One man's love for pinball

A fanatic's enthusiasm for the flashing lights, spinners and bumpers is undimmed by time.

Ever since he was a young boy, he's played the silver ball ... Now he's in his mid-40s and Dave Peck's love of pinball shows no sign of abating.

He has 95 machines ranging from score-reel classics to the latest electronic masterpieces in his games room in rural South Auckland. He has another seven in his Auckland apartment, a few more on their way and there're also a few being repaired in his garage. There's no room for cars in there, so the first thing you notice when you drive up to Peck's front door is not the games room, but the Lincoln hearse on the forecourt. "It's the only car I can transport my machines in," he says matter-of-factly.

Peck gets asked three questions all the time and we know you're dying to know too, so here goes.

Yes, his prized assets are insured - his cheapest machine is worth about $2000, his most expensive around $14,000. "I've stopped buying new ones now because they're getting too expensive. The exchange rate has knocked me in the nuts," he says.

No, his power bill is not outrageous. Aside from when he hosts tournaments, only a few machines are turned on at a time and pinball machines, which are fitted with transformers, draw low amperage.

Third, he doesn't have a favourite machine. "It's an impossible question," he says, but the metal aficionado - one of his mates calls him Encyclopedia Metallica because of his profound knowledge of the genre - has a soft spot for his AC/DC and Metallica machines.

"I really like the Bally Wizard too, from 1976. It's got Roger Daltrey on it. You know, Pinball Wizard?"

The oldest is Aquarius, made by Gottlieb, from 1971. "It's a fantastic piece of machinery," Peck coos.

It's a family hobby. Wife Fiona is No 16 in the country and daughter Danielle, 13, is poised to move to No2 behind Peck when the next rankings are released. She is also one of the youngest players to compete at a world championships and one of the world's highest-ranking females.

Peck, who is semi-retired after making his money in a chain of furniture stores and commercial property development, has been to three world champs without threatening the very best. While there might be 12-14 tournaments in the region per year, many hosted by Peck, pinball masters in Chicago, the home of world pinball, are playing one per week.

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"We only started doing pinball rankings in New Zealand four years ago. I had the French champion down here and he's been playing at world champs since 1992."

Last year he went to the world champs with high hopes but trying to negotiate a $5 million property deal at the same time as setting high scores "did not equate". He was 64th out of "64 very good players".

Peck loads up AC/DC with a credit for a free tutorial. The idea, loosely, is to play your way through rule sets that involve 12 classic AccaDacca tracks. He starts with Thunderstruck, but You Shook Me All Night Long with its "She was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean" opening salvo might have been better.

He's on fire, racking up jackpots and is in a seemingly permanent state of multiball.

"Did you see that?" he shouts as he flips a ball from his forehand to backhand while coaxing a second ball up a lit ramp.

I did. And even for a pinball neophyte, it was a genuine "wow" moment.

That pinball wizard, I thought, has such a supple wrist ...