The National Dart Association (NDA) celebrated the 40th anniversary of their Team Dart event from May 7-13 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. The milestone event marked four decades of competitive excellence, camaraderie and growth within the plastic tip darting community, the association said.
“This year’s tournament was a tremendous success, with more than 3,000 players competing and representing over 130 separate operators from across the world,” said NDA’s executive director, Rachel Kamuda. “Participants showcased their skills across four leading manufactured dartboard systems, including BullShooter, Gealco Darts, Phoenixdarts, and the welcomed return of Löwen dart boards to the tournament floor.”
There were many events across many different skill levels. Among the first-place winners were Darryell Strickland, Dwayne Sanchez, Gary Ramirez and Rod Hunt representing D&B Electronic Darts in the Team 01 event; Abby Spott and Chelsey Ritter representing Twin States Music Company in the Pink Lady Doubles event; and Tyrone Davis representing Mid-South Amusements in the Singles 01 event.
(A full list of the many winners can be found at: www.ndadarts.com/events/team-dart-2.)
Equally important to the event’s success were the many volunteers who generously donated their time and energy, Kamuda noted. “Their contributions play a vital role in delivering a seamless and enjoyable experience for all involved,” she added.
Those folks include tournament managers Dawn Orloff‑Niesen and Alvin Gerlach; head referees Robert Tolliver, Shawn Smith and Bernie Marsh; and referees Preston Obrigewitsch, Jon Hrubes, Randy Oliver, Nate Knuth, Ponnie Sampson and Paul Krenz.
There were also administrative staffers Kevin Gilmore, Rhianon Smith, Lisa Hinrichs, Joe Robinson, Tara Scudder, Kyle Green, Teresa Hammersmith, Ace Leiding, Trevor Foster, Marissa Marsh, Mary Lavine, Tom Ceckitti, David Lyman and Nate Lafleur; and security staffers Paulette Marsh, Stan Garcia, John Bunn, Jeff Williamson, Frank Sampson, Dakota Sampson, Patty Salisbury and Landon Smith.
This month, from July 16-18 in San Antonio, Texas, NDA will host their biannual Dart Smart training seminar, a free event designed to help operators have more efficient and successful dart leagues and tournaments. During the seminar, complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provided each day.
NDA’s Annual Membership Meeting will be held on July 17 in conjunction with Dart Smart. New members will be elected to the board of directors, and the association will vote on any proposed policy changes.
Learn more and join up at www.ndadarts.com. For any NDA-related questions, you can also email [email protected].