News & Updates

  • The group who came out for the monthly meetup

    Belles & Chimes November Recap

    Heya Belles! It’s been a while since we’ve sent out an email update. Since our last update was late October, we’re combining out two events into one! This cadence is something we might consider doing as we go into 2026. Please let us know if you have any thoughts when it comes to the frequency of emails and the content. We want to be sending things out that you enjoy!

    Notable Sections in Email:

    Fundraiser Update, OBX/IFPA/Inclusivity Update

    Wednesday Match Play

    The group who came out for the monthly meetup

    On Wednesday we had 11 players join us, including 2 new people, for six rounds of matchplay at Aftershock Classic Arcade Bar. Finals were held on Tales of the Arabian Nights, and it came down to just a couple of shots between the top two. A very close finish.

    🏆 Winners’ Circle 🏆

    The top four at Aftershock for our monthly meetup

    🥇 Cora

    🥈Tiffany

    🥉 Chelsea (her first tournament with us!)

    🏅 Mary

    Liz holding her keychain she won
    Tamara holding a cup and a District 82 hat

    They all won a trophy, new player Liz picked out a flipper keychain, and Tamara took home a District 82 hat. Congrats!

    We also lucked into a generous haul of Batch Bakehouse goods that made for a great mid-meetup snack. Yuuumm. 😋

    The prize table from our monthly meetup

    Thank you to Steve for serving drinks, Jacque for the trophies, and to everyone who joined us and contributed to our Food Drive

    Sunday Pin-Golf

    The group that came out for Sunday Strikes @ Aftershock

    Thank you to the 7 ladies who came out to play some pin-golf with us at Aftershock Classic Arcade Bar! After 9 holes, Tiffany led the group to a 3-game final of Addams Family, Twilight Zone, and Terminator 2.

    🏆 Winners’ Circle 🏆

    The top four winners of Sunday Strikes

    🥇 Donelle

    🥈Tiffany

    🥉 Cora

    🏅 Elise

    Our finalists took home some Pie-Faced Oscars just in time for the upcoming holidays.

    Holding the winning Dialed In Translite
    Tumiracle holding a shirt

    Tumiracle won a Stern Pinball shirt after taking the win on High Speed. Tamara was blessed by the ducky gods yet again as she went home with a Dialed In translite.

    The prizes for Strikes

    📅 Upcoming Events – Giving Back at the Kickback 📅

    The Kickback Bar Logo

    Our next event is at The Kickback on December 10th for 5 rounds of MatchPlay. It’s $5 buy in + token drop. Proceeds will be matched and donated to FairWisconsin. Registration starts at 6PM and we officially start at 6:30PM.

    We will be closing out the fundraiser which includes giving away multiple prizes throughout the night! Be sure to make a donation of cash or non-perishable foods for your chance to win a small prize. All donations are going to WayForward Resources in Middleton.

    The following event is also at The Kickback on December 28th for 9 holes of pin-golf. Registration begins at 11:30AM, and we start playing at 12:00PM. Entry fee is also $5 + coin drop. Proceeds will be matched and donated to FairWisconsin.

    We encourage you to RSVP on Facebook. It helps the engagement on our page and can drive additional viewers to the event.

    ⭐ Pin Tip: The Beatles Free Multiball ⭐

    The Beatles pinball backglass

    Playing Beatles and about to plunge your third ball?

    Hold It! Animated Gif

    Use your flippers to change your song to “All My Loving”. This will start a 2 ball multiball where scores are doubled while it’s still active. This mode is untimed and switch hits will increase your jackpot. Get to the magnet up top to collect. Hitting the mystery shot will reward add-a-ball.

    Pinball playfield with an arrow pointed at "All My Loving" insert

    📢 Fundraiser Update 📢

    Way Forward Resources street sign

    Thank you to everyone who has donated to the WayForward fundraiser and food drive this year. We have hit over $200 raised thus far, and we still have our Dec 10th meetup to collect even more cash and food.

    Remember that every $3 donation is a chance to win a prize, every $10 is a guess at the beans, and anyone who donated in general will have a chance to win the ducky race prizes as we try to empty the prize pool. Equivalent amount of food will yield you chances to win as well.

    We still have plenty of Stern goodies, Aftershock goodies, and a bundle of other goodies. Come through and donate cash and food for a good cause!

    Below are some of the goodies won so far:

    Winner holding their Jaw banner
    A belle holding shirts she won
    Winner holding a piece of a playfield
    WInner holding swag

    Additionally, we have $28 from our last meetup bringing us up to $56 so far for FairWisconsin after matching. We will be donating and matching this event along with the pin-golf event.

