IFPA’s Player of the Month/Biggest Movers for July 2024!
Here are the July 2024 IFPA winners for Player of the Month and Biggest Movers:
Player of the Month:
Escher Lefkoff from soon to be Australia (784.34 WPPR’s – MAIN)
Deborah Tahlman from Columbus, OH (123.55 WPPR’s – WOMEN’S)
Biggest Movers:
Jake Polachek from New Jersey (+31,511 spots)
Eric Montressor from Kingsport, TN (+29,397 spots)
Cameron Maples from Mesa, AZ (+26,709 spots)
These players have now all qualified for the Stern Rewards Program for 2024. Congrats to everyone!
Pinball at Waterfalls: the return of sports pinball to the Marmore Waterfall in the “Dino Merluzzi” Pinball Museum
Sports pinball once again in the evocative setting of the Marmore waterfall, with an Ifpa Italia event, with the support of the Pro Loco of Marmore and the recognition of the Umbria Region, the Chamber of Commerce and the Municipality of Terni, in the exclusive location of the Museo del flipper e del modernariato “Dino Merluzzi”.
The long-awaited “Pinball at Waterfalls – Marmore Pinball Tournament”, Memorial Dino Merluzzi, goes back on the weekend of August, the 31st – September, the 1st, and after last year’s success, will once again take place inside the Marmore Pinball Museum “Dino Merluzzi” (museoflipper.it), for a special edition that is preparing to welcome professional players and also the new generation of this sport, with an event open to citizens and anyone who wants to get closer to sports pinball or simply wants to try a new entertainment experience. From a competitive point of view, the event – in addition to representing a professional competition, valid for the international ranking of the WPPR (World Pinball Player Rankings) and which therefore allows players to earn valuable points for the world ranking of this sport, also represents the sixth stage of the seven in total during the season of the ICS 2024 National Circuit (Italian Championship Series). For this reason, some of the strongest players of the Peninsula are expected.
As in previous editions, this year too the event is dedicated to Dino Merluzzi, a historic figure of pinball in Italy, who was one of the first to collect vintage games and entertainment machines from various periods; one of the pioneers of sports pinball, to whom we owe the ‘moral’ birth of the movement present in the peninsula. The Pinball Museum in Marmore was also dedicated to him, as is clear from the name, which not by chance hosts the competition this year, making it even more unique and interesting.
The prestigious awards and important coooperations that allow it to be realized further enhance the initiative: in addition to the support of the Pro Loco of Marmore, the event is also sponsored by the Municipality of Terni, the Umbria Region and the Chamber of Commerce of Umbria. While among the technological partners of the event, international companies in the sector: FaroPlay and others.
In the Pinball at waterfalls 2024 tournament – Torneo flipper Marmore (Ics Round) the most modern pinball machines and the latest releases on the market will also be available, including the very latest models of Stern Pinball: Foo Fighters, Godzilla, Iron Maiden, James Bond, Rush. And the very latest novelties just released on the market. Together with many others, for an even more not to be missed event.
But in addition to the high-level competition that deeply concerns professional players, Ifpa Italia is also organizing a tournament for museum visitors and simply curious people who are approaching sports pinball for the first time, which will take place on Sunday, September, the 1st. An event, therefore, open to all citizens.
Rules and details: https://www.ifpaitalia.com/evento/pinball-at-waterfalls-2024/?instance_id=117
For information and registration: [email protected]
IFPA European Pinball Championship – April 12/13 2025
Th
e IFPA is excited to announce that the dates have been set for the 9th annual IFPA European Pinball Championship. IFPA EPC will be held April 12/13, 2025.
Registration for the event will start after the last ECS event and close January 17, 2025.
Our host will be WCPP in Middelkerke, Belgium.
More informations, the current standings and the ECS schedule HERE.
Stern Pro Circuit – selection process for 2025 season
As the 2024 season enters the final 4+ months of the season, so does the process for selecting those IFPA sanctioned events that end up on the Stern Pro Circuit for the 2025 season.
The top 15 events currently on the SPC will earn the right to stay on the SPC for next season. Each season 5 new events will be included in the SPC, replacing the 5 current events with the lowest average WPPR point total over the past three years.
With the IFPA sanctioning over 10,000 events per year, we’re asking the organizers of any IFPA sanctioned events that have interest in joining the Stern Pro Circuit to contact us at [email protected] to have your event added to the eligibility list.
Please include a link to the last 3 years worth of results on the IFPA website (or 2 years of results plus the IFPA calendar link for your 2024 event if this is year 3 for your event). Events with less than 3 years worth of data are welcome to apply, but please note the average WPPR point total over the past three years will still be divided by 3.
