Full tilt: Winners score trophies, cash prizes at annual pinball tournament

MONROE — Sterling Mitoska is a pinball wizard.

Out of 64 players at the annual Holiday Extravaganza pinball tournament sponsored by ULEKstore’s Pinball and Classic Arcade inside the Mall of Monroe, the 12-year-old from Brooklyn, Michigan scored first place out of eight top finalists, walking away with a trophy and cash prize.

Sterling is ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 107 in the world out of approximately 90,000 players.

He out scored Jared August, 2023 International Flipper Pinball Association state champ, who placed third at the Monroe event. Sterling won playing the game “Meteor.”

Arcade owners David and Leeann DeSloover of Monroe have been hosting the event since 2018. The first three years, players competed at Beeks Bar & Grille in downtown Monroe where they housed ten machines.

Last year was the first year players competed at the venue in the mall.

“It was a seven fair strike tournament which lasted roughly five hours,” David DeSloover said. “We gave away a total of 33 prizes and gifts and $640 in cash prizes.”

When the DeSloovers started their pinball business, they would pass out gifts to patrons at the end of the year.

“It was our way to give back and say ‘thank you,’” DeSloover said. “It grew into this event and people travel from all over to come to it. We are very grateful.”

For the Dec. 30 tournament, participants from Indiana, Michigan and Ohio paid a $20 entry fee (plus coin drop) to compete. Players placing first through fourth received cash and trophies made by the DeSloovers. In addition to the arcade, the couple own a laser engraving business and they custom made the trophies.

Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news and high school sports content.

“First place is a Christmas tree,” DeSloover said. “Second place is a snowman. Third place is a Christmas ornament and fourth place is an ugly sweater. … I think some people would rather win the custom LED trophies than cash.”

All skill levels were invited to compete and players ranged in age from 10 to 70-plus. Ypsi Pinball, a crew from Ypsilanti, live-streamed the event.

From 11 a.m.-5 p.m., competitors played 13 rounds of pinball. The last person standing was declared the grand champion.

Top eight finalists were Sterling Mitoska, Trent Augenstein, Jared August, Tyrus Eagle, Scott August, Jerry Lucas, Andrew Rosa II and Bill Woodcock.

A sixth grader with the Columbia School District, Sterling has been playing pinball his entire life. His dad, Josh Mitoska, introduced him to pinball with the game “Attila the Hun.” Although he credits “Godzilla” and “Genesis” as top favorites, he has 50 machines at home to choose from.

Playing every day, Sterling is preparing for state finals later this month.

Patrick Mendis also competed. The Monroe resident likes playing both new and classic pinball. He remembers playing his favorite game “No Fear” on a pinball machine his father bought in the early ‘90s.

Playing pinball since he was 10 years old, Mendis started competing in tournaments in 2022 at the arcade.

He said throughout the year, players are collecting points to battle in the state finals.

“With the holiday tournaments, it’s one of the last times that you can get some points to try and better yourself in standing,” Patrick Mendis said. “That draws in a base crowd of people who are close to getting into the state finals but they need a couple extra points. … You see better players come in and it puts your skills to the test.”

At the Holiday Extravaganza, Mendis played ten rounds and witnessed Sterling in action.

“Sterling is amazing,” Mendis said. “I would go to him and ask him for advice on certain machines if I wanted to do a certain objective in the game. He knows the rules of the game so well. He’s getting better every year.”

DeSloover said as a result of COVID there are more pinball players. Unable to go out to play, many people bought games and played at home.

“There’s definitely a resurrgence in playing pinball as a whole,” DeSloover said. “And it means something different to each person. I play because I love pinball.”

Open seven days a week, ULEKstore’s Pinball and Classic Arcade offers 14 classic arcade games and 34 pinball machines from different eras. Classics include “Solar Ride,” “Meteor,” “Genie,” Black Jack” and “Lost World.”

Players of all ages and skill levels can sign up to compete in tournaments held every Saturday. Youth tournaments are held monthly and women’s tournaments are bi-monthly.

“A lot of people come in and want to play the lastest and greatest game,” DeSloover added. “Then, we’ll have someone come in and see ‘Meteor’ from 1976 and remember playing it when they were a kid.”

More information is available on Facebook at facebook.com/ULEKstorePinballandClassicArcade.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Full tilt: Winners score trophies, cash prizes at annual pinball tournament