    📰 OBX/IFPA Catch Up 📰

    IFPA logo with pride colors

    You may have noticed that on November 17th we shared a reminder on social media about our chapter’s values around inclusivity and gender identity. This was in response to the events that occurred during and after the OBX Flippers Fall Arcade Bash. If you’re unfamiliar with what happened, here are several articles from The Kineticist that outline the situation:

    Background and initial developments

    First update on the events

    Second Update with Slack Conversations

    IFPA Womens Advisory Board Resigns

    IFPA New Inclusivity Code of Conduct

    Looking Ahead

    TL;DR (semi-short version):

    • A trans woman was confronted and nearly removed from a women’s restroom by a venue employee who was helping with the tournament. Police were threatened to be called, which in itself is an act of violence.
    • Due to miscommunication, the event was told to “play on.”
    • The Women’s Advisory Board (WAB) advised the event be unsanctioned because open events must be accessible and safe for all players, which was not the case here.
    • However, some IFPA leaders (namely Josh Sharpe and Adam Becker) decided to keep the event sanctioned even while acknowledging afterward that it should not have been.
    • In an attempt to clear their names, Slack messages were released publicly without redacting several individuals’ names including trans community members who had not consented to being publicly identified.
    • As a result of disagreements, which may includes things behind the scenes, the entire WAB resigned.
    • IFPA later released an additional statement about bathroom requirements and future improvements, but did not acknowledge wrongdoing regarding the Slack message leak and chose to uphold the sanctioned status of the event.

    How the broader community is responding:

    Since this happened, many tournament directors, venues, and Belles chapters nationwide have been making statements or taking action in solidarity with trans people and the WAB. Some have:

    • Unsanctioned all events
    • Reduced the number of sanctioned events
    • Redirected fees to LGBTQ+ charities
    • Allow individuals to opt-out of IFPA results
    • Reaffirmed their values while hoping for improvement (The message from the Women’s Advisory Board was that IFPA isn’t full of bigoted individuals but this situation revealed serious gaps and highlighted how much work is still needed.)
    • Fully boycotted IFPA

    Additionally, some individual players are choosing to only participate in events that allow opt-outs or only participating in women’s events as they are more intentional about safety and inclusion.

    Where our Belles chapter stands:

    We are still evaluating. For the remainder of 2025, we will continue with our scheduled IFPA-sanctioned events, but we are also taking steps to ensure our space remains explicitly safe and inclusive:

    ✓ Updated Code of Conduct — We are revamping our Code of Conduct to be stronger, clearer, and more accessible especially for newer folks exploring our chapter.

    ✓ Reflecting deeply on our IFPA relationship for 2026 — We’ve considered every option and continue to go back and forth. We want to make sure our choices align with our values and with what’s best for the women and nonbinary players in our community.

    Here are some realities we’re weighing:

    • We are not the IFPA. Our purpose isn’t to “teach IFPA a lesson.” Our purpose is to foster a safe, joyful, competitive space for women and nonbinary players in Madison. The IFPA cannot stop us from accomplishing our purpose.
    • For many in our chapter, our tournaments are the only realistic path to qualifying for Wisconsin State Championships.
    • Playing exclusively at District 82 is inaccessible for most of our players. Even our strongest local players often can’t qualify without traveling and competing up there.
    • If we stop sanctioning entirely, we remove opportunities from our own members and some don’t enjoy open/co-ed events as much.

    Because of this, we’re considering practical options such as:

    • Allowing players to opt out of IFPA fees for any event (they can still play; their $1 won’t go to IFPA; they just won’t appear in the submitted results).
    • Potentially sanctioning fewer events while keeping others non-IFPA or charity-focused.
    • Moving away from IFPA is still an option on the docket.

    There are many ways for individuals to show solidarity, and we support whatever choice feels right for each member. Besides opting out of a tournament, someone can suppress their IFPA profile. They will still contribute $1 to the pool and submitted to IFPA; however, the individual’s profile will be suppressed. What this means is you can still collect points but you will not be eligible for IFPA hosted events (such as State) during the year your account is suppressed. Please see this IFPA page on opting out and suppressing your profile.

    We do value your opinions. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any particular thoughts or concerns when it comes to our relationship with the IFPA as we work towards our final decision forward.


    Thank you for being part of our pinball community Belles! We love you all.

    – Belles & Chimes Planning Team

  • cans of campbell's soup

    Belles & Chimes Madison Holiday Fundraiser

    Benefiting WayForward Resources

    Help us fight food insecurity this season! We’re raising funds and collecting nonperishable food donations for our local pantry and having a little fun while we’re at it.


    Home Base

    The Kickback Bar will serve as our main hub for donations and lollipop pulls.
    You can also participate at other Belles & Chimes events where donations and lollipops will be available.

    To expand community support and boost food donations, the Kickback is invited to promote the fundraiser and host lollipop pulls at their own pinball events and programs leading up to the final celebration.


    📅 Key Dates

    • Nov 12 – Soft launch at Aftershock: Official start of the fundraiser!
    • Nov 14 – Soft launch at The Kickback during Three Strikes
    • Nov 19 – Promotion with Craft Beer Pinball League (CBPL)
      Nov 23 – Collection at Aftershock Belles & Chimes
    • Dec 3 – Additional CBPL promo
    • Dec 10Belles Holiday Event at Kickback: Last day for donations and final announcements!

    🍭 How It Works

    Donate food or cash and receive lollipops as a thank-you! Some come with surprise prizes attached!

    Lollipop exchange:

    • $3 or 1 food item = 1 lollipop
    • $10 or 10 food items = 4 lollipops

    Lollipops must be obtained in person at a Belles event or at Kickback.

