The silver ball has a way of separating casual flippers from true arena gladiators when tournament pressure mounts. On an overcast, humid Monday evening in Bremerton, Washington, the air inside Tik Tok’s Workshop was thick with anticipation and the hum of classic solenoids. Four competitors gathered on June 15, 2026, for a gritty test of endurance: a seven-round Group Knockout Fair Strikes tournament where every dropped finishing position pushed players closer to elimination. Amid a field blending ranked IFPA talent and unranked walk-ups, local organizer and twelve-year pinball veteran Richard Godwin delivered an absolute masterclass in floorcraft.
Godwin entered the night sporting an IFPA rank of #7425 and a staggering resume of 663 career tournaments, carrying the calm poise of an athlete who has seen every bad bounce the silver ball can offer. That veteran grit was on full display over 140 minutes of intense competition. Putting up the highest group score on five out of the seven machines played, Godwin dominated the workshop floor to capture a decisive first-place victory.
Shaking Off the Dust on Devil’s Dare
Stepping onto the carpeted floor of Tik Tok’s Workshop feels like walking into a glorious elder Gen X wonderland, where friendly bartenders sling drinks while master architects from pinball’s golden era reign supreme across the arcade walls. The tournament opened its first round on Gottlieb’s 1982 solid-state arena, Devil’s Dare. Unranked challenger Justin Rivera immediately proved he was ready to compete with the heavy hitters, dialing in his shots to take first place in the twelve-minute game while Godwin settled into second ahead of Mason Forsyth and Kate Janeway. Surviving Devil’s Dare requires sharp reflexes, as players must manually trigger the left kickback using a tricky secondary cabinet button.
Any early rust on Godwin’s flipper fingers vanished by Round 2. The battle shifted to Bally’s 1978 sports classic, Harlem Globetrotters On Tour. Navigating this machine demands absolute precision to avoid embarrassing center drains through the treacherous gap between its dual left “scissor” flippers. Godwin locked down the playfield geometry to secure first place in the eleven-minute contest, holding off Rivera in second while Forsyth grabbed third and Janeway took her second consecutive fourth-place finish.
Red Line Mania and a Dragon’s Ambush
By Round 3, the tournament pace accelerated on American Pinball’s 2020 release, Hot Wheels. Godwin revved the playfield tachometer by hammering the RPM targets, igniting the high-scoring multiplier of Red Line Mania to cruise to another first-place finish. Rivera maintained his remarkable consistency with another second-place finish, while Janeway fought hard to claim third ahead of Forsyth in fourth.
Round 4 delivered the dramatic turning point of the evening on Stern’s brand-new 2025 arena, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye (Premium), sparking a grueling nineteen-minute marathon battle. Sporting an IFPA rank of #10519, local contender Mason Forsyth selected the Halfling Rogue character and repeatedly struck the dragon toy to qualify right-orbit multiball, surging to a brilliant first-place finish. Janeway captured second place while Godwin suffered a rare stumble into third, picking up a dangerous strike just ahead of Rivera in fourth. Historically, Godwin has held the upper hand over Forsyth across fifteen shared career tournaments, but Forsyth proved on this modern playfield that he can take down the state’s best.
Gotham Bounce Back and Mandalorian Showdowns
True champions are defined by how they respond to adversity, and Godwin bounced back with clinical precision in Round 5. Playing on Data East’s nostalgic 1991 Batman, Godwin swept the playfield during a nineteen-minute showdown to reclaim first place. Forsyth kept his momentum alive in second place, leaving Rivera in third. Unfortunately for Janeway, a fourth-place finish on the Gotham arena brought her hard-fought night to a close, exiting the tournament in fourth place overall.
Round 6 narrowed the field to a tense three-player faceoff between top finishers Godwin, Rivera, and Forsyth on Stern’s 2021 hit, The Mandalorian (Premium). Godwin executed flawless shots up the middle into the Razor Crest target bank, successfully stacking multiball action on top of scoop missions to seize first place in fifteen high-stakes minutes. Rivera secured second place to stay alive, while Forsyth absorbed third place. That finish eliminated Forsyth, earning the rising one-year competitor a well-deserved third-place podium finish for the tournament.
Racking the Ropes on Eight Ball and Looking Ahead
The seventh and final round came down to a heads-up duel between veteran giant Godwin and unranked sensation Rivera on Bally’s beloved 1977 classic, Eight Ball. On this vintage playfield, the secret to survival lies in plunging the far right lane so the ball caroms off the pop bumper directly into the large red 8-ball standup target, instantly arming the spinner and the left kickback. Godwin executed the mechanical gameplan flawlessly over ten decisive minutes. They clinched first place in the game to win the tournament title, capping off an incredible night where Godwin finished ahead of Rivera in six of their seven shared matchups.
This commanding performance sends a loud message across the Washington NACS regional circuit. With this victory, Godwin currently sits at #191 in the state standings, boasting 8 WPPR points accumulated across 20 events this year. For an athlete whose career peaked at a national rank of #2138 back in 2018, tonight proved that Godwin’s tactical floorcraft and passion for competitive pinball burn as brightly as ever. As the summer calendar rolls onward, anyone stepping up to the silver ball against Richard Godwin will need to bring their absolute best.
Podium
- 1st Place: Richard Godwin
- 2nd Place: Justin Rivera
- 3rd Place: Mason Forsyth
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