PACIFIC PINBALL
OPEN 2010


Date: 2nd December, 2010
Location: Pacific Pinball Museum, 1510 Webster Street, Alameda, CA 94501, USA.

Report by Jonny O


On December 2nd, 2010, the Pacific Pinball Museum held its first IFPA-sanctioned pinball tournament, fittingly named The Pacific Pinball Open. Mads Kristensen, a visiting player from Denmark, took the helm as tournament director and the event doubled as his big send-off party after nearly a year in the States. Mads has made many friends and had many pinball adventures, and the response was amazing with 47 competitors and a couple dozen other friends and spectators.

Mads (far right) lays down the tournament rules
Mads (far right) lays down the tournament rules

Qualifying consisted of playing three games only one time each, with warm-up allowed right up to the start of qualifiers. Such a thrifty and brutal qualifier was needed since the event took place on a Thursday evening and time was tight.

So many players turned up that two separate divisions were needed, yet they weren’t of the Pro and Novice variety. Skilled players were divided as evenly as possible and the top players in each division advanced to a mixed playoff.

Of course, since the tournament took place in a pinball museum it was only fitting the games should reflect pinball’s history. Division A played Avatar, Time Machine and El Dorado. Division B played Ironman, High Speed and Volley. Volley and El Dorado proved especially challenging since nudging is a key skill on both yet a tilt doesn’t just end the ball, but the game altogether. I got a painful reminder of this when I titled ball three (of five) on Volley, which along with a ho-hum Ironman score, served to dispel any thoughts of glory that night.

The action in the Modern room was thick and fast
The action in the Modern room was thick and fast

Each player was issued a poker chip with their name on it to queue up for games. The system takes the burden off scorekeepers, and players can see-at-a-glance if their turn is coming up.  Happy scorekeepers translates to accurate results.

Results were initially tracked on large score sheets near the machines, and then the order of place was transferred to a second set to add up the points for each division. This determined who would move on to the quarter-finals.

The twist for this particular tournament was the top scorer on each game was guaranteed a spot in the play-offs. After that, the top 5 players in each division who hadn’t already won a spot via top score also advanced, for a total of 16 players across two divisions.

Like all tournaments, the Pacific Pinball Open was competitive and several players were certainly gunning to win, but it was mostly about everyone having a great time. The simple, relaxed format, short length, pizza and beer brought out a fun and eclectic crowd of pinball pros, hipsters, artists and spectators. Prizes were simple, consisting of posters, T-shirts, and PPM Club Cards.  Oh, and eternal fame, as you’ll soon see.

Melissa Harmon and Dan Fontes. Melissa runs the Museum with her husband Michael. Dan Fontes is known both in and beyond the pinball world for his incredible murals seen at pinball shows and around the Bay Area
Melissa Harmon and Dan Fontes. Melissa runs the Museum with her
husband Michael. Dan Fontes is known both in and beyond the pinball world for
his incredible murals seen at pinball shows and around the Bay Area.

Everyone turned out for the action. Even Andrei Massenkoff’s mother came out to cheer him on.
Everyone turned out for the action. Even Andrei Massenkoff’s mother came out
to cheer him on.

Molly Reisman and Eugene Gerstein. Eugene is the President of the Bay Area Pinball Association.
Molly Reisman and Eugene Gershtein. Eugene is the President of the Bay Area Pinball Association.

I told Gem to eat pizza and look angry and he angrily obliged. Gem Gruber is also a principal of the Pacific Pinball Museum.
I told Gem to eat pizza and look angry and he angrily obliged.
Gem Gruber is also a principal of the Pacific Pinball Museum.

Denise and Erica could not resist my camera
Denise and Erica could not resist my camera

The top 16 players who advanced to the quarter-finals were (in no particular order):

  • Hal Erickson
  • Tim Hansen
  • Neil Shatz
  • Andrei Massenkoff
  • Walter Hurwitz
  • Chris Heilig
  • Kevin Riekki
  • Dylan Eichenbaum
  • Tanio Klyce
  • Josh Lehan
  • Justin Haber
  • Mark Altvater
  • Stephen Kleckner
  • Mads Kristensen
  • Ricky Valdez
  • David Rockholt

Players were grouped in fours and told to return to battle, following which, eight were sent home and the following eight advanced (again, no particular order):

  • Walter Hurwitz
  • Andrei Massenkoff
  • Ricky Valdez
  • Tim Hansen
  • Neil Shatz
  • David Rockholt
  • Kevin Reikki
  • Mads Kristensen

Walter, Ricky, David and one other player failed to make the final four.

Mads briefly contemplates shredding the results since he didn’t make the Finals
Mads briefly contemplates shredding the results
since he didn’t make the final

Andrei Massenkoff squares off on High Speed against Tim, Neil and Kevin for top honors
Andrei Massenkoff squares off on High Speed against
Tim, Neil and Kevin for top honors

When the final four made their way to the last game it was nearly one o’clock in the morning. A couple dozen spectators valiantly stayed to see who would emerge victorious. In keeping with a historical theme, the only fair way to determine the newest champ was to decide the matter on the newest game: Avatar.

In the end it was a solid second ball that propelled longtime Bay Area legend Neil Shatz to victory, a victory which rather nicely compliments his win at the Pacific Pinball Exposition two months prior.

The four finalists posed for a picture right after the winner was decided
The four finalists posed for a picture right after the winner was decided

About that eternal fame I mentioned. Michael Schiess, the owner of the Pacific Pinball Museum created a special wall plaque for the tournament.

The amazing looking plaque is to hang on the wall in perpetuity at the Pacific Pinball Museum to showcase the names of the top three finishers. Congratulations to all!

The evening was a phenomenal success with the highest turnout for a local tournament in at least ten years and likely more.  Good luck to Mads Kristensen as he leaves our fair shores in search of his next big adventure.  We’ll all miss you.


Special Thanks to the following who made this tournament possible:

Mads Kristensen, tournament organizer and director.
Michael Schiess and the staff of the Pacific Pinball Museum.
Scorekeepers: Walter Hurwitz, Alex Samonte, Mark Altvater, Jeannie Rodriguez, and other names I unfortunately didn’t get down.
Beer: Kevin Reikki and the Oakland Pinball Mafia.
All the players who turned out on what otherwise would have been just a rainy and dreary Thursday night.


Full results:

Pos Name

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47

Neil Shatz
Andrei Massenkoff
Tim Hansen
Kevin Riekki
Walter Hurwitz
Ricky Valdez
David Rockholt
Mads Kristensen
Stephen Kleckner
Josh Lehan
Chris Heilig
Justin Haber
Mark Altvater
Dylan Eichenbaum
Tanio Klyce
Hal Erickson
Jem Gruber
Mitch Tunick
Hans Yum
Eugene Gershtein
Molly Reisman
Mike Hafner
Jason Delano
Beth Davis
Michael Schiess
Dan Fontes
Jon Olkowski
Jeannie Rodriguez
Joe Trela
David Joud
Josh Warren
James Vierra
Alex Samonte
Eric Myst
Denise Mccullough
Erica Riekki
Ken Steffen
Rick Valdez
Theo Gruber
Matt Warren
Julie Lucchesi
Roone Silberman
Amanda Carlson
Ron Lautmann
Emmett Gadigan
Ashley Woodward
John Lautmann

 

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