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Episode 422: Michael Trepp

PodcastAnalysis updated 3d ago18 min listen
From the creator

If you've ever played in an IFPA event, good chance Michael approved your submission. Hear from the long time IFPA/Country Director as he talks about pinball in his home country of Switzerland, some...

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Highlights

  • Michael Trepp is one of the primary IFPA directors responsible for verifying and validating tournament submissions and match play results
  • The best practice for tournament result submission is to use Matchplay and include Matchplay links, which many organizers fail to do despite instructions being in red
  • The IFPA dollar fee was Michael Trepp's input/proposal, originally intended to fund European Championship Series prize pools
  • The European Pinball Championship (EPC) predates the IFPA, starting in 1996, with the modern EPC beginning in 2005
  • For many years the EPC location selection was 'first come first serve' until organizers implemented a more formal discussion and selection process
  • The 2025 EPC in Austria had 384 players competing
  • The IFPA World Championship bidding process alternates between Europe and North America, with Sweden scheduled to host in two years (2027)
  • Ben Moser and Hugo Ritter are currently the top two players in Switzerland based on tournament participation

Notable quotes

“Without this person there's a good chance it doesn't get submitted or validated in the IFPA.”
Jeff Teolis
“I played competitively with pinball for a long time and played a lot of tournaments back in the years when there weren't so many tournaments. But life came into the way. So I didn't play so much. My hobby is pinball. So at the end, my free time I spent doing pinball stuff.”
Michael Trepp
“The easiest is use Matchplay and include the Matchplay links. A lot of times people don't, do they? Yes, they don't. It's written in red. But people don't read, so yes. Suck less and read.”
Michael Trepp / Jeff Teolis
“I always wanted to have a tournament in Europe where you can win a new pinball machine. So I proposed, so why don't every tournament who is part of the series pay something to be in the series, so we can spend this money for the pinball machine.”
Michael Trepp
“For many, many years was first come first serve. And now it starts to be more discussion before, because there are some problems at past EPCs.”
Michael Trepp
“This is the biggest tournament I'll go to all year, 384 players. I said, this is as good as any tournament I've been to in years.”
Jeff Teolis
“You're probably going to be back for Austria and things like that for this year's one where you volunteer your time. And it shouldn't go unnoticed because it is a hell of a commitment and the IFPA and Competitive Pinball doesn't run without people like you.”
Jeff Teolis

Entities

  • European Championship Series (ECS)· event
  • European Pinball Championship (EPC)· event
  • Lund Pinball Academy· location
  • Pin City· location
  • Pinball Profile· media
  • IFPA· organization
  • Andrea Salate· person
  • Arno· person
  • Arvid· person
  • Ben Moser· person
  • Bob Matthews· person
  • Dave Christensen· person
  • Hugo Ritter· person
  • Jeff Teolis· person
  • Jermaine· person
  • Josh Sharp· person
  • Levente· person
  • Michael Trepp· person
  • Robert Suter· person
  • Stefan Riedler· person
  • Timber· person
  • Vigo· person
  • IFPA dollar fee· policy
  • Matchplay· product

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