Pinball Profile

If you’re ever in Manitoba, Canada, check out their growing pinball scene. David talks about the birth of the creating a pinball environment with the Manitoba Pinball League, the MPC, his arcade Phantom Amusement, and even getting his pinball machines in big movies!

Good luck this weekend with the Grand Opening, including a Roger Sharpe appearance, a signed Bank Shot machine giveaway and more! Find out about this huge arcade in Stone Park, Illinois, and hear how it all began with Francis Wisniewski.

Better late than never.

Another great Colorado player wins a big one. Cassie Begay is the 2026 INDISC Women’s champ! Hear Cassie relive the victory, plus talk about all the great players in her state, dividing time at tourneys, and getting to see the world through pinball.

Stern Pinball’s Raymond Davidson talks about tinkering with masterpieces like Metallica and The Walking Dead. And we hear about his first lead game for programming, Star Wars: Fall of the Empire. And a little competitive banter too with one of the game’s all-time best players.

Bird has found love for pinball, competitions and the positive community vibe. Check out their Discord Channel “Pinball People”, and hear how many people just like Bird have flocked (bad pun, sorry) to the pinball scene, especially in the pinball haven that is the northwest.Pinball People Discord link: https://discord.gg/XffPx6VKTv

Kyle came up to Toronto, Canada this past summer to represent Stern Pinball and give a seminar at an open house at Player One Amusement Group. We discussed what goes into being able to fix pinball machines and how anyone can learn. He even took in a little Canadian culture too.

It's another super fun game from Multimorphic. Hear more about Portal with some of the key people behind the game, Ian Harrower and Brad Albright. And play it this weekend at the Houston Arcade & Pinball Expo!

One of many fine pinball places in Seattle...it's Icebox! Hear from many locals who rant and rave about this very cool hangout (pun intended).

For 41 years, Pinball Expo has been a staple and a must see for all pinball enthusiasts. Rob Berk shares some of the details and highlights.

Jake Crimmins is making pinball events a common thing in Taiwan. Hear how Jake is doing everything to help create a scene, plus travelling to the UK Open and Sweden, and who knows where else.

You'd be hard to find anyone in the last 25 years who has provided more pinball information than Martin Ayub of Pinball News. It was a pleasure to chat with Martin, who has seen and reported on so much over the years and still continues to provide rich content on both his website and podcast.

When in Rome...make sure to grab dinner with 4x World Champ, and local legend Daniele Acciari, along with 2x World Champ Johannes Ostermeier who's in town studying. Let the vino flow!

The man who gave us PinShades and now PinSteps has a lot more to offer. Need a mohawk model? A fire breather? A pinball travel buddy? Jokton's your man as you'll hear on this episode.

Give yourself over to absolute pleasure. What a great way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with an amazing homebrew. Wolfgang Grauvogl of Austria has taken a Black Rose machine and turned it into a beautiful creation. Hot patootie, it's fun!

Timber is looking to do well in his first IFPA World Championship. Hear Timber tell about his big win earlier in the year in his home country of Belgium, his first ever trip to INDISC, how he got his cool name and more.

If you've ever played in an IFPA event, good chance Michael approved your submission. Hear from the long time IFPA/Country Director as he talks about pinball in his home country of Switzerland, some of its players and locations, giving back to pinball, and what it takes to run BIG events like the EPC and the IFPA World Championship.

As IFPA 20 comes to Austria this week, they'll see one of the best players ever from that country. Markus Stix talks about the world coming to Austria twice in the span of a month (EPC & IFPA 20), plus playing competitively for 30 years and others who compete at a high level in Austria.

A long-time pinball pro, originally known as "The Kid". Jason tells us about playing pinball in the early days, testing games, early competitions and what's it's like to still compete today at a high level.

Another great young German player has cracked the top 100 in IFPA standings. He recently made his first trip to INDISC this winter, and now has his sights on big events in Europe including this weekend's European Pinball Championship in Austria.

A science communicator, the "Learning to Flip" host, and excited pinball player, Erin has done a lot in a short time in the pinball hobby. She was one of the first to flip the new Barrels of Fun machine "Dune", and she's also flipped in zero gravity. Erin shares the latest on earth...and beyond! Find out more about Erin at https://www.youtube.com/@erinwinickanthony

The Dynamic Duo of Davis, California are ready to take on the world! Hear from two great friends and top players as they set their sights on both their first European Pinball Championships and IFPA 20 World Championships in Austria.

Stefan Riedler of RS Pinball discusses the massive undertaking to bring the EPC to Austria this spring. But it's much more than just the best players in the world at one of the biggest events anywhere. Besides being one of only 5 pinball Majors, there's more to see and do. Have a listen, and sign up to attend.

