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Bumpers, plungers and drain pipes.
Pinball enthusiasts and professionals gathered at the Riverside Convention Center to participate in the World Pinball Championship, It Never Drains in Southern California Tournament, featuring hundreds of players from around the world.
Originally from the Netherlands, Yasmin de Jong has won multiple world championships and currently lives in Seattle with her husband, who is also an athlete.
“I started playing pinball when I was 14 years old,” De Jong said. “What the Dutch often do is travel to other countries like Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Finland and play tournaments there.”
But this tournament is about more than just matches, it features players like Cale George and a $15,000 first prize.
“I won the world championship twice,” Cale George said. “For us, this is a sport and it’s fun to come out here and compete and see people who are interested in the same thing.
Pinball is so popular that tournaments are now live-streamed all over the world.
“Last year, more than 1.5 million viewers watched Sunday’s Open Final all day long,” said co-director Jim Belsito. “And now there are over 100,000 ranked players in the world.”
This game requires serious skill and great eye-hand coordination, but some players believe that luck also plays an important role.
“A lot depends on your skill. Can you catch the ball? Can you send the ball where you want it? But do you know which shots will bring you the most points?” Yong said.
No matter who scores the most points, everyone leaves a winner when they get a chance to connect and play with great pinballers.
“It was great to make so many new friends and find a sense of community,” pinball player Mayumi Rome said.
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