Why and how are bowling alleys/lanes slippery?

Question

I just saw a person on TikTok that slipped when he stepped on the Bowling lane. I just wanna know why and how are they slipper?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

I used to be a mechanic in a bowling alley. The lanes typically get oiled up with a specific oil pattern twice a day. The oil pattern changes based on what bowling leagues or events are scheduled for the week, sometimes by request. The oil typically gets stripped off with chemicals twice a week and reoiled. Usually an automatic oiling machine then is put onto a lane and automatically lays down a pattern of oil upon the lanes.