WASHINGTON — Local pinball wizard Stephanie Traub is competing in a really cool event this weekend: PinClash.
An online arcade pinball tournament featuring 24 top ranked players from around the world competing head to head remotely on the Godzilla pinball machine for the title of PinClash champion, and $1,000, it’s serious out in these pinball streets.
Traub is part of a local pinball league, playing in events around the country, mining a love of the game going back to childhood.
"So I have always been interested in it, when I was a kid I asked my parents for a pinball machine every year for Christmas, since I never got it, which is fine, I kind of understand why."
Nonetheless, she persisted, rising up the world rankings while fulfilling an old dream.
"There used to be a movie called 'The Wizard' with Fred Savage. Him and his brother went to a video game competition. They like traveled across the country for it, and I remember when I was a kid, I was like that is the coolest thing ever. So basically I'm living out my 'Wizard' fantasy via pinball."
PinClash will be streaming Saturday at 3 p.m. at IE Pinball on Twitch if you want to support, and you can catch Stephanie on Thursday nights with her friend Jose Chong at One-IPod-One-Pinball on Twitch.
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