OPERATING
Marathon duel draws national aHention
No one planned it that way , but it
turned out to be one of the best , most
spontaneous pinball promotions yet
devised . J .D. Beltram of San
Marcos , Texas and Edward Laydon
of Springfield , Massachusetts both
set out to break the same world's
record , for consecutive hours of
playing pinball , and they were only
forty hours apart when they started.
Neither of them knew about the
other or about the national attention
they would get as they competed in
their head-to-head duel.
The "old" record (if it can be called
that , since it had been set only three
weeks earlier) of 140 hours and 32
minutes was held by Mandy Manter
of Hollywood , California . But before
the Beltram-Laydon duel would play
itself out, that record would look very
much outdated .
It started with Charles Ross, who
operates Magic Coin Arcade in San
Marcos, Texas . On July 21 at 3
p .m., he held his second annual
pinball marathon (his first marathon
did not produce a world's record).
Three pin bailers put up their ten
dollars each and entered the contest ,
but two of those players dropped out
very qUickly . Beltram , the third
player , however , continued on and
on and on and on .
According to the Guiness Book of
World Records , players are allowed
five minute rest periods for every
hour of play . They may accumulate
these rest periods and take longer
naps if they so desire . Also , they are
allowed to sit during play
The effort by Beltram began to
attract statewide attention. And
when Beltram broke the world's
record on Williams' Big Ben , every
newspaper , television station , and
several radio stations in the area were
on hand to record the proceedings.
Beltram was the record holder and
the word went out. But the word
came back that Laydon was hot on
his tail. Only forty hours behind , the
Springfield, Massachusetts yout~
seemed to have a lot of pinball left in
him too . A duel was shaping up .
So Beltram had to keep on going ,
hoping to discourage his competitor.
But Laydon , by now beginning to
attract media attention himself , hung
on.
CBS radio finally caught wind of
the development and got a three-
way telephone hookup between
6
Beltram , Laydon , and a CBS
interviewer which was broadcast
nationwide .
Finally after 165 hours and 30
minutes , Beltram ended his streak.
Laydon now had only forty hours to
go to break the record . And that he
did . On July 30 , he passed Beltram's
mark and became the new record
holder . His final mark was 170
hours.
For his effort , Beltram won first
prize in Magic Coin's pinball mara-
thon promotion . He was awarded a
bonanza of steak dinners , ham -
burgers, movie passes , T-shirts,
records , and other prizes from local
merchants.
But Laydon , the record holder ,
was not part of any planned
promotion . He had approached Bob
Kubicki of the Dream Machine in
Springfield , Massachusetts for a
chance to break the world 's record .
To him the record was enough . Still ,
he may soon be getting a prize ,
compliments of the Dream Machine .
Said Kubicki , "We might give him
something like a pinball machine ."
What the event seems to indicate
once again is the press's acceptance
of pinball today . What it might also
suggest to the industry is that a
coordinated effort of this sort next
year, and possibly on an annual
basis, may be a great way to attract
favorable publicity to the industry.
For its part , PLAY METER stands
ready to coordinate such an event
and add to a prize package .
Operators, manufacturers, and other
industry personnel who would also
be interested in a coordinated effort
of this sort , where pin bailers across
the country all start after the
marathon record within a specified
time span, should send their com-
ments and suggestions to PLAY
METER on the attached Feedback
Card .
As Charles Ross of Magic Coin
said after Beltram's effort , "I think we
have bettered the image of pinball
with this promotion . And that's
something everybody in the industry
has a responsibility to do . We've got
to upgrade th e image of this game ."
Marathoner J .D. Beltram held the
world's record for only 40 hours .
Ohio operators meet
The Ohio Music and Amusement
Association recently conducted its
annual exhibit and trade show which
was held in June at the Hilton Inn in
Columbus , Ohio . Over 200 regist-
rants , including operators from Ohio ,
West Virginia , Pennsylvania , Illinois ,
Indiana , Minnesota , Michigan , and
Kentucky , and sixteen major exhibi-
tors attended the show .
The two-day program began with
an exhibitors' luncheon during which
Vern Riffe , Speaker of the Ohio
House of Representatives , discussed
the legislative process. The luncheon
was followed by the election of
officers and the discussion of the
recent Progress Vending court case
against the Ohio Department of
liquor Control over free play (PLAY
METER , May , p . 19) . Columbus ,
attorney James DeLeone led the
discussion .
Following Saturday's seminar ses-
sions, A.M.O .A. President Don Van
Brackel, gave the A.M.O .A. audio-
visual presentation during th e presi-
dent's luncheon .
The officers elected at the two-day
meting are as follows : Dennis
Hilligan , president : James Hayes
and Melvin Pearlman , vice presi-
dents : Clarence Neargarder , treasur-
er; Lawrence Van Brackel , secretary ;
and Maynard Hopkins , board chair-
man .
PLAY METER, August, 1978