Neenah, WI
"Ever since I was a young boy, I played the silver ball"
Funny how lyrics that have become synonymous with the games we love can still be applicable. From an early age, I was introduced to pinball thanks to my father and grandfather. My grandfather owned a Bally "Flash Gordon" machine that definitely had its issues, namely the sounds were super distorted and would absolutely scare me half to death when playing a game. My father has owned numerous pins in his life time from Funhouse (Rudy scared me as well due to how young I was) to Cyclone, to Fire, and many more. Getting the chance to play these machines from an early age onwards sparked a love and appreciation for these machines which can bring so much joy, frustration, and sadness when you drain your third ball and can't quite break your highest score.
As time went by and I grew up, I continued playing machines in local arcades and bars. In the past few years, I have started purchasing my own machines, now owning three personally. I've even made the trek to Las Vegas to visit the Pinball Hall of Fame twice, once in their old building and once in their current set up. Granted, you'd think I'd learn some tips and tricks from all the various machines I've played. But alas, I can consistently get a bare minimum score and become frustrated by spending however many quarters or tokens I did on that game.
Regardless of how bad of a player I might be at the various machines I've played and owned, I've always adored pinball. From the artwork, to the design that goes into making each machine its own. I'm glad to even just be another person in the world who loves the art of pinball.
