EP11 David Benke My Journey Into Pinball
In this episode, we’re joined by David Benke from South Carolina. David has been a competitive pinball player for many years and currently serves as a state director. We dive into his story and talk about how he first got into pinball, what led him into playing tournaments, and his journey within the pinball community. A great conversation with plenty of insight from someone who’s been deeply involved in the game for a long time.
Kineticist’s take
SC pinball director David Benke recounts his path from 90s arcade kid to competitive player and aspiring homebrew builder.
Synopsis
David Benke, a competitive pinball player and South Carolina state director, discusses his journey from childhood arcade play in Charleston (1990s) through a 15-year hiatus to rediscovering pinball at the secret Palmetto Pinball Club in 2016. He details his transition from casual player to collector, his mentorship relationships (particularly with Ken Grant and John Marsh), and his plans to build a homebrew pinball machine using FAST systems and commissioning professional artwork.
Entities
- FAST Pinball· company
- Spooky Pinball· company
- Junkyard· game
- Robo War· game
- Charleston Tech School· organization
- Palmetto Pinball Club· organization
- University of South Carolina· organization
- David Benke· person
- Heath Ashley· person
- Jared Rice· person
- John Marsh· person
- Ken Grant· person
- Michael Bernard· person
- Nate Grant· person
- Pat Pietras· person
- Sterling Martin· person