 2 amazing gifts. All registration options come with 2 games of bowling and shoe rental.
The special Ultrasponsor gifts for WFS 51 are (pictured above) choice of a Baby Yoda/Grogu or Stitch Figurine, and a choice of either an Invader Zim or Rainbow UFO pin to celebrate our Aliens theme! Ultrasponsors also get the bonus drawing ticket for over $200 in additional gifts for Ultrasponsors only, to show our appreciation for supporting WFS!
To pre-register (recommended) send your payment via Paypal or Venmo using the “Friends & Family” option: http://paypal.me/kijani or https://venmo.com/u/kijanilion
Include in the Notes section your FurLife username or what name you want on the bowling score screen, and also the names of everyone in your group (they must all pre-reg to save their lane spots). Please provide your Telegram handle if you have one for confirmation, otherwise confirmations are sent through Paypal or Venmo’s messaging system. We will be doing up to 5 bowlers per lane.
For those not bowling with a pre-registered group, you can also register at-event in the party room. The at-event reg desk is located farthest to the left near the raffle table, and pre-reg check in is on the right side. We take cash and cards (.50 processing fee per registration). At-event reg closes at 1:45 sharp so we can prepare for the group photo and get everyone’s names into the score screens.
Location
When Furballs Strike’s permanent home is the iconic Kenmore Lanes, located near the north shore of Lake Washington in the city of Kenmore, about 15 minutes outside of Seattle. Founded in 1958, they have been the home of When Furballs Strike for all but two of our events.
The address is:
7638 NE Bothell Way
Kenmore, WA 98028
The facility has a very large party room that we use for check-in and our prize raffle, as well as a smaller side room for the fursuiters to change in. Kenmore is the largest bowling center in the state and has 50 lanes, which is a good thing because our group takes up nearly all the lanes! They also have a full bar, restaurant and video arcade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a fursuit to attend? Is there a minimum age?
You do not need a fursuit to attend, in fact a majority of attendees to When Furballs Strike do not own a costume of any kind. Just come as yourself and be ready to have fun! This is a family-friendly event and open to all ages of furry fans. We frequently have attendees in the 13-17 age range, and many bowl together with their families. Attending minors must have a parent or guardian present with them.
Are we allowed to wear fursuit footpaws while bowling?
Yes! Kenmore Lanes has graciously allowed our fursuiters to wear feetpaws while bowling, provided that they are clean, dry and free of debris. Please do not go outside in your feetpaws (or bowling shoes, for that matter), while bowling as this will damage the approach areas.
Is there a Code of Conduct?
All FurLife members are expected and required to dress and behave in a manner appropriate for an all-ages public venue. While we rent out most or all the lanes, it is still open to the public and shared by other patrons including young children and their families. While we encourage everyone to have a great time, please remember that your actions represent our group as a whole. Any inappropriate conduct or harassment should be reported immediately to WFS organizers. Please avoid gathering in the walkways, as this presents a hazard in case of emergency. Always leave room for people to walk through. Please do not bring in any outside food or drink as this is against Kenmore’s policies.
How do I register for the meet?
All registration is done on FurLife’s Meetup site, which you can access by clicking the link towards the top of this page (big green button). To pre-register for bowling, you must send payment via Paypal or Venmo (see Pricing and How to Pay/Register) section above).
Do I have to pay to just hang out?
There is no charge just to attend and not bowl. However, there are many costs associated with organizing an event of this magnitude and renting out most of the bowling center, as well as running our Meetup group. We greatly appreciate either purchasing raffle tickets or a non-bowling registration (this can be done at any level, including Ultrasponsor) to support When Furballs Strike and FurLife. Your support helps us continue to bring a world-class furbowl to the Pacific NW furry community!
How does the prize raffle work?
At every WFS meet there will be a large assortment of wonderful gifts available for attendees to win, mostly furry or animal-related, including many prizes related to that event’s theme. Every bowler will get at least one raffle ticket with their bowling fee, if you are not bowling or wish to buy more tickets they are available for $1 each, or $4 for 5 tickets (buy 4 get 1 free). All of the proceeds from the prize raffle go towards costs related to the event and prizes for future meets.
There will be paper bags labeled with prizes, and all you have to do is drop one of your two matching tickets into the bag of the prize you wish to try and win. ALL non-winning tickets will be deposited into a large bin, which will be drawn from for many “second chance” prizes, so you may still walk away with something if you don’t win what you were going after!
While some portion of the prize budget comes out of Kijani’s pocket, we graciously accept prize donations, and will give you 3 free raffle tickets for every prize you donate, up to a total of 9. We ask that prizes be at least $10 in retail value and in new (or like new) condition. Please clear all prizes you intend to donate with Kijani before the meet!