Silver Ball Madness Returns to OU
By Michael Dwyer
The 2014 Michigan Pinball Expo Returns to Oakland University April 3-6
More than a hundred silver balls will be rolling next weekend at the 2014 Michigan Pinball Expo at Oakland University. For 57 hours, pinball players of all ages will be sending those silver balls towards targets, ramps, and other creative scoring components to rack up points on their favorite pinball machines.
Once spread across the country in arcades, pool halls and bars, many of these machines fell into the hands of collectors. This is a rare chance to find well over 100 pinball machines in one place. Both new and old, cutting edge and classic games will fill the banquet rooms of the Oakland Center on the campus of OU.
A single day adult ticket of $20 will buy you hours of flipper-fun. Designed as “Family-friendly,” this event brings out couples, families, and groups of friends. For the diehard player that wants more than one day of silver ball action, they offer a show pass for $70 in advance online. Once a visitor pays for their way in, all the games are set to “free play” and they can play as much as they want.
Michigan Pinball Expo offers 57 Hours of Play
What’s New?
“Everything!” said show director John Kosmal. “The show changes every year! What will really stand out is the large MARCO display in the center of the room!” said Kosmal. Marco Specialties does “everything pinball.”
John Kosmal said the best time to come is Thursday morning when they open at 8:00 a.m. “You can own the hall!” he said. The show runs from Thursday through Sunday, with Saturday being the busiest day.
Events at the Expo
Several tournaments will be available for kids and adults. Pinbrawl V is a multi-level team tournament that takes place on Saturday morning. Wizard’s in Training runs on Saturday afternoon and is for children 12 and younger. Scheduled the first three days of the show are several classic tournaments, as well as the 2014 Michigan Open State Championship, which has qualifiers during the show with the finals on Sunday.
Butch Peel from Jersey Jack Pinball will be a guest speaker on Saturday. He will be doing a presentation and offering troubleshooting tips. Also on Saturday Bobby Butara will be discussing the Pinball Owner’s Hand Guide. Topics covered will include buying, caring, tools, parts and costs to pinball ownership.
Show director John Kosmal is a landscape designer and installer. His company sponsors the expo. John lives in Rochester; and he collects, buys and sells pinball machines and video games. He remembers, “Winning 2nd place at the 2007 Pinball World Championships,” said Kosmal, “I was in the zone!”
You don’t have to be a champion to love pinball. You too can be in the zone at the 2014 Michigan Pinball Expo.
Sonya Julie of Oxford, MI plays pinball at the expo at OU – photo by Michael Dwyer
Event Details
Michigan Pinball Expo
Oakland University in the Oakland Center
2200 N. Squirrel Road
Rochester, MI 48309
April 3-6, 2014
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8:00 a.m. -12 midnight
Sunday 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Tickets (pre-sale option ends March 31) Per Day:
In Advance: Adults (16+) $17.50, Children & Students $12.50
At the Door: Adults (16+) $20.00, Children & Students $15.00
Four Day Passes:
In Advance: Adults (16+) $70.00, Children & Students $50.00
At the Door: Adults (16+) $80.00, Children & Students $60.00
College Night is Thursday 7:00 p.m. – Midnight
In Advance: $5.00, At The Door: $10.00
Children under four years of age are free all the time
Visit www.mipinball.com to buy tickets, sign-up for tournaments and to view a list of all the games.
About Michael Dwyer