    Please write your name and email on our list so we can contact prize recipients if we are unable to provide a prize immediately

    Not sure what to donate? Please see WayForward’s website for their guidelines and top 10 needed items.


    Prize Tiers

    “Lollipop Pull”

    Think of it as a Wine Pull, but sweeter!
    Each lollipop may include a color that corresponds to a prize tier.

    Guess the Beans Game

    Every $10 (or 10 item) donation also includes one entry to guess the number of jellybeans in our jar!

    Any Belle that attends the Nov 12th or Dec 10th event will receive 1 free entry per event

    Closest guess without going over wins:
    Two Forever Tickets to the Midwest Gaming Classic!

    Prize Distribution

    Some prizes will be available for immediate redemption; however, in the case we do not have an appropriate prize ready, we work with you to coordinate prize distribution.


    Where Donations Go

    All proceeds and food collected through this fundraiser, including our Belles fees for the December 10th event, will go directly to WayForward Resources to support local familiars facing food insecurity.

  • The group of players holding puppies at Kickback

    Belles & Chimes Recap: Star Wars Fall of the Empire Halloween Launch Party

    The group of players holding puppies at Kickback

    Hey Belles!,

    🎃✨ It was a spooktacular night of pinball with 12 Belles at The Kickback Bar for our Star Wars Fall of the Empire Launch Party! We had one new visitor from the Twin Cities (welcome, Leah!) and a visit from Sara, too.

    Two Han solo?

    Han Solo? More like Han Duo.

    🏆 Winners’ Circle 🏆

    The top four winners of the day

    We played 9 holes of Pingolf, with Leah’s chosen 3-game bank featuring Sopranos, Rush, and Banzai Run. After the finals, the results were:

    🥇 Shayna

    🥈 Cora

    🥉 Tiffany

    🏅 Leah

    The prize table full of goodies

    We say thank you to Tiffany who printed out the Pumpkin Tie fighters. The winners were able to choose their own pumpkin and wings, making their own Frankenstein of a “Pie Fighter”.

    Sara holding a big duck she won
    Amber holding her fidget toy she just won

    For our side finals, Sara won Pin-Bot and snagged the IT ducky, and Amber took the the win on Bond, winning a star fidget toy.

    🦆 Ducky Winners 🦆

    A ton of rubber ducks on water
    The winners of the ducky race holding their wins

    Big money! Tamara got the Star Wars translite and Cora got a coffin filled with candy.

    Sharky holding up her Star Wars banner win

    Congrats on the new banner, Sharkey!

    donelle holding a shirt she won

    New Belles swag for Donelle!

    👻 Best Dressed 👻

    Ghostface holding the trophy for best dressed
    Ghostface playing pinball

    Amber won the best costume trophy! She got extra bonus points for wearing her mask during pinball. Amazing! Her new Grogu glows in the dark.

    Donelle holding her prize for her costume win

    Donelle was most on theme with her Han Solo costume.

    Sara holding a 3d printed pumpkin full of candy

    Call her, beep her, if you want to reach her. Enjoy your pumpkin full of candy, Sara.

    ⭐ Launch Party Grand Champ ⭐

    Sara holding the grand champ prize from the launch party

    And last but not least… Sara took home the plaque with Leah as a runner-up earning a lil Vader figure!

    📅 Upcoming Events – Double Whammy at Aftershock 📅

    After Shock Arcade Logo

    Our next event is at the Aftershock Classic Arcade on November 12th for 6 rounds of MatchPlay. It’s $5 buy in + token drop. Registration starts at 6PM and we officially start at 6:30PM.

    The following event is at the Aftershock Classic Arcade as well on November 23rd for 9 holes of pin-golf. Registration begins at 11:30AM, and we start playing at 12:00PM. Entry fee is also $5 + coin drop.

    We encourage you to RSVP on Facebook. It helps the engagement on our page and can drive additional viewers to the event.

    ⭐ Pin Tip: Doctor Who Video Mode ⭐

    Dr. Who 1992

    Did you know that the video mode in Doctor Who has a predictable sequence?

    Tapping one flipper will cause your character to short jump (S) and hitting both flipper will cause a long jump (L).

    The first four waves are as follows:

    Wave 1: S S L L L L
    Wave 2: S L L S S S S
    Wave 3: S S S L L L S S S
    Wave 4: L L S S L S L L L

    A mario jumping gif

    📰 Pinball in the Media 📰

    Rachel Ristow of Ladies Flip Wisconsin

    Rachel Ristow of Ladies Flip Wisconsin had a great feature on PBS Wisconsin. Rachel has been a pivotal figure in the pinball community in Wisconsin especially when it comes to women in pinball.

    It’s a great watch, and we bet a lot of us can relate to many of the things she says. Check it out on the PBS Wisconsin website.

    A old school pinball playfield with the words "Business Insider - Still Standing"

    There is also a new Business Insider video on the rise, the fall, and rise again of pinball. It’s a quick review of the history of pinball and where we’re at now. You may even see some familiar faces in some of the footage. Watch it here.

    📢 December Charity Wanted 📢

    For those who remember last December, we did a food drive with WayForward. With the holidays coming up and the current government shutdown putting SNAP benefits at risk, we want to get a start on planning for this upcoming December. We are open to working with WayForward again, but we wanted to hear from you in case there were other nonprofits that you think we should partner with this year.

