My older cousin Curtis lives in Ormond Beach about a mile and a half north of Daytona Beach. He's about 15 years or so older than me and we visited him every year to go to Bike Week in March held at Daytona Beach. My family owns a Yamaha Dealership and Bike Week was an annual event from my 5th year of life until my 18th year (I was in college after that).

Curtis had an eletromechanical table that I played TO DEATH every time we visited him. Honestly, I don't even remember the table's name, but I remember what it did to me. It made me a Pinball JUNKIE. I was a "natural," so to speak. No one could beat me! I wasn't holding the ball yet, or making passes from flipper to flipper, or even tracking the targets I needed to hit. However, I was getting hooked.

This electromechanical table made me pay attention to everyone playing a table from then on. I watched guys catch and hold the ball and beat machines senseless and, at 7 or 8 years old, used to YELL across arcades, restaurants, bowling alleys, or greasy spoons to anyone who would listen to, "COME SEE THIS!" I LOVED IT!

I would play and had no idea I was actually practicing. I was sharpening my skills and building an addiction that was quietly and slowly taking over my gaming life. I'm not going to lie, I was of the Nintendo Generation and gaming at home. However, I had another love that kept my addiction going during my late adolescence and early teens--BOWLING.

Ah, glorious bowling. Youth League Bowling. It was because of my Youth League that I REALLY became hooked to Pinball. Fire! and JackBot were my escapes waiting for my Mom to come pick me up or between bowling games. There were others, but those stick out in my head.

Of course, along the way I went to Water Parks, Camps, Mini-Golf courses, Boardwalks, Arcades, and Restaurants and played tables everywhere. All this time, until I was around 17, I was TOTALLY unaware of my addiction and talent for Pinball. I just loved to play--just like Video Games, Four Square (Yeah, I was the Four Square KING), or my trumpet (yes, a band nerd). I remember Star Trek at a Go-Kart Track outside of Cedar Point when I was 16. I remember the Boardwalk at Daytona (which sucks now for tables!) and the GLORIOUS LINE OF TABLES every year during Bike Week! I remember the electromechanical table at the waterslide in Hinton, WV that, I'm not kidding, would electrocute anyone who played it wet and barefoot (That, my friends, was a challenge).

It was when I walked through Crossroads Mall and by Aladdin’s Castle that it ALL CHANGED. There, brand spankin' new, sat a beautiful Twilight Zone. I popped on my first two Tokens. I had the high score in the same game. The attendant in Aladdin’s came up and watched, then a few others, then a few more. I don't remember my score that day, but I do remember that I fully realized that I had a gift for playing Pinball and a love for all of the tables I came across. The attendant at Alladin's commented to me, I'll never forget this, that he had never seen anyone beat up on a Pinball Machine like that. What a great feeling!

During my college years I dragged my posse' to bowling alleys and Laundromats to expose them to my love of the Silver Ball. It was great! Those were some of the best years of my life!

Now I fast forward to a couple of years ago. My first "real" Tournament in Akron on a lineup of Cirqus Voltaire machines. What a great feeling, AGAIN! I qualified in the Final Eight and got knocked out in the first round! LOL Who cares! I learned that it takes a while to get used to the pressure, the REAL pressure of playing against people who are ALL as passionate and as good as you.

So now I'm in the Columbus area, I've made great friends with folks who run a local League and have many many many tables to play, and I'm FINALLY in a town that has places to practice consistently. For the past three years during law school, I was in my own "Pinball Twilight Zone" where there was one No Good Gophers that was in terrible shape in a Pizza Hut and then one had to travel 75 miles for the next closest broken machine!!

Needless to say, I'm Happy. Now, I hope that through more Tourneys and League games, I'll have more experiences and learn more about the hobby and passion I love so much!    

Of course, along the way