Flawless in the Finals: Massenkoff Sweeps at Emporium

The Finals for Emporium Hi-Scorium August 2025 lit up San Francisco’s Emporium Arcade Bar on an overcast Thursday night. Four players took the stage, three locals and one outsider, all set against a neon backdrop of drinks, DJs, and Stern’s finest machines. What followed was a mix of dominance, grit, and a final round that tested endurance on a kaiju-sized scale.

Andrei Massenkoff’s Masterclass

When Andrei Massenkoff shows up at finals, everyone knows the game is going to tighten up. Ranked #51 in the nation, 26 years of competitive experience, and 100 career wins spread across six states—he’s one of those players whose resume reads like a greatest hits compilation of pinball.

This time? He didn’t just win—he swept the entire finals. First place on Star Wars (Pro), first on JAWS (Pro), and first again on Godzilla (Pro). No slip-ups, no “close calls.” Just precision, consistency, and a coolness under pressure that turned the finals into a showcase of what top-tier pinball looks like. For the San Francisco crowd, it was part clinic, part coronation.

Cole Brinsfield: Second Place, First Impression

If Andrei’s story was one of inevitability, Cole Brinsfield’s was about defying the odds. With only eight total events under his belt and a NACS rank in the five-digit wilderness (12,328), Cole was statistically the least experienced player in the room.

And yet, he grabbed 2nd place in every single finals game. On Star Wars he chased Andrei through hyperspace, on JAWS he kept his harpoons sharp, and on Godzilla he held steady even as the ball times stretched past an hour. Cole may not have the résumé of a veteran yet, but this consistency is exactly the kind of performance that turns heads. For San Francisco pinball, he just announced himself as one to watch.

Godzilla: The Beast of the Night

If there was one machine that stole the spotlight, it was Godzilla (Pro). Released in 2021, Stern’s monster hit is known for its kinetic chaos—ramps feeding into skyscraper shots, a secret skill shot worth 11 million if you can thread it, and of course the coveted Kaiju Battles.

The finals data showed it lived up to the hype: the average game clocked in at 74 minutes, dwarfing the shorter slugfests on Star Wars and JAWS. For players, it meant patience, stamina, and keeping nerves steady while the kaiju roared back at every flipper drop. The game even shifted the standings slightly—Rob Coli edged out Joe Floridia for 3rd place here, the only shakeup in an otherwise predictable ranking order.

The Other Finals Stories

• Joe Floridia may have finished 3rd overall, but his +192 jump in IFPA rank marked him as the biggest climber of the night. With just a year of experience and already making finals, his trajectory is pointed sharply upward.
• Rob Coli rounded out the table in 4th. A veteran of 175 events, he held his own but couldn’t quite crack into the top two. Still, his battle with Joe on Godzilla gave the machine its most memorable drama of the evening.

Machines in the Spotlight

All three finals games came from Stern, giving the night a modern blockbuster feel:

• Star Wars (Pro) (2017) – Designed by Steve Ritchie, the “King of Flow” himself, Star Wars (Pro) is as fast and punishing as hyperspace. The game is built around four selectable characters—Luke, Leia, Han, or R2-D2—each offering unique perks. Players chase modes based on the original trilogy, stackable multiballs, and the ever-tempting Death Star shot. The playfield is relatively open, but drains come quick if you miss. For finals, it meant an unforgiving opener that rewarded precise shooting and punished hesitation. Fittingly, it delivered the shortest finals match of the night at just 25 minutes.
• JAWS (Pro) (2024) – The newcomer in the lineup, JAWS quickly cemented itself as a modern Stern crowd-pleaser. Designed by Keith Elwin, the rules center around hunting the shark—loading the chum bucket, hitting the popup shark fin to harpoon, and then cashing in with multiballs. It’s cinematic, with callouts and clips from the 1975 film, and balanced so newcomers can have fun while experts exploit deeper modes. In this tournament, it served as the flashy middle act: not as brutal as Star Wars, not as long-grinding as Godzilla, but a game that kept pressure high.
• Godzilla (Pro) (2021) – Also a Keith Elwin design, Godzilla is widely regarded as one of Stern’s best modern titles—and it’s currently ranked #1 on pinside. The machine throws players into a battle to save the planet from invading kaiju, with skyscraper ball locks, collapsing bridges, and looping ramps feeding into multistage modes. Its secret skill shot—plunge behind the upper flipper into scoop for a massive award—gives savvy players an edge. What really defines it is endurance: deep rules, multistage battles, and long ball times. In this finals, it played exactly to type, stretching over an hour and wearing down players until only precision and stamina remained.

Final Standings

• 1st – Andrei Massenkoff (San Francisco, CA)
  A flawless sweep across all three games. With 26 years of competitive play and 100 career wins, Andrei turned the finals into a demonstration of control, focus, and pure pinball mastery.
• 2nd – Cole Brinsfield (San Francisco, CA)
  The newcomer with only eight tournaments to his name stunned the field with three straight 2nd-place finishes. A rising star who proved he belongs at the finals table—and maybe more in the future.
• 3rd – Joe Floridia
  The outsider in a San Francisco-heavy lineup, Joe posted the biggest IFPA rank climb of the night (+192). Still early in his career, his grit is building him into a player to watch.
• 4th – Rob Coli (San Francisco, CA)
  A steady competitor with over 175 events played, Rob couldn’t break into the top two but did outlast Joe on Godzilla. His experience kept him in the fight all the way through.

Emporium Arcade Bar

The finals went down at Emporium Arcade Bar, housed in the historic Harding Theater, a century-old San Francisco landmark that’s been reborn as a three-level mash-up of games, drinks, and live music. Originally born in Chicago, Emporium’s San Francisco spot was its first expansion outside the Windy City, and it’s become a hub for pinball and arcade fans alike.

Players and spectators alike had more than pinball to keep them entertained—over 20 arcade and pinball machines, pool tables, air hockey, shuffleboard, skee-ball, foosball, even a Super Chexx bubble hockey match if you wanted to take a break between rounds. Add in strong drinks, neon murals, and a full stage with DJs or live bands, and the place feels less like a bar and more like an arcade festival.

For a pinball finals night, it hit just right: plenty of space, buzzing energy, and that mix of retro nostalgia and modern spectacle that makes the games feel even bigger under the lights.

California IFPA Top 10

With Zac Wollons keeping San Francisco in the top four statewide, Cole Brinsfield may not be far behind if this finals run is any indication.

Closing Thoughts

The Emporium Hi-Scorium Finals weren’t just another tournament—they were a snapshot of where California pinball stands today. At the top, veterans like Andrei Massenkoff continue to prove that experience and composure are nearly unbeatable when the lights come up. But right behind them, players like Cole Brinsfield are pushing through the ranks faster than expected, showing that the next wave of San Francisco pinball talent is already making noise.

Throw in a new challenger like JAWS, the endurance marathon of Godzilla, and the timeless brutality of Star Wars, and you’ve got a finals lineup that was as entertaining as it was grueling. Emporium Arcade Bar gave it the perfect stage—a historic venue buzzing with games, music, and a crowd that knew they were watching something special.

If this night is any indication, San Francisco pinball isn’t just alive and well—it’s thriving, evolving, and ready for the next showdown.