    We hope to have additional fun prizes, but we hope to get more. As a sneak peak to email readers, we do have 2 tickets to the Midwest Gaming Classic as one of our bigger prizes.Please let us know via email, message, or directly speaking to Jacque or Tiffany if you have a nonprofit in mind or know businesses that may want to donate prizes to our prize table!


    Thank you Kickback for hosting us and Jim for keeping our glasses filled! We always enjoy being able to take some pictures with some puppies too. Please check out Brown Paws Dog Rescue if there you’re looking for your next best friend.

    You can see more puppies and donate to local animal organizations on the 4th & 5th Sunday of the month at The Kickback from 3pm-6pm.

    two belles holding puppies
    Donelle playing james bond pinball
    To belles enjoying to pizza between matches
    Showing off some very sweet pokemon/star wars death star pokeball earings
    A puppy at the fundraiser at Kickback
    Belles having fun playing pinball

    – Belles & Chimes Planning Team

  • Pinball Group at the Kickback for Belles on 10-08-2025

    Belles & Chimes Recap: The Kickback Matchplay

    Pinball Group at the Kickback for Belles on 10-08-2025

    Hey Belles!,

    Another great night of pinball is in the books! On Wednesday, October 8th, ten of us met at The Kickback Bar, including one new person. We hope to see her again soon!

    Huge thanks to Kickback for hosting and to Robo for the great bartending. 🥰

    Players enjoying pinball at Kickback

    🏆 Winners’ Circle 🏆

    The top four winners holding trophies at The Kickback

    With Halloween later this month, we wanted to get into the proper spooky spirit with our sPoOkY trophies. Six rounds of MatchPlay, one tiebreaker, and three games of BK2K later, we had our winners:

    🥇 Stacie

    🥈 Tiffany

    🥉 Cora

    Jacque

    Congrats! 🎉

    Thank you, Jacque, for these cute Halloween-themed trophies! They turned out great! 🎃

    October 2025 trophies

    Other big winners:

    A free pizza winner at kickback

    Sharkey earned a free pizza token courtsey of the Kickback,

    A fidget toy winner

    Jillian won an infinity cube fidget toy.

    belles playing pinball

    📅 Upcoming Events – Pin-Golf Launch Party at the Kickback 📅

    The Star Wars Fall of the Empire backglass promoting the upcoming Launch Party

    Our next event is at the Kickback Bar on October 26th for pin-golf which will also be our Star Wars Fall of the Empire launch party!

    With it being so close to Halloween, let’s make this day extra special by making this a Halloween-y night! We dare you to play your best pinball game with your costume on. Bonus points if you have a Star Wars themed costume! Those with the best Halloween costumes will walk away with a trophy or other prizes. We can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve.

    Registration begins at 11:30AM, and we start playing at 12:00PM. Entry fee is $5 + coin drop.

    We encourage you to RSVP on Facebook. It helps the engagement on our page and can drive additional viewers to the event.

    November will be a double whammy at Aftershock. Mark your calendar for November 12th and 23rd for more pinball!

    📰 Extra! Extra! Read all About it! 📰

    The top winners at the Pinball Women's Expo FlipOut Tournament
    Tiffany holding her 3rd place win at the Pinball Women's Expo FlipOut tournament

    Congratulations to our very own Tiffany for taking 3rd place in the B Division at the Pinball Women’s Expo FlipOut Tournament!

    A total of 90 players competed, with Division A made up of the top half of qualifiers and Division B consisting of the remaining players. Although the Division B “finals” weren’t IFPA-certified, the top 8 still earned prize money, and the top 4 took home some adorable hardware.

    Fantastic flipping, Tiffany! 🎉


    📢 Project Pinballs 83rd Dedication 📢

    On October 21st, Project Pinball dedicated a brand-new Scooby-Doo pinball machine at the Madison Ronald McDonald House!

    This incredible donation was made possible thanks to the Evil Dead raffle hosted by Project Pinball, as well as the funds raised locally—including the coins you’ve dropped into specially marked machines at Kickback (most recently Terminator 2).

    A huge thank you to everyone who played and helped bring a little more fun to families staying at the Ronald McDonald House! 💛

    Check out Project Pinball’s Facebook page to see more photos and videos.

    Project Pinball's 83rd pinball donation - Scooby Doo

    Moments like these are a great reminder of the power of our pinball community. Even as a small group, every coin dropped, game played, and event supported adds up to something truly meaningful. One small flip at a time, we’re making a big impact. It has the power to bring joy, connection, and support to others well beyond our own machines.


    We can’t wait to see you this weekend! Don’t forget those costumes!

    Smiling faces at The Kickback

    – Belles & Chimes Planning Team

  • The group of belles at The Kickback all holding puppies!

    Belles & Chimes Recap: The Kickback Pin-Golf

    The group of belles at The Kickback all holding puppies!

    Hey Belles!

    Happy October! It’s finally cooling down. Maybe we’ll get to wear our sweaters by the end of the month.

    On September 28th it was another fine day of pin-golf at The Kickback Bar. The doors were wide open, drinks were delicious, the weather was perfect, and there were puppies. 😍

    We had 2 new Belles that joined us for a total of 9 players for 9 holes of pin-golf.

