Click Here for PDF - The Medallion Online
Click Here for PDF - The Medallion Online
Click Here for PDF - The Medallion Online
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
6<br />
FLIGHTS PUB; EVERETT, WA<br />
Record-setting day at Flights<br />
By Ty Hughes<br />
It was seven o'clock on the morning<br />
of Saturday, January 8, when folks<br />
starting showing up to Flights Pub.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re was a big day that lay ahead.<br />
Lucky Pence and twelve other handchosen<br />
dart players were psyched to<br />
start throwing darts in hopes of setting<br />
a brand new world record in darts.<br />
<strong>The</strong> planning process <strong>for</strong> this<br />
event actually started years ago in<br />
Lucky's brain, and in the months leading<br />
up to the big day, had consumed<br />
all of his time and energy. He and his<br />
crew were up all night preparing the<br />
bar to accomodate the expected crowd<br />
of supporters. Not only was this to be<br />
a record-setting day, but with the help<br />
of so many others, Lucky was able<br />
to organize the entire event around<br />
the Make A Wish Founation with an<br />
all-day silent auction to benefit these<br />
bright-eyed children.<br />
Thirteen avid dart players from<br />
around the Puget Sound began throwing<br />
darts at 8:35am on two dart boards<br />
<strong>for</strong> almost exactly 11 hours, taking<br />
down a gigantic game of 300,001.<br />
You've heard of 501 Yeah, this makes<br />
501 a mere flash in the pan. <strong>The</strong><br />
numbers and stats generated from the<br />
entire day of darts are both staggering<br />
and fascinating at the same time.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re were over 800 rounds<br />
played in all. Todd Jordan led the<br />
pack with 27,358 points, followed by<br />
Juan Ramos with 25,864, Dave Foster<br />
with 25,793, Dave Bresee with 24,547,<br />
Jeff Springer Jr. with 24,543, Chad<br />
Brown with 23,669, Darin Bohland<br />
with 23,121, Jeff Ewing with 22,477,<br />
Steve Roth with 21,655, Sam Resa<br />
with 21,171, Lucky Pence with 20,901,<br />
Norm Wold with 20,184, and Dave<br />
Mozingo with 18,718.<br />
Although this was not a competition,<br />
the audience was great about<br />
making it one, which helped to keep<br />
the dart players interested long<br />
enough to keep up with the marathon.<br />
People in audience were shouting out<br />
amounts they would donate if so and<br />
so hit a Hat Trick on the next round or<br />
not. <strong>The</strong>n they'd pit the players against<br />
each other in the spirit of competition<br />
in order to fill that donation bowl to<br />
the rim. Just an exciting display of<br />
affection <strong>for</strong> the children benefitted by<br />
the Make A Wish Foundation.<br />
Each player established their<br />
own sponsors, some bringing over<br />
$600 to the table to support the cause.<br />
Sporty's donated 10 cents <strong>for</strong> every<br />
bullseye thrown during that 11 hour<br />
stretch. Donations came flying in all<br />
day long from players, sponsors, audience<br />
members, everywhere. What an<br />
incredibly touching gesture, one after<br />
the other.<br />
Meanwhile, the entire back half<br />
of the bar was stuffed with items <strong>for</strong><br />
auction. <strong>The</strong>re were UW ice chests, remote<br />
control airplanes, 2 full-sized dart<br />
boards, adirondac chairs, golf bags, spa<br />
kits, on and on, so many items up <strong>for</strong> bid.<br />
And bid they did. Off the hook!<br />
All in all, Flight's raised over<br />
$6,000 <strong>for</strong> the Make A Wish Foundation<br />
and set a world record in soft tip darts to<br />
boot! Now that's a successful day.<br />
Special thanks to all the players<br />
of course, to Lucky and Ty of Flights,<br />
their staff, the score-keepers who<br />
worked tirelessly recording every<br />
single dart thrown, Dan who emcee'd<br />
the event, and everyone who came out<br />
to represent and support these guys.<br />
Thanks especially to all those sponsors<br />
who donated their time, money, and<br />
auction items. This was truly a community<br />
ef<strong>for</strong>t and worthy of record.<br />
When the dart board read 69,<br />
Steve Roth slowly steps up to the<br />
board. <strong>The</strong> levity of the moment was<br />
not lost on anyone in the room. It was<br />
as if the entire bar stood paralyzed,<br />
staring, unable to exhale. Steve<br />
throws a S19, and you could hear<br />
the angels sing when his second dart<br />
sailed through the air and landed perfectly<br />
in the center of the board to take<br />
out the game of 300,001. A sea of faces<br />
explode with applause and jubilation.<br />
Players hugged each other, high-fives<br />
all around, literally jumping <strong>for</strong> joy.<br />
Just a fantastic culmination to an<br />
event that we were all proud to be a<br />
part of and one that will live <strong>for</strong>ever<br />
in our memories.<br />
Despite all of the days success,<br />
camaraderie, and human spirit, in<br />
the final tally, among the thousands of<br />
darts recorded, there were three questionable<br />
entries that would ultimately<br />
jeopardize the setting of a legitimate<br />
world record that day. <strong>The</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e, the<br />
players will once again come together<br />
under more quiet circumstances, without<br />
that blasted stage that had them<br />
buckling at the knees after 11 straight<br />
hours, and do it all over again, and<br />
this time without a doubt.<br />
February 2011 - www.themedallion.net