Montrealers to face off in city's 1st women's pinball tournament

Pinball may seem like awacky game, reserved for dingyarcades andkids' birthday parties. But that's not the case for everybody.

Since January, around 20 Montreal women have been meeting weekly to polish their pinball skills.

And tonight, they'll put thoseskills to test at the first annual Lady Luck Women's Pinball Tournament, hosted by Montreal's only femalepinball league.

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Charlotte Fillmore-Handlon, one of the top 100 pinball players in Canadaand a PhD candidate at Concordia University, founded the league this past January. She was motivated by what she saw as a lack of women in the game.

"Pinball has a tradition of being an old boys club," Fillmore-Handlon told CBC's Daybreak. "I wanted to create an environment where women feel comfortable joining in."

So while players get competitive, they also maintain a supportive and educational atmosphere, and are constantly exchanging tips on how to increase scores.

Open to amateurs

While tonight'sevent is a tournament complete with prizes for those who come out on top it's also a chance for amateurs to be introduced to the game.

Fillmore-Handlon is confident that once amateurs lay their hands on the flippers, they won't be able to stop playing.

"Pinball can be quite addictive," she said. "You start playing and you can see yourself getting better. And it feels really good."

Although pinball can be intimidating to novices, Fillmore-Handlon says that playing with the league means newcomers become quickly acclimated to the ins and outs of the game.

And even if new players aren't hooked by the game itself, Fillmore-Handlon believes the social environment is the best part of the experience.

"It seems to attract a particular kind of interesting, creative person," she said.

The First Annual Lady Luck Women's Pinball Tournament is tonight at North Star Machines Piastres, on St-Laurent Boulevard.Registration is from 7 to 8 p.m., and the tournament begins at 8:15 p.m.. Registration is free. Each game costs $1.