    Two Belles trying to block the sun while playing games
    We love the sun but sometimes it’s our enemy when it’s on our pinball machines.

    🏆 Winners’ Circle 🏆

    The top winners at The Kickback

    Donelle led the crew into the finals and she continued to kick butt during the 3 game final, winning 1st place. Final Results:

    🥇 Donelle

    🥈 Tiffany

    🥉 Jacque

    Jillian

    The prize table at The Kickback

    Congrats on your new trophies courtesy of Tiffany! They have practical uses as a pencil holder. A trophy that doubles as a desk buddy. Yes!

    Other big winners:

    Sharkey holding a fidget toy she won

    Sharkey won a fidget toy,

    Dani holding a Simpsons enamel pin she just won

    Dani won a Simpsons enamel pin,

    Tamara sporting a New Glarus hat from a ducky race win!

    And Tamara got a New Glarus hat from a ducky race!

    📅 Upcoming Events – Pin-Golf Launch Party at the Kickback 📅

    The Star Wars Fall of the Empire backglass promoting the upcoming Launch Party

    Our next event is at the Kickback Bar on October 8th for 5 rounds of MatchPlay. It’s $5 buy in + coin drop. Registration starts at 6PM and we officially start at 6:30PM.

    Our following event is at the Kickback Bar on October 26th for pin-golf which will also be our Star Wars Fall of the Empire launch party!

    With it being so close to Halloween, let’s make this day extra special by making this a Halloween-y night! We dare you to play your best pinball game with your costume on. Bonus points if you have a Star Wars themed costume! Those with the best Halloween costumes will walk away with a trophy or other prizes. We can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve

    Registration begins at 11:30AM, and we start playing at 12:00PM. Entry fee is also $5 + coin drop.

    We encourage you to RSVP on Facebook. It helps the engagement on our page and can drive additional viewers to the event.

    ⭐ Pin Tip: World Cup Soccer Skill Shot ⭐

    Coin Toss skill shot area on World Cup Soccer

    If you hear anyone mention Puppy Soccer, they are referring to World Cup Soccer. A puppies recap deserves puppy pinball.

    The skill shot involves plunging the ball into the lit coin toss shots. Fortunately for your first plunge, all 3 lights are lit. Your first skill shot will earn you 5M points and that light will be turned off. The second skill shot gets you 10M points, and the third skill shot will get you 30M points and one city spotted!

    World Cub Soccer (1994) pinside image

    📰 Madison Magazine Feature 📰

    The photo from the Magazine Article about the Belles from Madison Magazine

    We’re excited to share that we were featured in the October issue of Madison Magazine. Please keep an eye on your local magazine stands to get your hands on a physical copy. You can also go to their website to order a copy or view the web article here.

    Thank you Jeff Oloizia and Patrick Stutz for hanging out and capturing our little community!

    Let’s get more people playing pinball! 🗣️

    🍎 Apple Picking at Warm Belly Farm 🍎

    The turn out at the apple picking and classics tournament at Warm Belly Farm

    On September 21st Ladies Flip Wisconsin hosted their apple picking and classics tournament on Warm Belly Farm. If you want to see more pictures and read about it, please find their post on Facebook.

    Jacque holding a Warm Belly Farms gift basket from the apple picking and classics tournament at Warm Belly Farm

    They also hosted a high score side tournament that benefitted Project Pinball. Jacque crushed the competition getting and won the gift basket of goodies courtesy of Warm Belly Farm.

    📢 Last Call of B&C Worldwide T-Shirt Pick Up 📢

    Belles and Chimes shirt available at Pinball Expo in Chicago

    In case you missed it, there is another Belles & Chimes Worldwide shirt being sold by Anna Neal. Pre-orders are over, but they might have some extra shirts that they are selling at Pinball Expo. Tiffany will be present at the expo, so please let us know if you would like her to try to snag you a shirt. Please provide your t-shirt size.

    Note the shirt is $25 if she is able to procure you one.


    Last but not least… Puppies! These pups came to us from Fetch Wisconsin Rescue.

    You can see more puppies and donate to local animal organizations on the 4th & 5th Sunday of the month at The Kickback from 3pm-6pm.

    A puppy being held by a Belle at The Kickback
    Another puppy being held at The Kickback by a belle
    A very cute black lab puppy being cuddled
    A lab puppy with two different colored eyes being snuggled at The Kickback
    Jacque holding a white lab puppy on the patio at The Kickback
    A close up of a cute puppy

    – Belles & Chimes Planning Team

  • The group at doubletap ready to play pinball

    Matchplay at DoubleTap 9/10/2025

    The group at doubletap ready to play pinball

    On Wednesday, September 10th six awesome folks who came out to Double Tap Beercade Madison yesterday for a night of pinball! We battled through 6 rounds of matchplay plus a top 4 final

    🏆 Matchplay Winners’ Circle 🏆

    The top four winners of the night holding trophies

    Congrats to our finalists who battled it out on Godzilla!

    🥇 Tiffany

    🥈 Donelle

    🥉 Jen

    Stacie

    Each won a vase of flowers. Bonus shoutout to Jillian, who snagged a Surly Brewing t-shirt from the tiniest ducky race screen ever.

