Arts & Entertainment Community

Local man’s pinball passion keeps players around the region in the game

Justin Kaping started with a passion for pinball, and soon acquired several of the machines.

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His collection required upkeep and maintenance, so Kaping learned how to tinker with and repair them. The problem was, he started to run out of room to keep them all.

That’s when his wife suggested that he do something with them.

Justin Kaping is the owner of Ka-Ping! Games. He took his love for video, arcade, and pinball machines and turned it into a business. You can find some of his games at the new HarborCade at Locust Cider. Photo by Marsha Hart

Ka-Ping!

“My wife was like, ‘you have too much stuff, you have to find something to do with this,’” recalled Kaping, a Gig Harbor resident. So he started his business, Ka-Ping! Games, as an operator of pinball and video game machines.

His first customer was Zogs Pub and Deli on Fox Island. He now also has more than a dozen machines at Locust Cider, including six modern pinball machines, two Mario Carts, and a few old-school arcade games, like Donkey Kong and Pac Man. Locust Cider calls the new game room HarborCade.

The pinball machines have been a draw, according to Locust Cider owner Jason Spears and cook Eric Smith. Smith was inspired to create a new menu to cater to the pinball crowd, featuring pizza, beer brats, air-fried tots and similar dishes.

“It’s already grown,” Spears said. “We’re getting some food in here for people to keep them in the building and playing games.”

The Pacific Northwest is home to a huge pinball community, with more than 500 competitive players. Kaping hopes to bring people who love the games to Gig Harbor.

Kaping operates the machines in venues as far away as Tukwila. The best locations are tap rooms and bars, as well as some family-oriented establishments, he said.

Kaping hopes to host tournaments and has already seen interest in the games at Locust Cider from King County pinball players.  Stern, the manufacturer of the pinball machines that Ka-Ping! operates, lists the locations on its website. 

King Kong, Godzilla, and Deadpool are just a few of the pinball machines available to play at the new HarborCade at Locust Cider. Photo by Marsha Hart

Pinball history

Pinball began with tabletop games. They weren’t machines, but boards with pegs, balls and cue sticks. In 1931, a more sophisticated, coin-operated game of chance called “Baffle Ball” was invented. The pinball games of chance became associated with organized crime and gambling and were outlawed in most cities during Prohibition. 

Flippers were added in 1947, changing the game from one of chance to one of skill. Pinball gained in popularity by the 1960s, despite still being illegal in many jurisdictions. Rock band The Who released the song “Pinball Wizard” in 1969, and a song by The Pointer Sisters called Pinball Number Count aired on season 8 of Sesame Street in 1977. 

The previous year, in 1976, pinball enthusiast Roger Sharpe challenged the New York City Council to reverse its 30-year ban on the machines. He demonstrated that pinball was a game of skill, not chance, and it worked. Soon, cities across the nation reversed bans of the machines.

Once the bans were lifted, machines could be found in a variety of places — skating rinks, bars and even the entryway of big box stores. The magic began to wear off in the 1990s, which Kaping said he believes was due to the popularity of the home video game. 

Pinball resurgence

Interest in pinball surged the past few years, Kaping said. Modern machines have internet connections, allowing users to track their scores. Players can also get badges, and achievements, similar to video games, from the manufacturer.

As an operator, Kaping said he is always trying to find the best place for the games. Locust Cider was a great fit, and he said the timing was right.

“It can really make or break whether or not you’re successful,” he said. “These guys are all in because they know that the community lacks a place like this, and they see the potential as well for their business.”

While the new pinball machines have different rules, and updated boards, the underbelly of wires and connections are similar to the games of the 1970s. Justin Kaping operates the games through his company Ka-Ping! Games. Kaping operates more than a dozen games at Locust Cider. Photo by Marsha Hart

Compared to the games of 30 years ago, these have more elaborate scoring capabilities. Visually, the board has more going on, with winding avenues of ramps and rails in varying heights, sensitive bumpers, and more lights, as well as modern themes. But underneath, where the wires and connectors are, modern games are not so different from their ancestors, Kaping said.

“The primary difference is the rule set,” he said. “They’re so much more complicated now. The lights show you where to shoot (the ball) and so you hit that light. So for someone who doesn’t know how to play, we generally say, ‘Shoot whatever’s flashing.’ But. like, sometimes everything’s flashing.”

The most popular game is King Kong, Kaping said, with Godzilla a close second. The way the boards light up, the sophistication of the bumper reactivity, the winding avenues of wire rails, and elevation of the ramps are new. But, one aspect of the games remains old-school — they still take quarters. 

Locust Cider is open from 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; noon to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and noon to 8 pm. Sundays. It is at 3207 57th Street Court.