Surfers

Surfers, designed by Ted Zale with artwork by Jerry Kelley, was manufactured by Bally in 1967 as an add-a-ball electro-mechanical machine (Model 811B) with a water sports theme. Like its 1966 kin, it gives operators the choice of 5 or 7 balls per game. Its most distinctive mechanical touch is its use of "zipper flippers," a gimmick feature that set it apart from more conventional EM layouts of the era.

This Italian-market listing's schematic references an export motor, and the instruction card notes compliance with Italy's Law #507 of May 20, 1965, which prohibited pinball machines from offering direct cash replays -- hence the add-a-ball configuration rather than a standard replay version.

The artwork is characteristic of 1960s pinball aesthetics, with vibrant colors and stylized illustrations evoking the carefree spirit of water sports. Details about its full production run are scarce, but Surfers remains an interesting piece of Bally's export-market EM history, distinguished by its zipper-flipper mechanism.