Dart Bars, Pubs and Restaurants | Dart Players | Toronto Darts 2007

When we began working on Toronto Darts nearly 2 years ago we wanted to do 2 simple things: 1) Show support to the bars, pubs, restaurants and service clubs that supported darts, and 2) Get more new players involved and excited about playing darts and enjoying the game. Perhaps the timing was right or it was just some other coincidence, but it looks like itís Mission Accomplished for both goals.

Weíve been able to show some support back to bars and pubs that care enough to devote dart areas, buy dartboards, chalkboards, chalk and sets of darts by giving them all at least a free listing in our Dart Bars & Pubs section and creating dart tournaments for them which bring darters in to play such as our Blind Draw Pub Crawl series. We've also been able to place dozens of new and returning players on teams in Toronto dart leagues (including the Greater Toronto Area), and in a few cases were actually able to save a team or two from folding mid-season due to lack of players.

With that in mind, weíd like to thank all of you this past year for your support and helping us at Toronto Darts try to reinvigorate the sport of darts. Weíve been working hard trying to get businesses who make money from dart players to become more involved, and on the other side get players to show more support to the businesses, including bars and pubs, that support darts. We think weíve been able to do that and weíre positive next year will be even better.

Through the generosity of these sponsors, we were able to award more than 300 prizes in 2007 to dart players and enthusiasts throughout the Southern Ontario region. It was also through the success of these relationships that we were able to create our 'Year End Mega Draw' with a Dartmaster III Electronic Scorekeeper (MSRP $400.00) as the grand prize, along with a custom engraved dart cabinet and some other unique prizes as well!

The meat and potatoes of our contests, however, have been the sponsors of our monthly contests. All combined, they contributed dartboards, dart sets, gift certificates, DVDs, and dart supplies. In no particular order, we'd like to say thanks to the following for helping to make this all possible: Specialty Sports Supplies, Hot Shots Canada, Rocky's A Night With John Part DVDs, Big Boy Toyz/Mr. Darts, FG Bradley's, Beck Taxi, and Bullseye News. And a special thanks to the Canadian Nodor dartboard distributor for supporting our blind draw dart tournaments in bars and pubs along Danforth Avenue in Toronto during the months of December and January.

We had 3,663 total entries this year from all our contests and thatís far more than we thought weíd get in the beginning. We didnít figure exactly how popular our contests would be when word got out we were giving away free stuff! Weíve got a good number of visitors from all across Ontario, and we have to say, the contest, and in fact the site, are more about southern Ontario than Toronto. Visits to the site are running at about 50-50 at this point Toronto versus the rest of Ontario, and we think thatís a great number.

Weíve always believed that pound-for-pound, or ton-for-ton (get it?) there are more darts being played outside Toronto than in it, and one thing this year has taught us is that we're right. Toronto, despite it's massive population, is falling a bit away from darts ñ or at least competitive darts - and it's places like Brampton, Pickering, Oshawa, Barrie, Kitchener-Waterloo, Niagara Falls and London that are keeping darts alive.

In Toronto though, what surprised us was the number of people playing darts 'off the radarí. For every dart player you see out playing in leagues and tournaments, there are dozens more playing in basements, legions, service clubs, their local bars and pubs, and some even at work. Most have never played in leagues or tournaments, and even fewer have ever heard of a Darts Ontario Zone Shoot. We're finding out about them through our contests and by running into them as we visit local dart haunts, or even as we get the occasional e-mail from players who stumble on our site and our contest.

We see it as our job show them how fun it can be and to keep them playing, and maybe bring their friends or relatives along for the ride. We already know how fun and rewarding playing darts can be, and we just want to turn other on to the sport as well and keep darts alive and kicking across Southern Ontario.

In terms of our humble site, though, itís interesting that weíre getting daily visits from all over the world now as darts is being played in places we never knew had seen an oche and weíve had people e-mail us and enter our contest from dozens of countries. We know we have contest rules, and yes, we know most people donít read them, but even though our contests were open to residents of Ontario 18 years and older we had several Brits, a few Aussies, a Dane, 2 people from Africa, and a boatload of Americans try to enter.

We even had a few enthusiasts from Newfoundland contacting us ëwanting to play in our league', but for obvious reasons we had to tell them we couldnít take any more players on from the Rock right now as the others were finding the swim too tiring every week.

But, all joking asideÖ

All in all it was a great year and we have some great plans for 2008. If you have any ideas as to how darts can be brought back to its former glory, please visit our message board forum topic The Future of Darts and share them. You can make a post without having to register - just visit the page and have your say!

Weíd all love to hear from you.