Ball NPS Score: 100.00
Description: Ebonite is continually challenging themselves to push the envelope when it comes to High Performance bowling balls. The Challenge ball contains technology that is new to the bowling industry and is sure to be a great addition to any arsenal.

- Color: Silver/Purple/Green
- Coverstock: RCS
- Core: AXS
- Factory Finish: 1500 Abralon
- Flare Potential: High
- RG: 2.51
- Differential: .057
- Description: The Ebonite Challenge brings the latest High Performance Technology to the Bowling Industry.

- More Core: All new AXS core design focuses on bringing the best we can design in core dynamics and shape!

- Contour Planes: With all the research our R and D team has done on contour planes, the new AXS core has been designed to allow ball drillers more confidence in drilling, by eliminating large “void” areas in the contour profile.

- Advanced Drilling Stability: This is something that we talked about in the Empire core shape, and the AXS core shares this unique feature. As a result of the unique shape of the AXS core, you will change the values of RG and Differential at the same rate when drilling.

- Cover: We are heading down a great new path in HP cover technology…..with the all new RCS cover system. RCS stands for “Reaction Control System”. By reformulating some of our very best High Performance veneers, we are bringing the very best in cover stock technology to market.

BALL SPECS
Pin Length -2"-3"
Starting Top Weight -
Ball Weight -15

DRILL PATTERN
Pin to PAP - 5 1/4"
CG to PAP -5 1/4"
X Hole (if needed) -
MB Location - In thumb
Drill Angle -
VAL Angle -

BOWLER STYLE
Rev Rate -425-430
Ball Speed -16.5
PAP/Track - 4 7/8">, 7/8"^
Axis Tilt -14*

PICTURE AND VIDEO LINKS


SURFACE PREPARATION
Grit - oob 1500
Type (Matte, Polish, Sanded) - light polish

LANE CONDITION
Length - 40, 41
Volume - 1-hvy, 1-med-hvy
Type (Wall, Xmas Tree, Sport) - THS, Sport

BALL REACTION
Length - 7
Back End -9
Overall Hook -9
Midlane Read - 8
Breakpoint Shape - Continous


COMMENTS
Carry - One of the best in this category Ive ever thrown
Likes - Challenge is versatile, give me a great read on the heavy stuff ive seen so far.
Dislikes - Gotta know when to put it up!
Other -

I knew after throwing the Challenge at a Demo days a few weeks ago I wanted one, and already had a plan on how to drill it thanks to what I saw that day.

With that said I needed a longer type piece to go in between my Mission X and Endure. The Challenge is spot on. Here is what I see, compared to the Mission X, Challenge is a good foot longer, and reads the mid's about the same, but where the X for me rolls more on the back, the Challenge seems to be more continous through the pins. They both are around the same board/strength wise, where you will see the difference is the shape throughout the lane.

Compared to the Endure, the Challenge is a good 5-6 boards stronger, with a similar motion on the back, where the Endure wants to glide through the mids a little longer, the Challenge is picking up steam and still trucking. These two work great in that the Endure is a good step down from the Challenge, I know when I run out of room the Endure will push through the dry.

I have thrown the Challenge on 2 THS, as well as a tournament with USBC White #2 patterns, here is the breakdown on that.

Ive thrown two sets in league THS, first was  Brunswick synthetics. This center plays a little tougher overall and transition seems to be tricky here. Started around 12 breakpoint of 7 and chased it in through the night for a 670+ set, nothing fancy. In hindsight I think I would have done better by knocking the polish off, I feel I could have blended the pattern a little better.

THS 2, AMF Hpl's, man the Challenge was in the wheel house! Put together games of 257, 226, 280 for a clean 763 set. Started around 15 hitting a breakpoint of 6 and chased it in as deep as 25 and it never quit.

Overall this is a great new addition to the Ebonite family. The Challenge can cover a wide range of conditions with multiple drillings and surfaces. It's just a great rolling piece of equipment, and I truly beleive Ebonite is making great strides with their newer equipment.

Weight:  16 lbs
Core:  AXS
Coverstock:  RCS
Surface:   Box (1500 Abralon)
Axis:  5 5/8” by 1” up
Ball Layout  5” pin up with a 70 degree MB
Extra Hole:  5 inches on VAL (small)
Ball Reaction
Length:  Ball is very clean through the front end.
Midlane:  Strong motion in the mid body of lane
Breakpoint:  Strong continuous direction change

Comments: 
I used this ball out of the box, which is 1500 abralon.  This is the cleanest high performance ball that I have used in many years.  The exciting thing about the Challenge is its response in oil.  Many balls that get through the front part of the lane usually respond very strong when it reads friction (resulting in a over/under reaction). Because of its’ new core and coverstock, the Challenge clears the first 15 feet very clean and reads the mid lane with strong continuation through the pins.  This combination eliminates the expected over/under and creates a ball motion that is strong but still very manageable during transitional stages of the lanes.

I used the Challenge fresh out of the box on a league pattern and threw a 26 bagger for 300/800+.  I have also used the Challenge on a Viper pattern in a tournament and led from the start to finish.  Both patterns were different lane surfaces (wood vs HPL), types of oil, patterns and lane machines (Kegel vs Brunswick).  The results show just how versatile this ball is and can be for a variety of players, lane surfaces and patterns. 

I recommend this new HP Ebonite product to any bowler who wishes to have instant success and add a piece to his/her arsenal that is the first ball out of the bag for medium to heavy oil patterns.   Ebonite has hit a homerun with this combination of its’ new core technology and coverstock.   This ball should CHALLENGE any competitor’s ball for Ball of the Year!

The Challenge is an awesome bowling ball on medium to heavy oil patterns. The new Reaction Control System cover stock allows the Challenge to aggressively attack the lanes on medium to heavy oil patterns. The Challenge has a tremendous hitting power, which allows for more carry, especially corner pins!

My Challenge is drilled with the pin below my left ring finger and the CG is about three inches below to the right of the pin. The typical house shot around my area doesn’t really allow me to use the Challenge, as it is too aggressive. However, the Challenge is in my arsenal for when I encounter the medium to heavy oil patterns.