DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - For the competitors squaring off at a national dart throwing tournament in Deerfield Beach over the weekend, this is a lot more than your run-of-the-mill bar game.
It is a game, but there’s a point to all the effort exerted by those who consider darting a sport.
“You have computer programmers, you have lawyers, you have doctors, you have accountants, all different people who play the game.” said Stephanie Mincey, president of the Broward County Darting Association.
When they talk about it, these dart throwers sound like athletes.
“Most shooters have their physical part of the game down. The hard part for a lot of players is the mental part,” said Mike Comiskey. “Throwing three bad darts can really bring a player down, and they have to rebound from that.”
Comiskey, a Miami resident, will represent the U.S. at the Professional Caribbean Cup, which will take place in Trinidad and Tobago later this summer.
The Deerfield Beach tournament attracted the best players at racking up a series of points. They even used three darts at a time in various rounds.
Among them was Paula Murphy, who has won over 100 national and international titles.
“It’s like an adrenaline rush,” she said. “The first time I went to England to play, I didn’t do so well.”
Murphy paused, then added, “but the second time I did a lot better.”
Darting is a professional sport in England. The made-for-TV event with fired-up crowds is seen throughout the United Kingdom once a week. It can mean big paydays for the players.
Coral Springs resident Lorraine Symon, who’s originally from England, holds over 50 titles.
“Once you have the stroke down — if you have a natural stroke when throwing at the board and you have a good hand-eye coordination — after that, it becomes mental.” she said. “Then the challenge is to keep it going, to be consistent, and then just hitting that last dart.”
Professional players get sponsors, and if they win enough major tournaments, they can make six figures.
7Sports’ Mike DiPasquale received an impromptu throwing lesson from pro John Beard.
“You throw hard, but I’ve found in the past that if you hold too tight, I draw my dart to the left,” said Beard. “If I hold it too loose, it flows to the right, so you’ve got to have the right feel for it.”
How competitive are these tournaments? Thrower Bill McClish wore a T-shirt that read in the back, “I throw darts so I don’t choke people.”
“I’ve been playing darts for over 30 years, and yes, it can be intimidating,” he said.
As for the T-shirt, McClish replied, “I get a lot of comments on it.”
The dart throwers at the Deerfield Beach tournament who spoke with 7Sports said they are aiming to compete at the World Dart Championships in London, which will take place in December.
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