Ding Ding Ding!

The championships are coming to Eugene again this year! No, we’re not talking about sportsball — we’re talking about pinball. The Oregon State Pinball Championship is at Level Up Arcade Saturday, Jan. 18, but in years past (2019 and 2023) it was held at Blairally. “Level Up has a fantastic selection of well-maintained pinball machines,” says Matt Walton, founder of the Emerald City Pinball League. Walton has been playing pinball since he was 5 years old, when he’d play on the Funhouse-themed machine at the lodge his parents bartended. “It has an animatronic clown head that you can hit the ball into the mouth of,” he says. “Sticks with you as a youngster.” He will be competing for the title of state champion alongside six other league members: Adam Jones, Eric Merchant, Michael Veirs, Justinn Medina, Joe Emery and Hayden Harker. The seven Eugene locals have stiff competition ahead of them, as a total 24 pinball fanatics will be competing to move on to the International Flipper Pinball Association’s North American Pinball Championship in Rochester, New York. “Every person’s path into the hobby is unique,” Walton says. “Some become collectors, some become tournament players, some love finding a lone machine in a dark corner of a dive bar and trying to beat their personal best on a game.” Lucky for you, Level Up will be hosting an Open Tournament on the same day — for just $5, you can test your own skills, and maybe fall a little bit in love with the ding ding ding! of those pinball machines.

The Oregon State Pinball Championship starts 11 am Saturday, Jan. 18, at Level Up Arcade, 1290 Oak Street; spectating is FREE. The Open Tournament begins at 1 pm; $5. Email EmeraldCityPinball@Gmail.com to learn more or join the Emerald City Pinball League.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!