Local Love: Why smaller tourneys will always have a place in our (enlarged) hearts

By Lewis Bevans

We’ve all had a version of this story: you're starting to play pinball at your local haunt, and the bug hits. You're ready to meet some fellow pinball heads and test your skills against others. (Be forewarned - this bug usually doesn’t go away.) You could choose to go to a big event like INDISC or sign up for a District 82 marathon, but it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the size of the show and the unfamiliar territory. (Target match play? Limited? HERB??? Send help!) You can always join a league, but you're committing to an entire season – it's probably too early in your pinball love life for this type of long-term commitment.

Locally Sourced Tournament Goodness

This is where local events (“locals”) come in. Whether it's a regular weekly, monthly, or just a one-off event at your favorite arcade, locals are a great way to experience the pinball community through a competitive lens, without diving in too deep. Locals are your one-stop-shop to meet fellow pinball fiends, try out competitive pinball, and start living the Nudge mantra of #NoDaysOff. If you don't know who your neighborhood flipper comrades are, a local can teach you who's got a stash and willing to share, who's a rage-tilting dickhead, and who’s willing to accept a beer in exchange for learning what the hell to do on Foo Fighters. Or, at least being told what to do as you stare blankly off into the distance during a ten-minute dissertation on van mods you’ll immediately forget. 

Rivalries mean more when you know the person

If you decide that your wretched hive of flipper-based debauchery is worth staying around for, locals are the unsung workhorses of the pinball scene. Your local league is in its off-season? You can still get your competitive fix at the weekly, you junkie. Want to learn how to play the new hotness everyone's talking about? Go to your local launch party and watch your new pals blow it up. Hell, states without a ton of major events (RIP PAPA) usually come down to a who's who of the weeklies and monthlies. As a Pittsburgher used to the life of competitive luxury, it's nice to see a lot more East versus West, Rocky vs Drago shit going down in Pennsylvania this year. 

You can also take your bullshit on the road!

Once you've really got that pinball itch, there's always the opportunity to say fuck it and turn any trip into a pinball trip. Thanks to the IFPA website, you can see what events are happening anywhere in the world on a certain day. (Editor’s note: if you play in tournaments, and the IFPA calendar and/or your state’s NACS upcoming tournaments page isn’t in your favorites, do it now.) For the true members of the #NoDaysOff cult, that means more location pinball and a whole new slew of hash sharers and machine pushers to share it with. Every scene has their own spin on pinball as well, and I've run across more than my fair share of great hangs. Most recently, I had the honor of celebrating my 30th birthday with The People's Pinball Party monthly at Lyman's Tavern in DC. With $4 PBR drafts, strong-but-cheap Crushes, and the entire rustic Soviet/jackalope aesthetic came a wonderful time meeting new people, catching up with old pals, and shooting the shit both socially and competitively. Besides, when am I ever going to play Star Wars Episode 1 in a tournament? (Editor’s note: please continue to keep it far, far away from tourneys pls) Most TDs stray away from letting players abuse Jar Jar Binks. I sense a conspiracy by Big Gungan.

All love to IFPA, but spending five bucks to get beat by friends is elite

At the end of the day, the IFPA World Championships and INDISC may get all the media attention and public love, but most, if not all, of the world's best got their start at a local event somewhere. It's a great way to introduce new folks to competition, improve your skills, and hang out with friends. No matter how well I'm ranked or how much I travel, locals will always have a special place in my pinball-crazed heart. And for those who might have cold feet about getting into their local scene, try it! You might lose your $5 entry fee, but you might end up making a friend or two (and god forbid, you might have a good time). Besides, it's 2023 and the world might be going to shit. Ride it out with flippers and friends. No days off, baby. No days off.