    A winner holding up a surly brewing co shirt
    Two belles playing pinball at Doubletap
    Group of belles watching a duck race on a phone

    📅 Upcoming Events 📅

    The Kickback Bar Logo

    Our next event is at The Kickback Bar on September 28th. Registration begins at 11:30AM, and we start playing at 12:00PM.

    Entry fee is $5 which goes to IFPA dues and helps fund our fun trophies. You will also be responsible for coin drop.

    We encourage you to RSVP on Facebook. It helps the engagement on our page and can drive additional viewers to the event.


    On Sunday, September 21st, A Golden Delicious Gathering is happening at Warm Belly Farm (Fort Atkinson) hosted by Ladies Flip Wisconsin.


    Our next matchplay event will be Wednesday, October 8th at The Kickback.


    We hope you’re enjoying what’s left of the summer! Autumn is just around the corner!

    – Belles & Chimes Planning Team

  • Four smiling pingolf participants

    Pin-Golf at Aftershock Arcade

    Four smiling pingolf participants

    Thank you to those who hung out at Aftershock Classic Arcade Bar on Sunday! Just a cozy little hang out chilling with some cool folks. 🥰 A total of 4 of us so everyone went home with a trophy!

    🏆 Pin-Golf Winners’ Circle 🏆

    All four winners at Aftershock arcade

    We played 9 holes of pin-golf, Cora leading the pack into finals. Final standing shook out as:

    🥇 Donelle

    🥈Cora

    🥉 Jacque

    Amber

    The cute trophies were printed by Tiffany who couldn’t make the event due to illness. We appreciate our ladies for being able to step in for facilitation in her absence.

    The trophies on top of Attack from Mars pinball
    Donelle playing Attack from Mars
    Players coining up to play Phantom of the Opera pinball
    A player on Godzilla having a blast

    📅 Upcoming Events 📅

    Double Tap Beercade Logo

    Our next event is at Double Tap Beercade on September 10th. Registration begins at 6:00PM, and we start playing at 6:30PM.

    Entry fee is $5 which goes to IFPA dues and helps fund our fun trophies. You will also be responsible for card tap.

    We encourage you to RSVP on Facebook. It helps the engagement on our page and can drive additional viewers to the event.

    On Sunday, September 21st, A Golden Delicious Gathering is happening at Warm Belly Farm (Fort Atkinson) hosted by Ladies Flip Wisconsin.

    Our next pin-golf event will be Sunday, September 28th at The Kickback.

    🌟 Food Fighter Van Mode 🌟

    The main goal of Foo Fighters is to tour the US and foil the Overlord’s devious plans. This is done by completing van modes.

    Qualify for the van by spelling V-A-N via the white shots. For your first mode, you only need to hit one white shot. The number of shots increase by one for the next time and three by the third.

    Foo Fighters playfield with an arrow pointing to a van insert

    You know you’ve qualified for the mode by the lit up van in front of the left ramp. Shoot the ramp and choose a city to start your mode.

    Each mode is separated out by different US cities. You get 50 seconds to complete your mode but you get added time each time you make progress in your mode. If you drain your ball before completing your mode, don’t worry, the van will be waiting for you without needing to re-qualify.

    Complete 3+ cities and you’ll have a wizard mode waiting for you. Give it a try!

    📢 Shoutouts 📢

    Papa 22 Logo

    This weekend, September 4th – 7th, is the PAPA22 World Pinball Championships at the Enterrium in Schaumburg, IL. It is the 2nd annual Memorial for Suicide Awareness in Memory of Lyman F Sheats, Jr. The event is capped at 300 this year and there is still some room to join—all skill levels welcome.

    There is a main, women’s, and classics division for this tournament. Besides some prizes for the best players, there are some random giveaways, and raffles to enter including a NIB pinball machine! You don’t have to be there to have a chance to win a pinball machine, there are raffles online via Project Pinball. They will be announcing winners on Sunday.

    Check out the IFPA website for more information.

    People walking to end Lupas

    Next Sunday, September 13th, Tiffany is going to be walking with the Lupus Foundation of America again for the Lupus Walk in Middleton. There is still time to pre-register, but you can register onsite as well.

    Please use this link to join Tiffany’s Team. You can also donate using the same link. Walk begins at 10AM. There is a 1, 1.5, and 3mi option. Tiffany typically does 3 the full 3 miles.

    We hope you’re enjoying what’s left of the summer! Autumn is just around the corner!

    – Belles & Chimes Planning Team

  • The belles and chimes group photo at the kickback

    Belles & Chimes Recap: The Kickback

    The belles and chimes group photo at the kickback

    Hey Belles!,

    On Thursday, August 8th, ten of us met up at The Kickback Bar for five rounds of pinball and a little photography shoot for a local magazine! Patrick Stutz of Madison Magazine hung out with us for a while, and we can’t wait to share the finished product with you all.

    We had two newbies, including one who drove from Iowa!

