Episode 224: Karyn Kiser

Pinball Profile·podcast_episode·10m 52s·analyzed·Oct 23, 2019

Analysis

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TL;DR

Karyn Kiser discusses women's pinball board role and global tournament expansion at EPC.

Summary

Jeff Teolis interviews Karyn Kiser at the EPC in Copenhagen about her recent tournament performance, participation in a newly formed women's pinball board, and efforts to expand women's events globally. Discussion covers competitive nerves, the Women's World Championship format, scheduling conflicts at tournaments, and strategies for growing women's pinball infrastructure across Europe and North America.

Key Claims

Karyn Kiser won the Women's National Championship last year over Hannah Hatch
high confidence · Jeff Teolis states this as fact in introduction, setting context for the interview
Only eight countries ran women's events in 2019
high confidence · Jeff Teolis cites this as observed data from IFPA tournament manager statistics
Jeff Teolis organized a women-only fair strikes tournament on December 15th with no overlap with main event
high confidence · Teolis explicitly states this accomplishment with partner Julie Dorster
There are rumblings about a women's tournament in Oslo next year as part of larger weekend
medium confidence · Karyn Kiser mentions this cautiously, explicitly not committing to anything
The EPC women's event existed in Finland last year but not this year in Copenhagen
high confidence · Karyn Kiser describes recent history of EPC women's events

Notable Quotes

“I'm at that stage right now, I think, where I can be pretty solid, and then I get real nervous and just flame out after qualifying rounds.”
Karyn Kiser @ ~4:45 — Reveals competitive psychology of even top players; addresses how elite performers manage tournament nerves
“I'm not sure how my full body shaking wasn't coming through on the, I mean, it was terrifying. I was terrified.”
Karyn Kiser @ ~6:00 — Backstage of composure at Women's National Championship; illustrates contrast between external composure and internal pressure
“I'm so excited about the women's board. I'm really proud to be part of it. It's been so much collaboration.”
Karyn Kiser @ ~8:30 — Demonstrates genuine enthusiasm for women's infrastructure development and collaborative approach
“if the women's dollar happens, then it would be pretty outrageous not to open the field up more”
Karyn Kiser @ ~12:45 — Direct position on Women's Championship field expansion tied to prize pool allocation
“I mean, really, in a perfect world, you'd be able to play both. And maybe that what I hoping we can see that somehow some way they don have to make a choice”
Jeff Teolis @ ~14:30 — Identifies key logistical problem: players forced to choose between main and women's events at same tournament

Entities

Karyn KiserpersonJeff TeolispersonEPCeventWomen's Pinball BoardorganizationHannah HatchpersonZoe Olivia HelmpersonKim MartinezpersonJuana SummerspersonAnna WalkpersonJulie Dorsterperson

Signals

?
business_signal: Women's Championship format, field size, and location strategy under active discussion by new board; prize pool allocation tied to field expansion decisions
medium · Karyn Kiser states Women's World Championship format is 'biggest challenge' for board; discusses impact of 'women's dollar' on field composition
?
community_signal: Newly formed women's pinball board with representation from multiple countries and regions working to expand women's events and gather community feedback
high · Karyn Kiser details collaboration with board members Zoe Olivia Helm, Juana Summers, Kim Martinez, Anna Walk and others; explicit focus on gathering feedback and building network
?
event_signal: EPC women's event inconsistent—existed in Finland last year, absent this year in Copenhagen, unclear for Belgium next year
high · Karyn Kiser explicitly notes the presence/absence history and uncertainty about future
~
sentiment_shift: Growing enthusiasm and organizational capacity for women's pinball events; community members volunteering time and expertise
high · Karyn Kiser states 'A lot of women have donated their time already' and expresses excitement; Jeff references 'rumblings' of Oslo women's tournament possibility
?
competitive_signal: Scheduling conflicts forcing top women players to choose between main event playoffs and women's event participation, creating strategic disadvantage
high · Jeff Teolis describes two great players giving up playoff spots in main events to play women's events; frames as major sacrifice