Fresh off her victory at the Women's Championship at INDISC, Kaylee has bigger sights in mind for 2025. Coming up, a nice tribute event in honour of the late Kevin Shanus at Super Abari, then the Women's North American Championship in March, followed by Pinburgh in July. Hear Kaylee talk about how the North Carolina scene has evolved into one of the bigger pinball states and more.

In a very short time on the scene, Erika has been providing great pinball content with her videos, Instagram updates and more. Hear about her film background and how there's more in the works from Erika including help with TWIPy's, pinball media mixers and maybe a homebrew???

Who made this year's list? Hear their stories here.

There were 5 Major pinball championships in 2024. Here are the 4 people that won them. Zach McCarthy, Jason Zahler, Raymond Davidson, and Escher Lefkoff. We sat down at the UK Open to discuss their wins and their responses to similar questions asked to each of them.

A must-see in Rochester, NY! Home to both the World Video Game Hall of Fame, and the Toy Hall of Fame...and a whole lot of pinball machines and history. And all of it is interactive! Jeremy Saucier, historian & assistant VP for electronic games & interpretation discusses the latest addition to The Strong. It's the Steve Epstein collection, complete with materials from Broadway Arcade, the birth of PAPA, and much more.

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. Plus, we talk about the 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).

The co-founder and President of Raw Thrills shares his stories of getting into gaming, his time with Steve Ritchie, Atari, Williams, and now Raw Thrills and their development of Pulp Fiction pinball. His innovations in programming and game designing for pinball and video games for nearly 50 years are legendary. Here is just some of his incredible story and how it has impacted gaming today.

An OG of pinball shares stories of meeting friends in pinball for over 30 years! Plus, we talk about Lyman Sheats, her "dad" Steve, Texture Tuesdays, and this special Major PAPA 21 event Sept. 5-8 at Enterrium north of Chicago. Find out more at https://lfs.papa.org/ If you or someone you love in crisis needs to talk to someone, please call/text 988 (North America), and someone will be glad to assist you.

Fresh off of Bird Watcher, Ian brings us his latest, "Blood Bank Billiards" for Multimorphic's P3 Pinball Platform. Hear how he was inspired by other classic pool based pinball machines, plus his decision to develop games, and how some special people in the pinball community help make these creations possible...and exciting! Find out more on www.ianharrowergames.com

There's a growing pinball scene in Jacksonville, Florida, and a Nick Byrd & Pinsomniacs Pinball is a big part of it. Hear the high-flying stories from Nick, his competitive bug, love for The King...and a chance for YOU to win a ticket to Pinburgh at their event May 31-June 1 (thanks to PinShades/PinSteps). Go to https://pinsomniacspinball.com/upcoming-events

Michael is the leader of the Stern Armies around the world, and there are many! Hear from Stern Pinball's Senior Manager of Global Location Entertainment, what keeps him busy, and how he has the proof of the massive growth of pinball everywhere.

This incredible artist has done it again! Check out David Peck's ("rotordave") latest creation, Motorhead Pinball with art from Brad at this year's Texas Pinball Festival. Brad not only did this machine, but his artistic skills can be seen on posters for pinball events, rock concerts, sporting events, and more. Plus, Brad tells us what else is around the corner for his next projects. See his work at www.albrightillustration.com

It's a busy month for Karrie. She's representing British Columbia at the North American Championship at District 82, and then opening a new pinball location for Victoria, BC. Hear all about Karrie's upcoming Neon Ranch Pinball, plus all the big events planned including a Pinburgh Satellite event and also a Women's weekend.

Once every four years you get a bonus day, so let's have Fun With Bonus. It's Steven Bowden! He's off to a strong 2024 with the Wisconsin state championship and the Stern Pro Circuit win at District 82. But big things still to come including the North American Championship, Texas Pinball Festival, a new American Pinball stream Wednesday nights, and even a new machine very soon!

The 4x Georgia state champ is getting ready for the North American Championships, but his 2024 has already been a big year. You can catch him on stream either live or in chat, and check out his cartoons! Plus, Dalton shares a nice tribute to a late friend and mentor, Scott Kutheis.

Inconceivable! It's the latest from Multimorphic...The Princess Bride! We discuss this fun new game and its features with Multimorphic CEO Gerry Stellenberg, lead software designer Josh Kugler, and rules designer Colin MacAlpine.

Those of us in Ontario, Canada know Jason as a great pinball player that just keeps getting better. But, you may know him as System-J on Pinside. He's been creating and selling instructions cards that help you score! Listen as Jason describes his contribution to the pinball community.

There has been so much in the last few months for Bowen. Winning Massachusetts State championships and INDISC Classics. Helping out with Barrels of Fun's Labyrinth, Pinburgh 2024, and the new game show Deal or No Deal Island. Good time to catch up and get the details.