South Elgin man flips for grand pinball tournament

Keith Johnson's affair with pinball began as a computer science major at Virginia Tech in the early 1990s.

"I just wasn't into video games. I started playing pinball and got better and better at it," the Washington, D.C., native said. "It was something I could do pretty cheaply and for a long time."

Johnson, now 38 and a resident of South Elgin's Thornwood subdivision, entered his first tournament in New York in 1993 and took fourth place in the doubles division.

This weekend, he and four other residents from Illinois will test their skills at the seventh annual International Flipper Pinball Association's World Pinball Championship at the Minnesota Pinball Hall of Fame in Cokato, Minn.

One would think that with a dozen machines in his basement, Johnson would be practicing nonstop for this weekend's main event.

But last year's winner of the "Classics Division" for the Professional & Amateur Pinball Association tournament and 74th ranked player in the world only has practiced a couple hours a day in preparation.

Johnson, who worked nearly a decade as a game programmer at Stern Pinball and currently works in Glen Ellyn as a video game programmer, cites his background as his greatest asset.

"Every game has different rules and objectives to score," he said. "My biggest strength is I remember a lot of minutia of games compared to other people. I definitely have a lot of playing time on a lot of different games from all eras of pinball history."

This is Johnson's first time in the IFPA tourney.

Thirteen countries each get two automatic bids for the tournament for a total of 26 out of the 64-person field. The remaining contestants must qualify.

Other countries sending contestants are: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Bowen Kerins of Boston will shoot for his third title in a row.

Johnson says he gets pretty nervous before matches.

"Right now I feel pretty relaxed and I feel I have a decent shot a doing pretty well," he said.

The Illinois contingent also has some serious punch.

Also going are brothers Josh and Zach Sharpe, ranked fourth and sixth in the world, respectively.

Josh Sharpe lives in Palatine and Zach Sharpe, vice president of the International Flipper Pinball Association, lives in Chicago.

Other participants from Illinois are Jason Werdrick of Park Ridge and Joshua Henderson of Plainfield. Werdrick is ranked 22nd, while Henderson, who at 12 is the youngest in the tourney, is ranked 76th.

Zach Sharpe said most novice players are just worried about keeping the ball in play but advanced pinballers look ahead and decide where they want the ball to go - similar to a billiard player positioning the cue ball or a chess player anticipating several future moves.

"There's an old saying that the ball is wild. The best players try to control that chaos," Sharpe said. "Keith has played enough to know what's at stake. His skills are comparable to anyone in the field. It's a very solitary experience when you're up there. The slightest lapse in concentration, your tournament could be done."

The tournament runs through Sunday. For more information, visit ifpapinball.com.