Transcript

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0:00

it's time for another pinball profile i'm your host jeff teels you can find our group on facebook we're also on twitter at pinball profile email us pinball profile at gmail.com find us on instagram at pinball profile and please subscribe on your favorite podcatcher recently i had a wonderful time at the EPC and Danish Pinball Open in beautiful Copenhagen, Denmark. People asked me how I played and it really didn't matter because I had such a great time and saw so many people that I hadn't seen in a long, long time or for the first time ever. One of those I was happy to see was Karen Kaiser, who now lives in Europe and had a chance to sit down and talk with her.

0:53

Champions galore here at the EPC, including, you remember last year at the Women's Championship Karen Kaiser over Hannah Hatch, and Karen's here right now. Hi, Karen, how are you? Hi, doing great. Now, this isn't a very far trek for you to come to the EPC because you're in Sweden now. Yep, we live just outside of Gothenburg, so it's only a couple hours by train. Are you glad to see some maybe North Americans, some old friends here at the EPC that have come here to Denmark? I have somewhat mixed feelings about there being an American team at EPC, but it is... You're right. But it is fun to have a big international tournament. You are on Team America, and I think it's called Team USA. Team America might be a little easier to swallow because there's some South American people, there's some North American. We have a Canadian interloper. Okay, okay, okay. But he's wearing bad boys. He's got the American flag bad boys like Rex Guando. He's definitely overcompensated, and I respect it. Karen, how have you been playing since we last saw you, at least I last saw you in 2018 at the Women's National Championship. It's been very up and down, but I've been qualifying more often, qualifying higher. I'm at that stage right now, I think, where I can be pretty solid, and then I get real nervous and just flame out after qualifying rounds. What causes the nerves? I know that this matters a lot. Really? No.

