The tension inside Tik Tok’s Workshop reached a fever pitch during Round 7 on Gottlieb’s 1982 widebody masterpiece, Devil’s Dare. Bainbridge Island local Chris Wilkes stepped up to the dual-flipper buttons, knowing full well that the machine’s notorious left kickback wouldn’t save him automatically. Locked in a high-stakes three-player showdown against tournament juggernaut Donovan Haga and Bremerton’s own Mason Forsyth, Wilkes played with surgical precision over an eleven-minute slugfest. He controlled the lower playfield to capture first place in the group, forcing Forsyth into second and handing Haga a dangerous strike in third.
That defining Round 7 clash encapsulated the pure grit of Monday night’s Fair Strikes Classics showdown. In a group knockout format where every single round pushes competitors closer to their predetermined strike limit and sudden elimination, there was zero room for hesitation. Wilkes’ pivotal victory on Devil’s Dare didn’t just rattle the leaderboard; it set the tone for a grueling ten-round marathon that tested the physical reflexes and mental endurance of every silverball athlete in the building.
Intimate Warfare in Bremerton’s Retro Sanctuary
With clear skies, 34 percent humidity, and an 81-degree summer evening settling over Bremerton, Washington, eleven contenders stepped into Tik Tok’s Workshop for a classic test of pinball survival. The venue provided the ultimate retro arcade sanctuary, operating as an elder GenX wonderland where patrons can order hot light bites prepared right in front of them and stretch ten dollars in quarters into hours of heavy gaming. Behind the bar, a single rockstar bartender kept the energy high—effortlessly balancing food orders, slinging great mixed drinks, and servicing the vintage machines with a constant smile.
Tonight’s bracket featured seven IFPA-ranked competitors alongside four unranked walk-up challengers, creating an intimate competitive battleground where overall field statistics took a backseat to direct, head-to-head friction. The national field carried an average IFPA rank of #14825 and an astonishing 2,187 combined career tournament appearances, proving that even a small local bracket packs serious championship experience. Every four-player group felt like a Friday night feature bout, demanding instant adaptability across an eight-machine lineup that spanned silverball history from Bally’s 1972 Fireball to Spooky Pinball’s 2017 Total Nuclear Annihilation.
Haga’s Arena Sweep Dominance and McCann’s Veteran Workload
If anyone looked poised to completely run away with the tournament early, it was Bremerton powerhouse Donovan Haga. Coming into the night ranked IFPA #735—the sole top-1000 player in the field—and holding the #24 spot in the Washington NACS standings with five state victories this season, Haga has enjoyed a meteoric rating climb over the past year. He backed up that reputation with absolute authority, putting up the top score on five of the six distinct machines he touched all evening. Whether executing tactical plunges on Bally’s 1977 Eight Ball to hit the large red standup target and light the left kickback, or relentlessly working the lanes on Total Nuclear Annihilation, Haga played with unstoppable momentum.
Matching Haga’s relentless pace was familiar local opponent Andrew McCann. Currently sitting at IFPA #1202 and boasting a massive season workload of twenty Washington NACS events alongside six regional wins, McCann brought veteran poise and sharp mechanical knowledge to the flippers. Across thirty shared career tournaments, Haga has historically finished ahead of McCann more often, but across the four individual group games they shared during Monday’s contest, the two titans finished completely evenly matched with two ahead finishes apiece.
Quinn Eddy and Mason Forsyth Shake Up the Silverball Hierarchy
While the top state seeds traded heavy blows, the intimate bracket structure allowed rising local talents and walk-up contenders to author brilliant dramatic beats of their own. The most stunning upset of the evening arrived in Round 2 on Bally’s classic solid-state Eight Ball. Quinn Eddy, entering the tournament at IFPA #23918, refused to be intimidated by Andrew McCann, commanding the playfield over a tense thirteen-minute four-player battle to secure first place while McCann absorbed a frustrating fourth-place strike.
That fearless underdog energy echoed throughout the entire challenger field. Mason Forsyth (IFPA #10519, WA NACS #363) put together a fantastic run to finish fifth overall, notably finishing ahead of tournament runner-up Donovan Haga in two of their three shared group games. Unranked walk-up competitor Rachel Ady also showcased tremendous grit, surviving deep into Round 8 and proving particularly clutch under pressure by finishing ahead of fellow contender Kate Janeway in both of their shared games.
Wilkes Survives the Strike Limit to Claim the Crown
When the grueling 188-minute contest finally approached its endgame, pure mental endurance became the ultimate tiebreaker. Chris Wilkes, ranked #107 in the Washington NACS standings with sixteen regional events under his belt this season, simply refused to crack under the mounting strike pressure. Across the six total group games Wilkes and Haga shared during the tournament, the two competitors proved evenly matched, each taking the higher group position three times in a masterclass of silverball parity.
Wilkes also established a vital edge over McCann, finishing ahead of the seasoned competitor in three of their four shared matchups. The championship ultimately settled in Round 10 on Bally’s legendary 1981 release, Centaur. In a decisive three-player final showdown, Wilkes kept his composure, expertly reading the outlane gate between the inlane and outlane posts to nudge his balls safely back into play and lock down first place in the round.
Finishing
- 1st Place: Chris Wilkes
- 2nd Place: Andrew McCann (tied)
- 2nd Place: Donovan Haga (tied)
No comment yet, add your voice below!