Profile - Ian Schuback

A broken jaw in an Aussie Rules final in the Latrobe Football League helped launch a successful new sporting career for Ian 'Schuey' Schuback. Ian moved to the Gold Coast in 1980 and began playing bowls two years later at the age of 30.

It didn't take Ian long to realise he was headed for a representative career in the sport. He was selected in the Queensland team just twelve months after he began playing, and in 1986 was selected as Australian singles representative at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games. In his green and gold debut the 34 year old won a silver medal signalling a changing of the guard in a sport that was traditionally for the elderly.

Twelve months later he was back in Britain to compete in the World Indoor Championships with countryman Jim Yates. To the surprise of the bowling world, Schuback and Yates won the World Indoor Pairs title - the first time in the events history the trophy had left British shores.

But that was just the start, Schuey was invincible in 1987 taking out a number of Australia's most coveted tournaments. He won the most sought after of Australian titles, the Mazda International Jack High, the Golden Nugget Invitational Singles, the Queensland State Titles, and the Australian Singles Championship. To cap off his performances he was named Queensland Sportsman of the Year.

The success of 1987 carried through to 1988 when he was victorious in the Australian Pairs Championship and the AGC International Elite Singles.

In 1990 Ian was selected to compete in his second Commonwealth Games, this time in Auckland. He won gold in the pairs with playing partner Trevor Morris. Two years later, a decade after he rolled up for the first time, Schuey took out the singles at the World Indoor Bowls Championships. Like the World Indoor Pairs title he won in 1987 the singles crown too, had never before been won by a non-British bowler.

Schuback teamed up with Cameron Curtis for his 1994 assault on the World Indoors'. The combination proved successful with Ian winning his third World crown. He continued his dominance at the World Indoor Championships in 1996 by taking out his fourth World Title this time with fellow Gold Coaster Kelvin Kerkow.