Organizers have until October 31, 2024 to apply for inclusion on the Stern Pro Circuit for next season.
“WPPR Farm Harvest Festival” Certified Tournament
sponsored blog post
Here for your consideration is what could be one of the most unique weekends of pinball that we have seen in a long time!!
October 3rd-6th @ Tilt Amusements
3087 Russell Rd, Ostrander, OH 43061
Let’s start with the highlights!
- 2 IFPA Certified Tournaments (Classics, Main)
- Free bonus strikes tournament on the Thursday before
- 2 streams broadcasting simultaneously to allow players who don’t typically get on stream to have that chance as well
- Over 75% of the entry fees will go to prizes!
- Cash prizes for top tournament finishers
- Bounties (Further explained in full event details)
- Game Achievements
- Round Bounties
- Lots of small raffles including Tilt merch, translites, and a playfield or 2
- AND PINBALL MACHINE GIVEAWAYS!!!
**Johnny Mnemonic is guaranteed to be raffled off, but with a full field of players, up to 10 machines will be raffled off at random throughout the weekend!!**
Regardless of your ability to smack a steel ball around inside of a big wooden box, the weekend will have plenty of excitement for all players! Can’t wait to see everyone there!
Please sign up as soon as possible so raffle games can be purchased and prepped in time for the tournaments! Spots are limited so don’t wait!
Full-Event Details:
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wppr-farm-harvest-festival-tickets-924870280907
Facebook Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1592211224984268
Feel free to reach out to me (Jack Nebraska) on Facebook or email ([email protected]) with any questions or if you are interested in sponsoring the event.
Women’s Championship Updates
We are excited to announce that all 2024-25 IFPA Women’s State/Provincial/District Championships will be held on Sunday, January 19, 2025. Additional details will be provided when we get closer to the end of the season. Players are encouraged to reach out to their IFPA Women’s State/Provincial/District Representative with any questions regarding your specific Championship. If a representative is not listed for your region and you are interested in organizing a women’s championship, please reach out to the IFPA.
The IFPA’s Women’s Championship Weekend for the 2024-2025 season will be Friday, March 28, through Sunday, March 30, at Port City Pinball in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The full schedule is as follows:
- Friday, March 28: 2024-2025 Women’s North American Pinball Championship
- Saturday, March 29: 2025 Women’s World Pinball Championship qualifying sessions
- Sunday, March 30: 2025 Women’s World Pinball Championship finals
Satellite events hosted by members of the New England pinball community are planned for Thursday, March 27; Friday, March 28; and Sunday, March 30. More details will be available closer to the weekend.
The prize pools for the Women’s State/Provincial/District Championships and the Women’s North American Championship will be funded by a combination of a $20 player entry fee and the money from the IFPA sanctioning fee for women’s events. For the 2024-25 season, IFPA sanctioning funds will be distributed as follows:
- 65% of funds collected will be allocated to the prize pool for that state/province district;
- 25% of funds collected will be allocated to the prize pool for the Women’s North American Championship;
- 10% of funds will be withheld to cover processing fees related to these payments.
Running totals for the North American Championship prize pool and each individual state championship’s prize pool will be added to the Women’s North American Championship Series Standings page shortly.
This distribution model aligns with the open North American Championship Series distribution model, with slight adjustments based on input from our women’s player base and state/provincial/district representatives. Please reach out to your women’s representative or the IFPA Women’s Board with any feedback or questions about the sanctioning fee, as it is new for the 2024-25 season and future distribution is subject to change.
IFPA and Stern Army winners for Black Knight!
The IFPA and Stern Army organized the Star Wars Global Leaderboard for July 2024!
We’re happy to announce the winners from this contest! Please email [email protected] for details on how to redeem your prize.
Streaming soon on a device near you! Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game
sponsored blog post
Library streaming video service Kanopy is pleased to announce the return of Big Movie Watch! This time, the film club is showing Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game. Based on true events, Pinball is the captivating story of Roger Sharpe, a GQ journalist and real-life pinball wizard who, in 1976, helped overturn New York City’s 35-year ban on pinball.
Borrow and watch the film on Kanopy through your public library* ticket-free from September 5-16, and chat about it with other viewers on the discussion board, or use #bigmoviewatch on social media.
On September 12 at 12pm ET, Roger Sharpe will be joining Jill Grunenwald (IFPA #111376) in a virtual conversation about Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game and his experiences. Register today for this free webinar!
*Not all libraries offer Kanopy. Check with your local library to learn more about their offerings.