2:18

That is funny. I don't know. Okay, but when I watched you last year in the women's championship, there wasn't a nervous bone in your body. Or you didn't show it. That's, well, I think, I'm not sure how my full body shaking wasn't coming through on the, I mean, it was terrifying. I was terrified. Really Absolutely There so much great competition and I love seeing that the women have expanded I think Josh got a suggestion from oh I don know who that now there a women board I think that's a great idea. I think we're going to see some more growth in the women's area. What are your thoughts? I'm so excited about the women's board. I'm really proud to be part of it. It's been so much collaboration. We talked to so many women leading up to it, and a lot of women have donated their time already. A lot of great names, too. Yeah. it's been really fun to start building a network yeah that's good any ideas that maybe you can share or is it still just really in its infancy um you know our main focus right now is on trying to gather really good usable feedback to see what direction to take in building out events but i i'm one part of yeah a much bigger picture some of the names i know zoe olivia helm who i just interviewed on pinball profile out of arizona we have juana summers yeah out of baltimore kim Martinez, I think. Yeah, from Ohio. And then Anna Walk from... Perfect. All great names in pinball. So I think this is going to be really good. I know one of the controversies, probably like it was just a few years ago, was the dollar gate. And, you know, how that's... Well, really, how is it going to affect the women's championship? And there's some talk about that. And I even said to Josh, too, I don't know if he listens, but from what I've heard from women, and I guess what he's hearing, too, is the split right. Should it be the top 16 players that are women going into the Nationals and then the eight that are the best players in women's only competition? Does that make up the field of 24 or is it going to be a different mix? Is that something you're discussing? You know, I'll speak for myself. Sure. Okay. I think if the women's dollar happens, then it would be pretty outrageous not to open the field up more and have the group feeding the prize pool not be the eight wild card spots. Well, I don't have a vote. That makes sense to me too. And also too i assume we're seeing more bells and chimes everywhere but there are places unfortunately where there aren't women's leagues so that is a disadvantage too in some ways to get up there so those people are probably thinking okay well let's just do it based on normal ranking but here's the big thing that i found and i've seen it a few places women have to choose whether they're going to play in the main the classics or the women's event and sometimes they have to give up their spot at big Woppertunity tournaments. Woppertunity, okay. Seriously, right? It works as a portmanteau. Two great players, and I've talked about it before, that were qualified for the playoffs and gave up their playoff spot in a main event, let's say, to play in the women's event. And I thought, wow, that's a big give up, but there's prestige on both. I mean, really, in a perfect world, you'd be able to play both. And maybe that what I hoping we can see that somehow some way they don have to make a choice or anybody doesn have to make a choice I know something that Kim Martinez on the board has talked about is the value in having women events that are standalone where the women tournament is not just adjunct to a larger show which would help that I think Logistics are the problem. It's not the intent, it's really logistics. Do you mean in terms of the schedule? Yeah. Yeah, I guess having a kind of a bank also, like having sort of one dedicated bank that's off in the corner somewhere. But I mean, to be honest, I don't know that I can speak too much on that because there really are not women's events where I play. The EPC, the European Championship had a women's event last year when it was in Finland. It doesn't have one this year. I'm not sure. It's going to be in Belgium next year. I'm not sure what they'll do with that. Will the board talk to these big events and say, I mean, you don't have to talk to Pinnberg. they've got whipped and look at how big that is, 128 people. Will the women's board maybe suggest or help assist maybe? Like I saw Kim Martinez at Plea Pin run an amazing match play women's tournament that was pretty cool. Big results, a lot of players, so maybe the board can help in assisting there. I don't know. Yeah, I see our role as being able to provide resource and support to people who would like to do that instead of maybe advocate. I don't know. I don't know how that's going to come together. I'm, as Karen, myself, definitely interested in talking to EPC organizers to try to get that to happen. From my own perspective, it's more the value of getting to know who the other women are who are playing in Europe so that we can have a network and see what might grow from that. I mean, the women's board grew out of conversations that I didn't initiate but was participating in with a group of people that I met just by having the opportunity to go and play in the Women's World Championship and if I hadn't met those women then I don't know what would have happened like if we hadn't been able to form a relationship out of just organically meeting at tournament so I think there's great value in for us to just know each other a little bit more there are only eight countries that run that have run a women's event in 2019. Do you know I saw as a IFPA tournament manager, and anybody who's ever run a tournament has to log in as a tournament manager. And it gives great stats. Here are the number of men that played. Here are the number of women that played. Here are the number of new players, unique players. And then the one category is number of women's tournaments run, and mine was a big, fat zero. And I thought, I can probably do something about that. I'm very proud, very excited, with the help of Julie Dorster, who's a great Canadian player, of being able to put on on December 15th a women only tournament That going to be a fair strikes tournament Now we running two tournaments a main and a women There be no overlap The women will be able to play in both So I pretty excited about that And I hoping more people can do that or find the time to do that. And you know, I think we're going to have a good turnout. Yeah, there are some rumblings. I'm not sure. I mean, I dare not commit to anything because who knows what will happen. But there are some rumblings about having a women's tournament in Oslo next year. Wow. As part of a larger weekend of tournaments that's happening, there's a really fantastic location there. So I think it would be great. But I'm sensitive to the fact that I have a super American perspective on this. And I sort of feel like women's events are like self-evidently good and should happen. But it really depends on what the appetite is among the women who are playing in each community. So the most important thing for a tournament organizer to do is to ask the women, bring their voices into organizing teams. And that's what this new board really does too. And I bet you're going to see more people volunteer and say, hey, how can I help out in this women's board and some suggestions? But one thing you are going to see, as is the case with any big group, you're going to see that there are differences of opinions and strong differences of opinions. And you're not going to be able to please everyone, no matter what you do. I mean, the best intentions. So is it a matter of we think this is best? We're listening to what the people vote on. Is it is it a majority? I mean, these are some big things that you're going to have to tackle, like everyone has to tackle. when it comes to trying to please everyone? Yeah, from my perspective, the biggest challenge is what the Women's World Championship will be. Like, what form that will take. Is there a format change? Does the field change? Is there a different strategy for where it's held?