Stephen's Web

[About Me

Darts

Here is the history of my involvement with organized darts:

Tom Daly's Deamons, Edmonton
Summer of 1992. Fifth in division, missed playoffs.

Boston Pizza Bullsheveks, Edmonton
Fall 1992 - Winter 1993. Fourth in division, won one playoff game.

Aberdeen Pub, Grande Prairie
Summer, 1993. First Place.

Passano's Pounders, Grande Prairie
Fall 1993 - Winter 1994. Fourth place?

Grande Prairie Dart League Wind-Up Tournament
May, 1994. First Place.

Manitoba Darts Association
I placed second in the blind-draw doubles at a local tournament here in Brandon, April, 1996.

Brandon Inter-Pub Dart League
Playing for The Double Decker, our team finished fourth in the January-April, 1997, league. The following year, playing for Huggies, our team finished fourth.

Brandon Elite League
In the fall-winter of 1998/99 I played in the Brandon elite league. I picked up a second place and a couple of fourths in our weekly play. I also tried out for the provincials, winning only four games out of about fifty. Can we say choke? Yeah, big time.

Other people would be discouraged. Not me.

Rosario's Tournaments
1999/2000 saw me living in Edmonton and not playing for an organized team. Instead, I played at the Friday night tournaments at Rosarios. And actually started winning a few, including five weeks in a row in December-January. I also played in my first major torunament, Edmonton's Snowflake Torunament - I made it to the final 32 in blind draw doubles but went winless in the men's singles the following day.

H2O
Known as the top dart club in Edmonton, H2O was a natural for me when I sought a team for the 2000/2001 season. I am on their 'B' team this year. I'll let you know how it goes.

SnoFlake 2000 (February, 2000)
Played in this very large tournament. During the Friday blind draw double we made it to the final 32, having escaped our section and won around. I was very encouraged and even shot a 156 out! Saturday in the singles I went winless. Drat.

Klondike Open (October, 2000)
Determined to win a game at the Klondike, I entered Saturday's singles and amazed myself by winning five games. I did not, however, escape my section. Still, it was my strongest outing ever in a big tournament. Translation: for once I didn't choke.

Edmonton Regionals (January, 2001)
Three Saturdays in a row I played in an attempt to qualify for the 2001 provincials. See? Told you I wasn't discouraged. Drawing on my positive Klondike experience, I went in and won 15 games the first Saturday, advancing well into the double knock out. Because of byes the second and third Saturdays I didn't win as many games (I did better in my sections, though). I finished tied for 26th. Needed to qualify for provincials: 25. Next year.

Ascot Vale
While in Melbourne, Australia, for three months near the beginning of 2001 I joined a Monday 301 team and a Wednesday 501 team playing out of the Ascot Vale pub. I don't know how we did because I had to leave before the end of the season, but we were in first in the Footscray division when I left. Cheers to the great players who made me feel so very welcome.

Saturdays at the ANAF, Edmonton
The summer and fall of 2001 I played at the Saturday blind-draw doubles at the Army, Navy and Air Force Club in Edmonton (H2O had a spot for me, then they didn't have a spot for me, and finally, I moved). I won the thing twice, once playing with rick Arnott and once with Pat Robinson. I also won a couple of Sunday AFAF shoots.

The Dart Club, Moncton
There were no spots open in the "pro league" when I moved to Moncton, but the Wednesday night fun league had a spot for me. Our team finished an undistinguished sixth or so. I won the second high-start with a 122, second high finish with a 136 and second high score with a 140. I also played on Fridays for steaks (keeping myself fed over the winter). During the Christmas break of 2001 I twice shot three 180s in an evening (but, alas, never on a Wednesday).

After the first year in Moncton, I retired (hopefully temporarily). Without being too snarky, let's just say things were set up so that longtime residents of the city played a lot, and newcomers spent most of the time sitting.

23 August 1996
Revised 15 August 1997
Updated 21 June 1999
Updated 06 October, 2000
Updated 10 March, 20001
Updated on 24 April, 2002
Updated on August 30, 2004.
Updated 27 August, 2007