Ten-pin bowling over the Model A), all three versions are still in widespread use. The television age of the 1950s also helped to increase the popularity of ten-pin bowling, as images of the sport began to enter the homes of millions across the United States. Nationally televised programs like "Jackpot Bowling" and "Make That Spare" became popular on Friday nights from the late 1950s into the early 1960s. Following many years of debate over what constituted a professional bowler versus an amateur, Eddie Elias founded the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) in 1958. The PBA's "Pro Bowlers Tour" became a permanent part of
Ten-pin bowling Track, DV8, Roto-Grip, Hammer, Circle Athletic, Columbia 300, Dyno-Thane, Fun Balls, Legends, MoRich, Robby, and Via Bowling. Specially designed shoe design and manufacture is also a significant enterprise that many companies have gotten involved in next to ball production. Some of the major shoe designers are Circle, Dexter, Etonic, and Linds. Individual stores that sell the merchandise made by these companies specifically for ten-pin bowlers are called pro shops. In the United States, bowling equipment sales totaled US$215 million in 1997 which is around the same figure as in 1996 when the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) released their reports.