    The group of ladies around a table for a photoshoot

    🏆 Winners’ Circle 🏆

    The top four winners at the Kickback

    Qualifying ended with a tiebreaker between Cora and Tiffany on Pabst Can Crusher. Cora won by a narrow 100 points. The finals took place on Lauren’s selected game: Black Knight Sword of Rage. Final Results:

    🥇 Cora

    🥈 Lauren

    🥉 Donelle

    Sam (her second Belles event!)

    The trophies from this month at the Kickback

    Thank you to Donelle and her husband for the beautiful stands for our trophies.

    Other big winners:

    Sharky holding her 3d printed prize

    Sharkey got a dino drink marker,

    Jillian holding their winnings

    Jillian scooped up a kitty bookmark,

    Sam holding their winning beer

    and Sam won beer from Young Blood Brewing via ducky race!

    📅 Upcoming Events – Pin-Golf at Aftershock 📅

    After Shock Arcade Logo

    Our next event is Aftershock Classic Arcade on August 24 for pin-golf. Registration begins at 11:30AM, and we start playing at 12:00PM. Entry fee is $5 which goes to IFPA dues and helps fund our fun trophies. Please note you’ll still be responsible for token drop during gameplay.

    We encourage you to RSVP on Facebook. It helps the engagement on our page and can drive additional viewers to the event.

    The September Wednesday Match Play event will be Wednesday, September 10th at DoubleTap Beercade downtown.

    📢 Donation Shoutout 📢

    Mario with a Thank You word bubble

    We received a generous donation from one Belle and her husband. Thank you! In case you didn’t know, all money collected from sign-up fees goes directly back to Belles. This helps us craft trophies, buy filaments for 3D-printed items, purchase merchandise, and cover IFPA fees for our events. We do our best to balance expenses while saving a little for extra prizes.

    We are always accepting donations for prizes whether it is from your own hobby, swag from your favorite business, or cash. We’ll even take crafty individuals who want to help craft unique creations for our next Belles event!

    two belles playing Can Crusher

    – Belles & Chimes Planning Team

  • The group of Belles at the King Kong Launch Party Event

    King Kong Launch Party at the Kickback

    The group of Belles at the King Kong Launch Party Event

    Double the games, double the fun! This weekend, 6 Belles joined us at The Kickback Bar for our Stern Pinball King Kong Launch Party pin-golf, and 2 more jumped in for our bonus King Kong head-to-head tournament. We also welcomed 2 brand new Belles. Yay! 🎉

    🏆 Pin-Golf Winners’ Circle 🏆

    The top four winners of the day

    After 9 rounds of movie-themed pinball (shoutout to Jacque earned the only hole-in-one all day and scored a personal best on Jaws!), the top 4 faced off on a finals bank of Black Knight 2000, The Sopranos, and Foo Fighters. The final standings:

    🥇 Tiffany (her first Belles win!)

    🥈 Lauren

    🥉 Jacque

    Mackenzie

    Our top 4 took home 3D printed gongs printed by Tiffany!

    Lauren ended up the ultimate Queen Kong and scored the highest score on King Kong winning her the Grand Champ plaque!

    Lauren with the Grand Champ trophy

    Other prize highlights:

    🦆 Two ducky race winners—Tiffany took home a King Kong translite, Amber won a banner

    😂 Amber also scored a Ralph Wiggum sticker for her head-to-head win mid-finals

    The prize table for the launch party
    Tiffany next to the translite she won
    Amber after winning the King Kong Banner
    Amber with her Ralph Wiggum sticker

    🦍 The Revenge of Kong 🦍

    The three King Kong winners

    After the main event, we ran a chaotic, non-IFPA King Kong tournament on two linked machines with puppies running around and a twist: Hit the biplane ramp, and your opponent’s game tilts out 💥

    We played a single elimination format, and also tracked who tilted the most and who caused the most chaos.

    Single elimination round on King Kong
    More head to head king kong games

    🥇 Tiffany was the Bootylicious Kong Trophy winner

    🥈 Sam came in second and won the Banana Peel Trophy (most tilted)

    🎯 Amber won the Biplane Trophy (ramp sharp shooter)

    Belles watching the King Kong playoffs

    Additionally, Laina grabbed a magnetic capybara clip and Becky grabbed a dragon drink marker from the prize table. Prizes for everyone!

    Laina holding a magnetic capybara clip
    Becky holding a dragon drink marker

    And yes, there were puppy distractions during our finals and head-to-head tournament.

    two sleeping puppies
    A cute puppy on the Kickback patio

    📅 Upcoming Events 📅

    The Kickback Bar Logo

    Our next event is at The Kickback Bar on August 7th (note this is next week Thursday). Registration begins at 6:00PM, and we start playing at 6:30PM.

    Entry fee is $5 which goes to IFPA dues and helps fund our fun trophies. You will also be responsible for coin drop.

    Bad news is that we do not anticipate any food truck. Sorry for getting any hopes up. What we do anticipate is a local Madison magazine to stop by to take some photos of us in action. Be sure to gussy up if yo want to serve extra looks for the camera.

    We encourage you to RSVP on Facebook. It helps the engagement on our page and can drive additional viewers to the event.

    Our next pin-golf event will be Sunday, August 24th at Aftershock Arcade.

