Skee Ball
@teamfreak16 (43594)
Denver, Colorado
May 17, 2017 9:53pm CST
My favorite Manitou bar sits on the edge of the Manitou Arcade. Often, after enjoying a couple pitchers on the patio, I've been known to venture next door to the Skee Ball room for a buzzed game or two.
Skee Ball was one of the first "redemption" arcade games. Basically, you get nine softball-sized wooden balls, which you roll up an inclined ramp into holes, which are assigned point values. Tickets are awarded based upon score, and are redeemed for prizes (I always give my tickets to random kids before I leave.)
Skee Ball was invented in 1908 by Joseph Fourestier in Vineland, New Jersey. He licensed the game to the Skee Ball Alley company, which began manufacturing and marketing the game in 1909. The company died out in 1912, but made a comeback the next year when Skee Ball fanatic Jonathan Dickinson Este helped resurrect it, eventually coming up with the idea to rent space for the game on Atlantic City's famed Boardwalk in 1914.
Skee Ball has since grown in popularity, and not only is it played socially in game-themed bars, but there are even competitive leagues all over the place, including the Skeeball World Tour.
It's a fun way to waste a little time. Just be sure to give your tickets to the kids.
(Photo by me)
(Info verified by Wikipedia)
11 people like this
11 responses
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
18 May 17
I would be horrible at this game, but I enjoy playing it when I was younger at Chuck E Cheese!
4 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
I'm decent at it. I don't play it enough to be great.
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
18 May 17
@teamfreak16 I don't think I've ever met it in the hole in one! (Middle)
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
@infatuatedbby - The 1000 point holes are the hardest.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
I'm lucky that if I want to play, I only live a couple blocks from the arcade.
1 person likes this
@minx267 (15526)
• Hartford, Connecticut
18 May 17
@teamfreak16 That is awesome. The last time I played was in a Chuck E Cheese I think. I don't have enough friends with little kids.. lol
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
@minx267 - I used to work at Showbiz Pizza before Chuckie Cheese bought them out. I played a lot then. This was back in the 80's.
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
18 May 17
Reading some of the comments, I guess many of us associate this game with Chuck E Cheese! It's fun, but I'm not great at it. My little son is such a light thrower at times, sometimes he gets several tries with one ball because it doesn't make it all the way up there 
. My tickets of course would go to my kids . . . but there have been times when they've been given tickets by other generous adults too 
.
. My tickets of course would go to my kids . . . but there have been times when they've been given tickets by other generous adults too .3 people like this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
18 May 17
@teamfreak16 We've been to a couple Dave & Busters locations, but they're a bit far from us. The nearest one I think is about a 45 minute drive. And they've definitely got more stuff overall than Chuck E Cheese!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
@much2say - Dave & Busters is a blast. I love that place.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
I used to play it at Dave & Busters a lot when I lived in Denver.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
I try to give them to little kids that don't seem to have a lot of tickets if I can.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
18 May 17
That is a fun game and one I have not played in a long time.
3 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
I'm lucky that I live just a couple blocks away.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
It's still fun, even as an adult. I just don't care about the prizes anymore, so I give the tickets to the kids.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382068)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 May 17
@teamfreak16 In one of our country towns they have an 'adults' playground. The slide is about ten feet at least in the air. I'm just as scared climbing up it as I was when a little tacker climbing up the kids' slide. I can understand you enjoying the game.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
@JudyEv - Our old mountain bike team used to have an annual team Skee Ball tournament, even.
2 people like this
@allen0187 (59761)
• Philippines
18 May 17
I play this game every chance I get. Fun times!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
Some of the big prizes can be pretty cool. I just give my tickets to kids because I basically play for my own amusement.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
18 May 17
Glad you have this nice relaxing place to go Scott.
I have heard of Skee Ball but never played it.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
The old Team Freak used to hold our yearly Team Freak Skee Ball Challenge at Dave & Busters at I-25 and Evans. It was a drunken good time.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
18 May 17
I like to play too but its been a long time.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
I don't go out of my way to play, but I do play every once in awhile.
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
18 May 17
I didn't realize the game dated that far back.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43594)
• Denver, Colorado
18 May 17
Yep, it's pretty old. Pretty interesting history. The company underwent several changes over the years.
2 people like this
