Anyone who has been in downtown Champaign knows that darts are a big deal in C-U. The dart boards at Quality, Blind Pig, Huber’s, Bentley’s, and elsewhere often have huge crowds around them on Friday and Saturday nights.
What you may not know is that the dart boards at some of these bars are curated and contributed in part by the Champaign-Urbana Darts Association, a steel-tip dart league that has been active in the community for nearly thirty years. Recently, I spoke with CUDA members Jason Beers, Jason Colwell, and Brian Morris to learn more about darts in C-U.
Darts have been popular in C-U for decades, and Brian said that when CUDA began as a non-profit in the late 1980s, hundreds of players were involved. In its original incarnation, it was a tournament hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Brian, who has been active in the league since 1991, remembered that at the time, league membership was very competitive.
“Back then, it was actually pretty hard to get into the league,” Brian said. “There were tons of players and the teams were really full—there were four or five people on each team. I had to go to a tournament to show that I could play. Then the next season, I got invited to be on a team.”
The league has changed over the years, but Brian said that the league’s mission is still to promote steel tip darts while benefiting the community.
“Now, it’s pretty easy to join,” Brian said. “We have a doubles league, so if you and a friend want to join, you can.”
“I think a lot of people are intimidated by the idea of playing in the league because they go to the local bars and see how well some people in the league can throw,” Jason Colwell added. “But we have people in the league who never played darts in their life until they started, and now they’re really strong players.”
CUDA developed its own rating system about ten years ago, which makes it easier for players at different skill levels to join in the league and for the league to games to move quickly without getting bogged down in the minutiae of scoring rules.
“We are all ranked by how well we play,” said Brian, “and we earn a certain number of points for beating different players. In some places, like Chicago, they have a scorekeeper for each team that keeps track of every dart thrown. We’d rather play than keep track like that, so our system works for us.”
Most new members hear about the league through word of mouth. Brian said that back when he joined, his barber was one of the strongest players in the area, and he heard about the league from him.
Both Jason Beers and Jason Colwell noted that players often join the league after switching to steel tip darts from soft tip. They all agreed that soft tip is an easier game because the scoring is done for you, the bull’s eye is bigger, and the darts aren’t as heavy as steel tip darts.
“I played soft tip,” said Jason Beers. “A friend asked if I wanted to sub in a steel tip game, and I’ve been playing ever since.”
All league members have their own steel tip darts, and the styles of darts vary greatly. Brian said that he orders his darts online from England, where the game is immensely popular. Local bars also keep sets of house darts, many of which CUDA has donated or replaced over the years, for non-league players.
“We want to make sure the dart experience is good for everyone, regardless of whether or not they’re in the league,” Brian said. “So if the Blind Pig needs new dart boards, for example, we’ll pitch in.” Pointing to the two dart boards across the room at Quality, where we met, he added, “These boards are razor wire boards, which are very expensive, but we provide those. It’s the best equipment for steel tip darts. Whatever money we take in, we want to make the dart experience good for everyone. We get a say in what kind of equipment local bars should get and when they should replace it.”
CUDA cultivates darts at a number of downtown bars in Champaign, particularly Quality and Huber’s, which Brian identified as the league’s “home bars.” They have also recently helped to set up dart spaces in Tolono and Mahomet, but their focus is promoting darts in the downtown Champaign. They also encourage new players to join by teaching aspects of the game.
“I’ve reached the point where I like to teach darts as much as play,” Brian said. “For instance, when Quality opened, I taught several of the bartenders how to play, and they’ve gotten really good over the years.”
Jason Colwell added, “It’s always interesting to see how every player has a different style of throwing or a unique way of holding the dart.”
“Playing darts is a hand-eye coordination thing,” said Brian. “If you’re good at golf, bowling, or pool, you’ll probably be good at darts. You have to be very relaxed and just focus on hitting the target.”
CUDA seasons start in January, May, and August. New teams can join in the next few weeks to start in the new season. You can find more information about the league here.