With apologies to The Who, even the term pinball wizard seems like an understatement when you’re talking about the caliber of players headed to De Pere this weekend.
Eighty of the top-ranked competitive pinball players on the planet, representing more than 20 countries, will keep their eye on the silver ball when they battle it out June 5-7 at District 82 Pinball for the 21st annual International Flipper Pinball Association’s World Pinball Championship.
For District 82, the arcade that opened in 2018 at 800 O’Keefe Road, hosting the most prestigious event in competitive pinball is the bonanza of all bonus points, a little like being chosen as the host city for the Super Bowl.
The championship tournament bounces back and forth between cities in Europe and the United States (Austria got the nod last year.), with host sites selected a couple of years in advance. It’s likely a once-in-a-lifetime honor for District 82, which is home to one of the largest tournament-quality pinball collections in the country and has a proven track record of successfully hosting national tournaments.
“It’s amazing. It’s probably only ever going to happen once, because they want to pick different locations so people can experience different places,” said District 82 owner Erik Thoren. “I’ve been working really hard to be the best place, and this kind of solidifies it. Also, our local pinball community, it wouldn’t happen without them as well.”
Players earn an invitation to compete in the championship based on their ranking from tournaments throughout the year. Some of them spend years traveling internationally and competing in hundreds of events in hopes of making it to the championship. This weekend’s group is made up of men and women of all ages and includes Appleton’s own Neil Graf.
District 82 has more than 100 pinball machines ranging from 1970s classics to new introductions, with themes that span KISS and Godzilla to The Flintstones and Dolly Parton. Tournament directors selected 66 that will be played – 22 from three different eras, ensuring the champ will have to be good at every era to win.
Per tournament requirements for tilt sensitivity and other factors, Thoren has adjusted the machines to make play harder than normal to match the level of skill of the competitors. But not to worry if you’re just a casual pinball enthusiast who wants to pop in during regular hours Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays after championship weekend and play a little Mustang Pro or Monster Bash.
“I’ll change them all back after, because they’re not fun to play right now, I’ll tell you that,” he said, laughing. “They’re brutal.”
Players will compete through eight qualifying rounds during the first two days of the contest, with the top 32 advancing to head-to-head single elimination on the final day. The 2026 World Champion goes home with a prize package worth tens of thousands of dollars and a new Stern Pinball machine.
The competition isn’t open to in-person spectators, but it can be viewed on the Fox Cities Pinball stream on Twitch. Getting a chance to see the best of the best go at it is a whole different experience, Thoren said.
“They’re very focused and controlled when they play, and it’s just amazing watching how they can do it,” he said. “The best players in the world, there’s just flipper skills that people don’t realize exist. You really only have two buttons to play this machine, right? They can manipulate those flippers and the ball with just slight, subtle movements so that they’re always in control when they’re playing.”
Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on X @KendraMeinert.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: World Pinball Championship bringing planet’s best players to De Pere
Reporting by Kendra Meinert, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
