So my name is Tommy Skinner, and this is my Pinball Story. I came into the hobby only 4 years ago, but it feels as if it has never not existed for me. It is truly difficult to remember the time before pinball was such a major part of my life. What did I do with the hours I now spend on Pinside, playing pinball, fixing pinball, buying or selling pinball, recording a pinball podcast, streaming pinball gameplay, or now even occasionally writing about pinball? Well I suppose I used to keep exotic fish, and sometimes play videogames, and I probably worked out a bit more, but none of those things have brought me the joy that pinball has. I followed the typical pinhead path and added one game with no room for a second…that soon became 15 games with no room for a second, but I have made it work. I went from joining a league and sucking to eventually winning it for a season. I now run the Lafayette Pinball League, our 3rd Tuesday Monthly Tournament, and the Lafayette Pinball Super-Selfie League. I have also hosted at least two larger tournaments per year over the last two years as well. I record This Flippin Podcast with my friend Taylor Reese every two weeks, and I try to stream at least one of my pinball machines weekly on our Twitch channel again This Flippin Podcast. I’ve gotten to meet a ton of amazing people in the hobby, and even got to interview my pinball idol in John Trudeau. Again the most important thing in this hobby for me has been that it makes me happy, and that I have met so many cool individuals. Hoping this stays a large part of my life for a long time to come.
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Comments
5 years ago
nice tommy , i'm impressed with your story and the telling of this life you've lead in pinball is righteous, some observations i've made in pinball after 2-3 years is that there are really interesting and diverse people involved with pinball and secondly that working on the machines is fun and enriching experience . the great part of pinball to me is that it doesn't remind me of anything else
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selektor6
Inactive member
9y 29,400 110 8 6
I opened up this pinball story to discover that I listen to your podcast! I've been into pinball for 2 years after buying a "mars god of war" for 75 bucks at an antique store 2 years ago. I'm there with you.....I don't even remember what life was like before then.
My 16 year old son and I have been buying and fixing since then, and we are on our second season in the league here in Charlottesville Va. The league has been an amazing tool to teach him those things ,that traditional sports teach, in more athletic families!
We don't play soccer or football....we play pinball. And I can play along side him.
Thanks for your show. It was cool to discover it is co-hosted by a fellow Virginian! I heard about you guys on the "bro show".
Thanks for your story