Photograph by Dilip Vishwanat
Brad Wethington is a nationally ranked darts champion and a humble man. So much so that when a leading dart manufacturer became his tournament sponsor and offered to print his name on his own signature line of darts for sale worldwide, Wethington demurred. “I wasn’t comfortable with that,” he says. “I’m one of those low-key people that no matter how good I get, I’m still one of the guys.” This month, the 43-year-old Affton resident will be bringing the darts that might have borne his name to the 36th annual $5,000 Blueberry Hill Open Dart Tournament.
Have I seen you in a dart tournament on TV, maybe? Last year they had my U.S. Open match on live on OLN [Outdoor Life Network].
Where are you ranked in the U.S.? I finished the last two years in fourth place.
How long have you been competing in dart tournaments? This is my 20th year of playing, and I’ve probably been traveling to tournaments for 18 of those years, off and on. I won the biggest tournament in the U.S. in ’98. Then I quit. My ex-wife wanted me to quit, so I pretty much retired and then me and her split up, and I said, “I’m gonna go back to what I do very well.” And here I am again.
And you have a more understanding partner now? Yeah, well, she’s a dart player, too. And I swore that I would never quit what I love for anybody again.
I’ve seen some of the dart tournaments on TV, and some of the guys look like they’ve done some drinking—they’ve got some beer guts. So I guess you don’t have to be a perfect specimen for this sport. No, actually drinking is a big part of the sport, unfortunately. It’s a pub sport.
Do some people believe that drinking makes them better darts players? Absolutely they do. For some people it might. I don’t believe that, myself. I play sober at events.
How much do you practice? Usually two to three hours a day. My buddy Vito and I go to Hot Shots in South County to practice.
Can you hit a bull’s-eye or any other part of the dartboard at will? Oh yeah.
Do you have a nickname? A lot of people around here want me to use a certain nickname, but I’m not a flashy person like that.
What do they want to call you? “The Machine.”
