FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE……..
PINBALL CONTINUES TO ELECTRIFY MILLIONS
The World’s Best Players Face Off To Crown The Ultimate Champion
This year marks the 80th Anniversary when pinball first electrified leisure time entertainment. It was Harry Williams, long venerated as the Thomas Edison of flipper games, who introduced the game Contact to an amazed audience. The man responsible for creating the tilt mechanism, adding in sound and mechanical motion and instrumental in many other innovations, in 1933 his Contact brought all the ingredients together as a landmark breakthrough that set the stage for how pinball has evolved over these subsequent decades.
Helping to pay homage and celebrate this singular achievement by Harry Williams, the International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA) is proud to present a tournament worthy of sending electric shocks throughout the world. IFPA10 World Pinball Championships will bring together the top 64 players representing 19 countries for a marathon competition guaranteed to not only test endurance, but also the ability to master the nuances of a 2.6 ounce silver ball.
The setting is Echzell, Germany on May 31st – June 2nd where breathtaking skills will be on display from the early morning hours on through to late at night in what promises to be one of the most grueling competitions between man and machine. Can Italy’s Daniele Acciari repeat his eye-opening performance when he beat the best of the best to capture last year’s World Pinball Champion title? Or can Seattle’s best, Cayle George, winner of IFPA8 and runner up in IFPA9, overtake his rival?
But there is even more at stake this year as the IFPA stages the Inaugural Epstein Cup featuring eight of America’s best facing off against eight of the world’s best flipper wizards in what is being billed as The Pinball Ryder Cup. It is an historic weekend further establishing the rebirth of pinball as the quintessential, interactive leisure time entertainment art form.
The surge in the popularity of pinball over the past few years is unparalleled as both young and the young at heart are rediscovering the joys and challenges that today’s machines elicit with a choreographed experience unlike any other.
In just seven short years, the International Flipper Pinball Association has been able to bring together over 18,000 players now ranked (World Pinball Player Rankings) by competing in over 450 leagues and tournaments taking place across the globe as evidenced by IFPA’s 29 different country directors.
The International Flipper Pinball Association was created with the express purpose of encouraging, supporting and endorsing competitive pinball throughout the world. The organization provides oversight and assistance to not only establishing pinball leagues but also tournaments and other promotional activities.
“The resurgence of pinball in the public consciousness is incredibly gratifying”, states Roger Sharpe, Co-Chairman of the IFPA. “It is truly a timeless game that has continued to evolve with technological advancements that someone like Harry Williams could have never imagined. We are seeing new locations and businesses opening their arms to the charms and allure of pinball with the net result that millions of players are taking part in the totally immersive and tactile experience that defines pinball.”
The IFPA10 World Pinball Championship is sponsored by Stern Pinball, Jersey Jack Pinball, Raw Thrills, Farsight Studios, Betson Enterprises, Marco Specialties, Planetary Pinball Supply, Play Meter Magazine, GameWorks, Zen Studios, Pinball Center, Brady Distributing Company, Game Exchange of Colorado, the Amusement and Music Operators Association, and the American Amusement Manufacturers Association.
For more information regarding the IFPA or any of its participants, please contact International Flipper Pinball Association co-directors, Roger Sharpe (rogsharpe@aol.com 773-961-1562 or 847-506-9903) or Steven Epstein (epstein4@aol.com 908-754-0934) or check the organization website: www.ifpapinball.com.
