# I would like some insight on the longevity of non mainstream sports in places other than the USA



## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

I have been a huge fan of bicycling, steel tip darts and archery for as long as I can remember. What do you attribute the enthusiasm and the longevity of sports of that nature in your country. To list a few dart players, Phil Taylor, John Lowe and Eric Bristow???????????? where Ilive it’s not cool unless you can plug it in to electricity????


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## Jolly Roger (Aug 14, 2017)

Pitching Horseshoes is another non main stream sport that once upon a time was big but don't see or hear much about it anymore.

Single Action Shooting and Cowboy Mounted Shooting are two handgun sports that have tried to catch on but not really made the cut.

Skeet and Trap shooting ......

Martial Arts..............

Pickle Ball..........Handball.......Racquet Ball.......

Okay, my apologies, I'm posting from the United States of America and not a foreign country.


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

Tag said:


> I have been a huge fan of bicycling, steel tip darts and archery for as long as I can remember. What do you attribute the enthusiasm and the longevity of sports of that nature in your country. To list a few dart players, Phil Taylor, John Lowe and Eric Bristow???????????? where Ilive it's not cool unless you can plug it in to electricity????


Ha, I think we have similar interests.

As for why, I think it is carrying on tradition and history. For me, I enjoy the old school ways of doing things. Our Grandfather's knew how to do things and were true men.

We enjoy cycling, canoeing, darts, listening to records, cooking over wood, using cast iron, I shave with a 60-70y old razor and brush to mention a few things that are unplugged (record player being the exception). This year I was able to commute via cycle 7/12 months and put on 2000+ kms all the while enjoying the nature of cycling through the park, saving a ton of money and staying fit.

Our 12y old and I just finishing up a side of a live Dylan LP and playing a game of foosball. Later this morning it'll be a game or two of 501 darts and then the family is baking all afternoon.

If there is oldschool way of doing things, I usually take great joy in pursuing it. I'm only 44, but probably sound like I'm 74 with my interests and ways of doing things...Merry Christmas, now get off my lawn.  Yes, I still greet people with Merry Christmas this time of year too and refuse to buy "Happy Holidays" cards.

A few shots from our little basement recroom. The dartboard has 2 bracket levels for hanging. One for the kids when we play together and one for when adults play or the kids want to go regulation. I adjust each year to account for them growing. They shoot from a touch closer when we play against each other too, to give them a bit of an advantage. But yes, they know life isn't fair and not everyone wins, despite what some school sports and gym activities are telling them.

Oh yeah, we just picked up our real Christmas tree too. None of those pre-decorated plastic jobbies in my house. This one required daily watering and sweeping up of needles.


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

Oh yeah, we play a mean game of Bocce Ball too.


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

I appreciate everyone’s awesome responses


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## Hulla Baloo (Nov 25, 2017)

Hi Tag. I prefer steel tip too. Seems that preference is common for those who grew up with nothing but steel tip, but I was hard pressed to get the youngsters into it. Then I found this electronic scoring board and hung it up next to the old bristle. It helped bridge the gap some. No more chalk! We could play steel tip and still have the convenience of electronic scoring. You just touch the segments that you hit when you retrieve the darts. It scores just about any dart game you can think of for up to 4 players.


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Great idea Mr. Nice Thanks


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## Jolly Roger (Aug 14, 2017)

Sounds like someone needs to start up a chain of stores specializing in slingshots, darts, throwing knives, tomahawks, blow guns, horseshoes, paint balls, etc. etc.


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

I’m watching Thursday Night Premier Darts on the BBC channel. The crowd looks large enough to fill a high school gym. Why do sports like darts stay so popular in places like England and not so in USA? They look like they are having a blast.


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