To a man — and woman — members of the District 69 Darts Association insist their sport is on the rise worldwide.
Now, they’d like to bring a little of the growth to Parksville-Qualicum.
“The league was up to 16 teams once,” said Mike Driscoll, who founded the association 40 years ago. “We had the national championship in Parksville in the early ‘90s. It was one of the biggest tournaments in the country.”
“We’re trying to get it back to that level,” added Dustin Fee, one of the younger members of the club.
District 69 Darts will host is annual captains’ meeting next Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at Qualicum Beach’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch 76. Anyone interested in playing in the coming season or seeking more info is invited to attend.
The association is currently made up of eight teams, who will play weekly league matches each Tuesday night beginning Sept. 13 at the Qualicum Beach and Parksville Legion halls and at the Eagles Hall in Parksville.
But there is room for more. Membership in the Legion or the Fraternal Order of the Eagles is not required, and the league is open to men and women.
Peter Spinks releases a shot during a friendly darts night match at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 76 hall in Qualicum Beach Tuesday evening. — Image credit: J.R. Rardon/NEWS Staff
Driscoll said just five teams made up the first league in the fall of 1976.
“Originally, I was trying to get an inter-city league going, with teams from Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum and Courtenay all playing each other,” he said. “But it was hard for everyone to make the commitment to play on a Saturday.
“We ended up making a local club. A lot of teams played in Parksville and I played at the College Inn (in Qualicum Beach. I’m the only one still playing from that first year.”
“You’re the only one still alive,” fellow member Peter Spinks quipped.
Actually, membership in the current club ranges in age from 30 into the 80s.
“There’s not that many sports where you have that great an age range or people playing together,” said Fee, a taekwon do coach who picked up darts while schooling and training in South Korea.
The members all emphasized the social aspect of the game while playing on a friendly Tuesday evening in Qualicum Beach. Steely-eyed concentration at the board gave way to laughter and good-natured banter at the tables between games.
To inquire about membership or for more info, contact Fee at 250-240-0335 or dustinjamesfee@gmail.com, call club president Shirley Ewert at 250-752-4349, or stop by Tuesday’s meeting at the Legion Hall in Qualicum Beach.