    🌟 Black Knight: Sword Of Rage Shield Saucer 🌟

    The saucer behind the Black Knight’s shield is a very lucrative shot to hone in on to make progress on your scoring. One tip is to backhand it from the right flipper. This can be done on the fly or from a cradled position on most machines.

    But it’s not enough to know how to shoot the saucer—it’s important to know when to shoot the saucer.

    The black knight playfield with the shield highlighted

    Note that the saucer is not always accessible. The starting position of the Black Knight’s shield is down which blocks access to the saucer. Qualifying for the below will cause the shield to be lifted.

    Monster Battles (modes): After shooting a center shot and shooting the ramp, the saucer will start a battle.

    Multiball: After shooting the “light lock” target, lock 3 balls for Triple Knights Challenge.

    Extra Ball: When lit, you can collect extra balls at the saucer.

    Mystery: Completing RAGE at the inlanes and outlines will light Mystery at the saucer.

    An adorable puppy in his pen
    Jacque holding a very cute puppy

    If you’re interested in adopting one of these cuties, pleases visit Fetch Wisconsin Rescue.

    – Belles & Chimes Planning Team

  • The group of players at aftershock arcade

    Belles & Chimes Recap: Aftershock Arcade 7/9/2025

    The group of players at aftershock arcade

    Hey Belles!,

    On Wednesday, July 9th, 12 Belles met up at Aftershock Classic Arcade Bar for our monthly match play tournament and played five rounds. No newbies this time, but we appreciate those who took a long drive just to come play with us!

    Quick shoutout to Steve for the great bar service while we played! 🍻

    The table of prizes at Aftershock

    🏆 Winners’ Circle 🏆

    The top three winners at aftershock
    Lauren holding her prize for the night

    Dori qualified as top seed and brought Godzilla into the finals and it paid off. She held her ground and took the win at the end of the night! End results:

    🥇 Dori

    🥈 Ashley

    🥉 Cora

    ⭐ Lauren

    Other big winners:

    Donelle walked away with a beer dog collar and ice cream coupon

    Donelle and her winning dog collar

    Jacque snagged a 3D infinity cube fidget toy

    Jacque holding her winnings

    Tumiracle scooped an ice cream coupon

    Tumiracle holding her free scope of ice cream ticket

    The duck race

    And if winning the tournament wasn’t enough, Dori’s ducky came in fastest during the ducky race, earning her a Revolution Brewing T-shirt. Total hot streak! 🔥

    Dory and her shirt

    📅 Upcoming Events – King Kong Launch Pin-Golf 📅

    The King Kong launch party graphic

    Our next event is at The Kickback Bar on July 27 for pin-golf. Registration begins at 11:30AM, and we start playing at 12:00PM. Entry fee is $5 which goes to IFPA dues and helps fund our fun trophies. Please note you’ll still be responsible for coin drop during gameplay.

    This is a special event as this is our King Kong Launch Party. 🦍 We will have a Grand Champ plaque for the highest score during pin-golf and a translite for a random winner. Top 4 after finals will get a 3D gong trophy with a pinball!

    After we finish our pin-golf tournament, you’ll want to stick around for our bonus non-IFPA King Kong head-to-head tournament which we estimate to start around 3PM. The two King Kong machines will be rigged up together where the biplane ramp (right upper flipper shot) will cause the other machine to TILT! 🍌You have unlimited balls, so you can jump back into the action. You only get a couple minutes to score more than your opponent though!

    👀 As loyal subscribers to our biweekly emails, you get a big peak at the 3D printed trophies for both of the tournaments. 👀

    A sneak peak at the new 3D printed prizes for the king kong launch party

    We encourage you to RSVP on Facebook. It helps the engagement on our page and can drive additional viewers to the event.

    ⚠️ Change of Schedule Alert ⚠️

    Please note that the August Wednesday Match Play event has been moved to Thursday, August 7th. It will be a busy week of pinball at the Kickback as they will be having their co-ed Craft Beer Pinball League Wednesday night, Belles Thursday, and a 3 strikes Great Taste pre-party on Friday.

    You know what’s great about us playing at the Kickback on a Thursday? There’s going to be a food cart!🥟🥟🥟

    Soho food truck logo

    📢 ICYMI: Ladies Flip Wisconsin Goes Apple Picking 📢

    Ladies flip for charity - September 21, 2025 flyer

    On Sunday, September 21, Ladies Flip Wisconsin will be hosting a tournament at Warm Belly Farm in Fort Atkinson. It will be a 13-round classics Matchplay with some apple picking and a potluck.

    Fee is $10 and there is a side tournament that benefits Project Pinball which is a nonprofit that puts pinball machines in children’s hospitals and Ronald McDonald House charities. They regularly do raffles for new win box pinball machines on their website if you are unfamiliar with them. Give them your support!

    If you have never been to the collection on Warm Belly Farm, we definitely encourage you to visit. It’s one of the largest classics collections we have in the south Wisconsin area near Madison.

    🫶 Help Wanted! 🫶

    We’re looking to design a Madison Belles t-shirt and maybe some custom sticker designs. If you or someone you know would be interesting in this type of graphic design project, please let us know!

    Before you go… Look at this cute gumball pinball!

    Dory playing the gum ball pinball table toy

    – Belles & Chimes Planning Team