ABOUT 64 bowlers turned out for the inaugural Eureka Age Stakes Pairs at the Ballina Bowling Club at the weekend.

The two-day competition is the first of its kind in Australia and puts players into four different age divisions.

There was Young Guns (under-35s), Gen X (35-50s), Boomers (over-60s) and All Aged (over-60).

The winners of the four divisions went through to the semi-finals to play-off against each other.

In the end it was Gen X coming out on top against the Young Guns with Kawana Waters bowlers Wayne Masters and Jane Bush winning the $1000 final.

Masters played in the 2013 state triples winning team and Bush is also a state player.

They beat South Lismore pair Jamie Eichorn and Ben McCall 16-15.

There was a total of $4200 in prizemoney on offer with players from as far afield as Bundaberg in the North to Port Macquarie in the South competing.

Ballina bowls co-ordinator Kris Lehfeldt organised the new competition on the Northern Rivers and said it will be played all over Australia.

"There was a lot of talk about it and the players were happy with how it went," Lehfeldt said.

"It's basically come about because you would find 70-year-olds were coming up against 19-year-olds in finals after long days of competition.

"This seems a lot fairer and it was the first of its kind anywhere in Australia."

There will be a singles event with the same format at Ballina in September.