Pinball Profile

Today is an important decision day in the USA. Fittingly, here is the super power summit of the IFPA Dictator (“Prez”) Josh Sharpe and your Pinball Profile host, known simply as the IFPA People’s President. Listen as they discuss the events of 2024 and moving forward into next year.

A great time had by all! Here’s some of my experiences and encounters at the 40th anniversary of Pinball Expo and its festivities. You’ll hear from:
– Seth Davis, CEO and President of Stern Pinball
– Raymond Davidson, lead programmer on Stern’s Metallica Remastered
– Jeffrey and Lisa Sue Jones, creators of The Greatest Showman homebrew
– Steve Kondris, creator of Led Zeppelin homebrew
– Robert Anderson, creator of Daikaiju homebrew
– Alec Gleason & Robin Rath, The Electric Playground
– Troy Smith, Tilt Amusements
– Melvin Williams, Alice In Wonderland designer

Another fantastic time at the UK Open thanks to so many members of the Pinball Republic, including IFPA country director Matt Vince. Matt tells us about the growth of pinball machines, competitions, and availability in the UK, plus we hear about his London Pinball service which brings more silverball delight to the masses.

Alois Kozar and Robert Glashüttner of Austria chatted with Pinball Profile. What I learned was the quick rise to success for Alois to be able to compete on the world stage, and also Robert’s passion shown in The Ball Is Wild newsletter/website (https://theballiswild.net/). Also check out Alois and some video fun on @pinballcrew on Instagram. Plus, Austria will be front and center in 2025 with 2 Major events, the European Pinball Championship and IFPA 20.

It will be the biggest Pinball Expo in history, Oct. 15-19 in Schaumburg, IL. Rob Berk shares some of the details and of his years of collecting.

It’s here! The return of PAPA 21. Andy tells us about all the goodies this week at Enterrium in Schaumburg, IL for the return of a pinball Major event. Also, hear about how proceeds go to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in honor of Lyman Sheats.

Had to check out another great pinball location in Ohio. This time it was Canton, Ohio for the Sweeper City Pinball Championships put on by Galvin Morgan and others. Fun times had by all, and you can hear some of the participants including:
– Jeff Cernava
– Carlos DeLaSerda
– Nic Shayko
– Krista & Nolan Liem
– Stephen Prusa
– Dalton Ely

Say “Hallo” to Bart Volman from the Netherlands. He’s one of the best Dutch players in the world, and shares his experiences playing pinball back home and when he travels. Plus, we talk about our fascination of pinball documentaries, and how pinball can help bring people together…and more! Hup!

Next time you’re in Anaheim, stop by Captain’s Auction Warehouse (and showroom) and say hello to Chris Campbell & CC Castanada. Enjoy lots of the gameplay action on site or on Pins & Pirates on Twitch. Hear Chris and CC talk about interesting tales of what goes on there, including the famous auction of the Pinball Museum in Banning.

Abraham Siedler has given us so many great tutorials, videos, and Twitch streams on Abe Flips. We talk with Abe about pinball in Austria, learning at a quick pace, and sharing videos for our enjoyment. Coming soon in 2025, we are about to see a whole new project called Mastering Pinball: In Depth Skills and Strategies (on Kickstarter at http://kck.st/3RV2hNP).