Ochetober 2023 - How Our Tribe is Playing Darts

Shot Darts created Ochetober to celebrate the game we all know and love while growing the game of darts worldwide! Our second annual Ochetober celebration was focused on the team aspect of darts, a competition where teams could enter for a chance to get kitted out by Shot Darts. The prize included a Shot Bandit Dartboard, Shot One-piece Dartboard Surround, Shot Stadium Dartboard Lights, a Shot Professional T Dart Mat, darts of each team member’s choice, and Shot Tribal Dart Shirts for each team member. With all this on the line, we were flooded with nearly 400 dart team submissions from 27 countries this year.

Ochetober revealed more than just several dart team entries. This competition showed us that the game of darts is thriving among both older and younger generations of players from all over the world. Every participating team provided valuable insight into who makes up a team and how each plays. Older, younger, middle-aged, husband and wife, family, lifelong friends, co-workers, and much more can make up a sound dart team to toe up the oche. All these different dart team makeups show that the game is growing strong and rapidly.

Bob D. submitted an outstanding example among our contestants from the Dirty Badgers, a dart team in Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia. Bob shared, "Our team consists of me, a 47-year-old father who plays with his two sons (aged 15 and 14) and one of their mates (aged 15). We compete in a local B-grade competition at the RSL. Initially, we were the underdogs for a few years. However, we enjoyed playing together and gradually improved. After four years, we have reached the top of the B-grade and won the competition twice. I'm incredibly proud of the boys. Regardless of the outcome, they love playing on Thursday nights and having fun."

Shawn B. from the 26'ers in Vermont, United States, shared another example of who can make up a dart team. Shawn stated, "We're in our second season together as a team. Two of us are in the Military Honor Detail, and we serve at military funerals. Our commander used to play darts in the service, and he introduced the game to many of us. He is now 74 years old and still playing very well. The other team members are each 31 years younger and have played for only a little more than two years. Age is just a number as we have a good time together practicing throughout the week as a team and playing together on league night."

Jeremey K. from the Bistro Boys in Struthers, Ohio, United States, shared a different example of who made up their dart team. According to Jeremey, his team is "Just a team of friends for 20 years that like to hang out in the garage, throw league, do tournaments together, and just play the game we love and bond over."

This competition taught us that there is a wide variety of players and teams in darts. The game of darts transcends backgrounds, ages, and levels of ability. Furthermore, the game’s popularity has skyrocketed since the COVID-19 boom, with several new dart teams getting involved in recent years. Although only one team won the grand prize to get kitted out by Shot Darts, we gave away a runner-up prize of dart sets and Shot Tribal Dart Shirts for each player, as well as two honorable mention prizes of Shot Tactical Dart Cases and Shot Tribal Dart Shirts for each member of the two teams. We are excited for the future of darts and to be a part of growing the game worldwide!