Shane Sakchekapo is heading to the World Darts Federation’s World Cup this month in Seoul.Willow Fiddler/The Globe and Mail
Mastering It is a summer series to introduce you to Canadians who have sought to rise above being simply good at their chosen endeavour – and who, by perfecting their skill, strive to become the best.
By the time Shane Sakchekapo steps up to throw a dart in any given match, he’s already calculated in his head the potential targets and scores needed to win.
It’s part of the mathematical strategy required in competitive darts, where winning is determined by the player (or team) achieving a final score of zero first, counting down from either 501 or 301.
For a game he once thought was just throwing projectiles at a wall, the 38-year-old Indigenous husband and father of two has, in less than a decade, become an international competitor representing Team Canada, which plays in the World Darts Federation’s (WDF) World Cup this month in Seoul.
After getting his start at the Sioux Lookout legion, where a modest league plays weekly, Mr. Sakchekapo had to venture out of his community to regional, provincial and cross-country competitions to fully experience the dart world.
His friend and co-leaguer Derrick Greene says Mr. Sakchekapo, or “Satchy” as he’s known competitively, was instantly a natural.
“Everyone knows who Satchy is now,” Mr. Greene said.
Shane Sakchekapo, or 'Satchy,' plays a match with his local legion league buddies in Sioux Lookout, Ont.Willow Fiddler/The Globe and Mail
Mr. Sakchekapo wears a pink jersey in competition, his daughter’s favourite colour and a deliberate effort to stand out as part of what he says is an accepting and welcoming darts community.
He has quickly earned the kind of respect he himself had for his darts role models as he watched the players walk into events.
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” he said.
Growing up in Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay, Mr. Sakchekapo participated in many sports, though his height − 5 feet 3 inches − was a hindrance. He played hockey and baseball until a painful, undiagnosed muscle condition benched him.
“My body just took a turn for the worst. … My muscles would fight my body and want to seize up and lock,” he said.
About eight years ago, a visit to the legion where the local league was playing piqued his interest and competitive nature.
“When I find something I like doing, I have to try to be the best I can be at doing it,” Mr. Sakchekapo said.
After about a year of learning the game at the legion, he finally got his own dartboard at home, where he practises an hour or two a day. He also competes online, where players set up smart devices to watch each other’s throws to prevent cheating.
“Just having that competitive mentality of, I know I can get better and I want to get better, kept me more into the game.”
He prefers in-person events where he can interact and have fun with fellow competitors, win or lose. He warms up his arms aiming for consistent throws, and, unlike some players who drink alcohol while competing, he eats bananas to keep his strength up, especially during longer days.
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Mr. Sakchekapo has honed his competitive skill to what he calls a “kill switch” for when it’s time to step up to the board, “for the five seconds that it takes for me to throw three darts, and then turn it off when it’s not my turn.”
“I play for the name on my back … my family name. I like to put a small town like Sioux Lookout and Round Lake [North Caribou Lake First Nation] on the map, just to show people where I’m from, and that there are good people and good competitors in small areas.”
In April, he finished first at the Manitoba provincials, earning him a spot on the National Darts Federation’s Team Canada.
Darts is a game of arcane rules not evident to anyone who thinks hitting a bullseye is an instant route to success.
Shaped like a pie, a dartboard is split into 20 numbered, equally shaped pieces, each worth its face value in points.
Mike Owen/Getty Images
Measuring just eight millimetres wide and traditionally red and green in colour, an outer “double” ring doubles the points for each “piece of the pie” and the inner “treble” ring is triple. The red bullseye is worth 50 points, while the green outer bullseye is 25.
Throwing a treble 20, or T20, involves throwing a dart in the treble ring of the 20-point segment, and is worth 60 points total.
Armed with three darts for every turn, Mr. Sakchekapo could potentially knock down as many as 180 points.
That generally doesn’t happen, though, and competitors also have to consider the rules and scoring to finish a match.
“You have to double out,” Mr. Sakchekapo’s mother, Charlene Sakchekapo, says proudly as she watches her son practise at the local legion.
She’s still figuring out the game herself, but has learned the basics − like doubling out, which means the final throw has to land in the double ring of the numbered segment that will bring the score to exactly zero.
Today, Mr. Sakchekapo throws an 80 average, ranking him at the professional skill level, and wears product sponsorships on his jerseys.
Mr. Sakchekapo’s wife, Desiree Hollingsworth, told The Globe and Mail in a Facebook message that it’s been important for their children to watch their dad’s hard work and success.
“He seems to always achieve what he puts his mind to.”
He’s sacrificed, missing holidays with family to compete, but she said the family understands the importance of supporting him.
“I believe in him and so do our children,” Ms. Hollingsworth said.
His mother and her husband, George, have jokingly become Mr. Sakchekapo’s management team, travelling around the world.
This month, they will accompany their son to Seoul. In October, they’re heading to Budapest for a WDF festival.
“That’s where it starts,” Mr. Sakchekapo said of becoming a world champion or career player.
It will be his second attempt after being “humbled” at last year’s competition in Budapest.
“In Canada, I’d like to say I’m a good dart player. Over there, I was just another somebody,” he said.
It’s a long way between his small Northwestern Ontario hometown and the origins of the game in medieval-era England. Even today, darts remains largely dominated by English competitors, and forging a lucrative career in Canada is difficult.
Even if Mr. Sakchekapo places at the coming World Cup, making a successful career out of the professional sport of darts would mean having to move to England.
“We’re born in the wrong country,” Mr. Greene said, chuckling.