It’s awards time!
It’s that time of the year when we get the abacus out, add everything up, and…uh… come to some conclusions. So without further ado we present to you…
Our Take
With the retirement (well, semi-retirement) of RotorDave there were always going to be fewer tournaments and total players in 2025. But somehow, more new people still wandered in, pressed start, and discovered the joys of the silver ball. That alone tells you the scene is doing just fine.
Now, let’s talk about the people who actually made some noise this year.
Ashley Burke: main character confirmed 🏆
If you’re looking for the headline act, it’s Ashley Burke. Most overall points, most wins, represents showing up repeatedly and choosing dominance. Fifteen wins in one season is amazing, but doing it across just 28 tournaments means Ashley wasn’t just farming easy points either — this was consistency plus clutch.
Esther vs the calendar 🗓️
Some people chase wins. Some people chase points. Esther Ahronheim chased every single tournament. Forty-seven events in a year is an outrageous level of commitment. That’s not just loving pinball — that’s structuring your life around it. Respect, Esther – but whatever happened to Robert in this category?
Tyler Dipper and the “one huge weekend” theory 🎯
Want proof that one great run can still shake the rankings? Tyler Dipper’s monster performance at NZ Champs delivered the biggest single tournament points haul of the year. Add in his Best Game result the next day, and over half his year’s points came in that weekend. Sometimes all it takes is one weekend where everything clicks, the bounces go your way, and the tilt gods are feeling generous.
Rafael Olmedo pressed fast-forward 📈
The biggest glow-up of 2025 belongs to Rafael Olmedo, who casually jumped 144 places in the rankings. That’s not luck, that’s levelling up and putting the work in.
Rookie alert 🚨
Every season needs fresh blood, and Isaiah Peters didn’t waste any time making noise. Rookie of the Year and a top-75 ranking is a serious statement. He topped it off with a maiden appearance at the NZ Champs, and then proceeded to make the finals – great result Isaiah.
👉 Dive into the full stats, rankings, and year-by-year chaos at FlipperStats, and we’ll be letting you know real soon who’s already making moves for 2026.