“Shoot the Rapids”

“2001 Shoot the Rapids”

If I had wings and I could fly

I know where I would go

But right now I’ll just sit here so contentedly

And watch the river flow.

--Watching The River Flow (Bob Dylan)

Nestled between two of America’s least known, yet famous towns lies Belmont, Michigan. To the north, Rockford…you know—“Home of Hush Puppies©” Yes, that’s right—it all started and continues today, in Rockford. To the south—and divided by the Grand River—“The Furniture City” Grand Rapids. Home to such well known things as Amway, Steelcase, the Meijer’s chain; possessor of Alexander Caulder’s molybdenum monolithic tribute to the river from which the city derives its’ name, “La Gran Vitesse,” and the President Gerald R. Ford Museum. It was even onetime host to none other than Dartoid himself… Yes, you might say this area has it all…but did I forget to mention the one aspect to this city that those who have read this far in the article would be interested in…yes, I mean the Grand Rapids Dart League and their annual tournament, “Shoot the Rapids.” Now in its’ 19th year of existence, this tournament brings together some of the top shooters in the state.

The venue for the 2001 edition is none other than the Westwood Ranch, located on 1200 feet of Grand River frontage property; there’s that river again, in Belmont. Some of you may recall that the Westwood served as host for a charity Blind Draw tournament to aid a Grand Rapids Dart League member who had miraculously survived a single engine airplane crash in October 2000. (Ed. Note: “Who says we ain’t got class…” Letters to the Editor—Jan 2001 issue). Westwood owner Marty Huver has continued to make improvements to create one of the finest dart venues in the state, if not the region. With ten permanent boards on the main floor and an additional 14 in the downstairs facility—hosting eight GRDL teams is a piece of cake. It also makes for a terrific venue for a tournament. So, I guess that brings us to the purpose of this diatribe…the 2001 Shoot the Rapids.

A pre-tournament Luck of the Draw on Friday evening served as a warm-up, and opportunity to check out the prospective competition, for the weekend. A total of 78 players signed up to renew acquaintances, get the ‘lay of the land,’ and knock back a few. Brien Dews even showed up for the Friday night Luck of the Draw. He isn’t playing yet, but he is recovering well and can’t wait until he is able to play again. I am sure some were relieved that Captain Underpants (a.k.a. Dartoid) or some of his friends like Sloppy Maplecruncher or Fluffy Diapersniffer hadn’t shown up to enter the competition. His poor excuse this time was “I’ll be in Cork.” Yah, right. Pussy.

Tending to the needs of the thirsty players, the waitress team of Tonya, Shelly (with a Y), and Yang Kyung Ah (a.k.a. Angela) kept the refreshments coming as Margo handled the duties behind the bar. As ‘luck’ would have it, Josh Rigsby of Cedar Springs and George Lane of Lansing teamed up to claim the victory over Rodney Raimer of Grand Rapids and Jennifer Carver from Battle Creek. A “Second Chance” Luck was held and the duo of Jim Rosema and Randy Holms earned the victory over Carl Gatchel and Dennis Martin. With the days events concluded, talk of finding the local “Potter’s Pub” and “she smelled good” entered the conversations of the remaining crowd. Memories of Michigan Center… For me, it was time to find my pillow. The day’s events done, I jumped in my little red truck and head for the hacienda…

Accommodations were no problem this time—my own bed was just two miles down the road. For the out of towners, accommodations were just a bit farther, but as has been proven in places like Michigan Center, (remember, you trivia buffs and loyal BEN readers--that’s where the Grand River starts!), not having a room handy is not a major deterrent to a successful and enjoyable tournament.

It’s Saturday now and the major portion of the tournament is on. When I arrived, the Mixed Triples were already underway. Let’s just say I had domestic duties to tend to this morning—all right, so I did sleep in. Making my usual rounds, almost—I already know where the bar is—I tracked down the tournament organizers and the control desk. Grand Rapids Dart League President John Zimelis served as the Tournament Director of the 2001 edition. Ably assisted by MDO President Rita Sands and GRDL volunteers, this will be the first time the event has been held in this venue. The early shift saw Marty tending the bar with Sarah and Lori performing serving duties. Preparations and setup began early this morning and by the time the first contestants arrived—the venue was ready.

Kicking off the day was Mixed Triples. The “Shoot the Rapids” uses the ‘01/Cricket/Choice format for all events. I asked GDRL President John Zimelis about this format and he explained that the format was familiar to the local league members and that was one of the main purposes of the tournament. “We wanted a tournament for our league players, and provide them an opportunity to shoot against other players from the other divisions and across the state,” added Zimelis.

When the final dart was thrown, the trio of Dave DePriest/Steve Buzalski/Monty Jones bested Josh Rigsby/Les Keller/Casey Jones to claim the $600 top prize.

Having completed the triples, the Open doubles were started. Claiming first place were the duo of Keith Higginbotham and Rodney Raimer who defeated a very game George Lane and Mario Mendoza in an exciting finals to claim the $500 prize.

Krista Wyntjes and Terri Nagy garnered the $400 prize in the Women’s Doubles with their victory over Mary Breckenridge and Deb Oakes.

With any tournament I have attended in the past year—can you believe it—I started doing this almost exactly a year ago—the opportunity to meet friends old and new is one of the most special aspects of these events. The chance to sit around, tip back a few, tell the lies “old and new,” well, it just “don’t get no better than this…” But enough of waxing poetic—this is a tournament and the arrows are flying: the joys and anguish of each throw verbalized throughout the venue. Game on!

In a tribute to the late Edward Khelseau, a number of players gathered to remember this true gentleman and sportsman with a moment of silence and a final toast. The words spoken by those who knew him well reaffirmed the respect mutually held by those gathered in his memory. He touched the lives of many who will miss him.

Drawing to the final rounds, the Men’s and Women’s Singles were whittled down to the final pair. Two local Grand Rapids darters, Dave DePriest and Rodney Raimer earned the right to contest for the title. Dave showed his mastery in defeating Rodney to claim the $300 first prize. For the ladies, it was Brighton, Michigan’s Lori Burgett besting Grand Rapids Krista Wyntjes to claim the Women’s Singles title and the $300 prize.

As with all good things—they seem to come to an end too soon. And soon had arrived. The tear down crew had dispersed to accomplish their final assignments—reverting that portion of the venue into the bar and restaurant it began as. Tournament Director John Zimelis summed up the tournament thusly: “For a new tournament venue, things went exceptionally well. Sure, there were some hiccups—but what tournament doesn’t have them. The facilities were outstanding and the staff and management were just great.” Owner Marty Huver echoed similar comments: “This was an enjoyable learning experience. We enjoyed hosting this tournament and look forward to hosting more. This being our first one, we learned a few things and hopefully, we will make future events even better.” From this writer’s point of view, another tournament at Westwood…something to look forward to!

MDO President Rita Sands probably summed up the tournament the best: “The Grand Rapids Dart League hosted a very exciting tournament. The Westwood, Grand Rapids Dart League and all the participants enjoyed two nights of great darts and wonderful hospitality. I can’t wait for their next one!”

Having completed my scribely duties, it’s time to pack up the laptop and prepare for the next trip—Youngstown, here I come!

Reporting from the Westwood Ranch, overlooking the semi-frozen Grand River, Belmont, Michigan—Bruce Gerber