Darts team preps for nationals
Six women and one man representing Inuvik on territorial team
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Thursday, May 4, 2017
INUVIK
Inuvik dart players represent nearly half of the 16 men and women slotted for nationals in New Brunswick this June.
Northwest Territories dart players are preparing for nationals. Gathered from left to right, front row are Joy Cathers, Shannon Clarke, Kristin Hynes, Annette Piercey, Louise Kuzman, Mary Storr, Sam Bohnet, Janelle Cockney and Val Ross. In the back are Tim Griffin, Dean Willis, Paul Morey, Norm Sanderson, Art Delagua, Max Kotokak, Steve McCormick, Bob Mitchell and Steve Gooderham. - photo courtesy of Louise Kuzman
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"For Inuvik, we have pretty good dart players," said Tanya Dillon, director of the NWT Territorial Darts Association.
The territorial playdowns were held in March, where eight women and eight men came out on top. One spare for each of the men and women will also be attending.
Players meet regularly at the Royal Canadian Legion to practise. Dillon said the skill level at nationals is very high.
"(The other teams are) top eight in their province, so it's tough competition, but the NWT darts team are very good players," she said.
Nationals include both singles and doubles games.
Dillon said there are a lot of good players in the territory, but not all of them could make it to Inuvik for the playdowns. Next year, the territorials will likely be held in Yellowknife so it's easier and less expensive for players in other communities to attend.
"Next year, when it's in Yellowknife, we'll probably have a bigger turnout," she said.
The Inuvik team right now is fundraising for nationals, which is a costly series of flights from Inuvik to Eastern Canada.
Don Gillis, former president of the darts association, has been to nationals in the past.
"I was lucky enough, some years back, to make the nationals, get to Toronto and meet the best in the world," he said.
"I lost to some of the best in the world."
He said it's an honour for anyone to make the team.
"You can be a big fish in a little pond," he said about playing in a small community like Inuvik. "Nationals are a level over and above it."
Gillis intends to go to nationals as part of a vacation and enter into the open play to see what he can do and cheer on the NWT team.
The scene in Inuvik has a lot of strong ladies, he said.
"We've got a dozen women here who any day could be in the nationals and kick ass," said Gillis.
Max Kotokak, Shannon Clarke, Kristin Haynes, Annette Piercey, Louise Kuzman, Mary Storr and Janelle Cockney are representing Inuvik.
