Kiwis target darts domination
From its origins as a pub sport, darts is now big business as Aaron Leaman discovers.
Cody Harris has been throwing things away his whole life. Pegs. Scraps of paper. Fruit peels. If it can be held between his thumb and index finger, chances are Harris has hurled it through the air.
As a child, growing up in Otara, he would sit in his family’s driveway, a handful of gravel in one hand, and practise throwing stones at a target.
Even at a young age, his hand-eye coordination was impressive.
A gift.
But his desire to keep developing his skills, to keep practising with whatever he could get his hands on, was also a reflection of his environment.
The son of two champion darts players – Sonny Harris and Te Amo Watene – Harris grew up immersed in the sport.
The family garage was affectionately known as the Alexander Crescent Darts Club, or ACDC. It was here, among friends and whanau, Harris honed his talents.
Today, at age 32, he’s regarded as one of the country’s top darts players.
On August 3, Harris will compete at the Auckland Darts Masters, a three-day tournament that’s part top-level sport, part carnival.
Harris secured a wildcard entry to the $250,000 event, one of eight players from Australasia who will compete against eight of the world’s best. And he’s hungry.
‘‘I’m playing to win. You have to aim for the stars. You might not get there but you’ll get to the top of the mountain on the way.’’
Harris’ confidence isn’t misplaced, says Matthew Porter, chief executive of Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).
For the past three years Porter has been bringing the world’s top darts players to Auckland.
Players such as world number one Michael van Gerwen, the Dutch maestro who at age 29 is already tipped to redefine the sport. Van Gerwen’s earnings this year already exceed NZ$1.3 million.
‘‘Cody’s definitely got potential to compete on the international stage at the highest level,’’ Porter says.
‘‘I’m sure Cody’s immediate aim is to get through his first round match but he’ll probably be looking slightly further ahead and will be wanting to get to the final day.’’
Once dismissed as a pub sport, darts has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, filling out venues with legions of fancy-dressed followers.
Players now enjoy mainstream recognition in countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Netherlands. Anyone who’s watched a televised darts tournament will be familiar with the theatrics.
Players are called on stage as their chosen theme music is blasted out the sound system. Some walk on stage. Others strut. The more adventurous break into a dance.
In January, the PDC canned the model walk-on girls from major televised events. But the huge crowds – and the hype – has remained.
Based on past years, between 3000 to 4000 fans are expected to attend The Trusts Arena for each day of the Auckland Darts Masters.
And Porter reckons the sport is yet to reach its full potential. The chance to grow player numbers and events in North America, Asia and Australasia has the sport’s organisers excited.
‘‘When we started developing the world series concept about six years ago, New Zealand was a destination that was on our radar. There’s a strong interest in darts from Kiwis but also Brit and Irish ex-pats who live in New Zealand,’’ Porter says.
‘‘One of the major appeals of darts is it’s a very accessible sport, it’s not elitist, you don’t need an expensive membership or loads of equipment or years of lessons. It’s a sport that’s open to all.’’
Darts is currently applying for inclusion in the Summer Olympics. For a self-described shy kid from Otara, Harris is remarkably relaxed at the prospect of playing in front of thousands of raucous home fans.
For the past four years, he’s had stints playing overseas. This year he travelled to the United Kingdom chasing a PDC tour card – a requirement to play on dart’s professional circuit.
He missed out on the card, but stayed on to compete on the PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour. The top two finishers in the Challenge Tour win a two-year tour card.
Harris is sitting eighth at the moment. Watching Harris practise at the dartboard can be both mesmerising and humbling, especially for anyone who fancies themselves as a bit of a player.
Harris stands slightly front-on at the oche – or throw line – as he brings the dart up to his eye. His action is fluid and relaxed, with his thumb and index finger used to propel the dart from his hand.
Like any top sportsperson, Harris makes it all look deceptively simple. In the space of 10 minutes he scores three 180s, achieved when three darts hit the triple 20. It’s the maximum score a player can get with three darts. During tense moments in a game, Harris reckons he can hear his heartbeat. But it’s rare for him to show any signs of nerves.
He’s humble, quietly spoken, and has an easy laugh. He chuckles when asked if he considers himself a professional darts player. He’ll give himself that label once he gets paid to practise.
But ask Harris what he wants to achieve in the sport and his answer is direct and unreservedly ambitious.
‘‘I think I could be the best in the world.’’
He’s already beaten the world number two – Scotsman Peter Wright – and put in a strong showing against van Gerwen.
Beating the world’s best isn’t exactly unfamiliar territory for the Harris whanau.
One of Harris’s earliest darts memories was watching his father beat the late Eric Bristow, a five-time world champion, in an exhibition match at the Wanderers Club in Mangere.
‘‘I was about 10 at the time and my dad actually made it one of the conditions that he would only play if I was allowed in the pub to watch. I remember having my own big table with soft drinks and chippies all set up. I always looked up to Dad playing darts because he was pretty much the man, going around beating everyone.’’
Although Harris’s immediate focus is gaining more playing experience overseas, he’s already helping inspire the next generation of New Zealand darts players.
Like Harris, Hamilton teenager Latham Magele has big ambitions in the sport.
And, like Harris, he’s willing to put in the hard work to get there.
The 13-year-old has been playing darts for about four years but joined his first club a year ago. That same year he picked up sponsorship from New Zealand-based darts company Shot Darts. Every day, Magele puts in one to two hours practise at the dartboard.
Having Harris perform on the world stage shows how far Kiwis can go in the sport.
‘‘I’ve got a list of goals on my wall and eventually I want to be up there with the rest,’’ Magele says. ‘‘But at the moment I’m just having fun with the game.’’
‘‘I’m playing to win. You have to aim for the stars.
Cody Harris