It was a magical weekend for Jeff Smith at the White Eagle Hall in Jersey City where he steamrolled everyone in his path on the way to victory in the inaugural Cross Border Darts Challenge in front of a lively crowd.

The event began with 16 players – eight Americans and eight Canadians – with each first round match featuring a player from each country. In addition to playing for the individual title, its $5,000 prize and a spot in the PDC US Darts Masters, players were also competing on a team level for The Nations Cup, with each match won worth one point for the winning player’s country. Canada proved dominant throughout this event, as they secured the requisite 8 points to claim the Cup – and eliminated the entire American side – before the conclusion of the quarterfinals.

“The Silencer” began his quest for the title against American legend, Larry Butler, getting out to a quick 2-0 lead before “The Eagle” righted the ship with a break of throw in leg three followed by a brilliant 110 checkout to level the match at two. However, it was not to be for the Ohio man as Smith closed the door by checking out 100 on-throw before claiming victory with a 56 checkout, stranding Butler on 99.

Those would be the only two legs that the New Brunswick man would drop in the event.

Smith whitewashed a hard-charging Jules Van Dongen 5-0 in the quarters, punishing him for a couple of missed doubles early in the match on his way to a 96 average. “The Dutch Dragon”, averaging 90 in his own right, was looking for opportunities that never came later in the match as Smith’s trademark clinical finishing was on full display.

Fellow Canadian Steve Warnock, who stunned Leonard Gates 4-1 in round one before dispatching John Norman, Jr. 5-3 in the quarterfinals, was next on the docket. “The Sniper” – whose finishing had been solid up until this point – missed some crucial darts at double in the first two legs and allowed Smith to sneak off to a 2-0 lead with a pair of 17-darters. Smith then checked 94 in leg three before punching out a spectacular 124 to seal the deal and book his appointment with “The Gentleman” in the final.

Jim Long’s path to the final wasn’t quite as smooth as his opponent’s as he faced Chuck Puleo, one of his closest friends on the CDC Tour, in a first round in a match that went the distance and saw three breaks of throw – including the critical decider where a pair of consecutive 140s put the Canadian in position to pin tops and claim victory in 15 darts to advance to quarterfinal matchup with Keith Way who had just dispatched Joey Lynaugh. Way got off to a great start in the quarters, going up 4-2 with 16, 17 and 18-dart finishes and appeared to be cruising to the semifinals, but it was not to be for “The Iron Rock” as Long put on a blistering display of scoring, winning three on the spin with a 16-dart leg sandwiched between two 15-darters and not giving his opponent another look at double in the match.

In the semis, Long once again found himself needing to mount a comeback, dropping the first two legs of the match against Jacob “The Truth” Taylor in 14 and 16 darts respectively. And come back he did (and in style), winning five straight and punishing missed doubles from the Newfoundland man in the 4^th and 5^th leg to book his pace in the final.

The event concluded with Smith’s third straight whitewash in a match where both players struggled at times to regain the form that landed them in that position in the first place. An opening 16-dart effort got Smith on the board early before a bit of the rot set-in with a forgettable 27-dart second leg that finally ended when Jeff checked 5 on his fourth trip to the oche with that number remaining. That leg seemed to be the catalyst needed for focus as Smith then fired in a 13-darter, immediately followed by an 86 checkout to strand his opponent on tops and pull within two legs of victory which he would claim just a short time later.

However, all was certainly not lost for Jim Long. In addition to the $2,000 second-place prize, Jim will be taking the stage at the US Darts Masters, claiming the event’s qualifying spot by virtue of the fact that Jeff Smith’s place is already booked as a North American PDC Tour Card holder.

RESULTS:

Quarterfinals

Steve Warnock 5-3 John Norman Jr
Jeff Smith 5-0 Jules Van Dongen
Jacob Taylor 5-3 Alex Spellman
Jim Long 5-4 Keith Way

Semifinals:
Jim Long 5-2 Jacob Taylor
Jeff Smith 5-0 Steve Warnock

Final:
Jeff Smith 5-0 Jim Long

The Nations Cup:
Canada wins 13-2

Inaugural event reignites rivalry between US and Canada, aims to attract die-hard supporters and casual fans alike.
Tickets on sale NOW

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY (NOVEMBER 17, 2022) – White Eagle Hall, Jersey City’s historic entertainment venue, will play host to the best darts players on the continent for the inaugural Cross-Border Darts Challenge, presented by Championship Darts Corporation, April 21 and 22, 2023. Eight Americans and eight Canadians will take the stage to compete for national glory, a minimum of $15,000 in prize money, and a berth in the largest darts event in North America – the US Darts Masters –taking place in New York City in June.

This invitational event will kick-off the ninth year of the Championship Darts Circuit – North America’s professional darts tour – and provide darts enthusiasts and new fans alike the opportunity to experience the energy and passion that makes darts truly “the biggest party in sports!”

VIP ticketholders will have exclusive access to a Friday afternoon pre-tournament reception to meet players like North American champion, Leonard “SOULGER” Gates, “Excalibur” David Cameron and Danny “The Gambler” Baggish.  The full field of event participants will be later announced in December.

“We’re excited to work with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) to launch this new headline event at one of the best darts venues I’ve ever seen,” said Peter Citera, CEO of Championship Darts Corporation, “the intimate nature of White Eagle Hall provides the perfect backdrop to showcase our sport with all the modern technology necessary to ensure a great fan experience.”

Friday evening will feature eight first-round “USA vs. Canada” clashes with the winners advancing. The action will resume on Saturday with the quarterfinals and conclude with the crowning of the first “CANUSA Champion!”

“Professional darts is among the most fun atmospheres I have ever witnessed in my 30 years in the live events industry. In that vein, we are now thrilled to welcome Championship Darts Corporation to historic White Eagle Hall,” said Dylan Wanagiel, Vice President of Sports Properties & Special Events for Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment. “HSBE takes great pride in providing diverse programing at White Eagle Hall, and we know the residents of Jersey City and all of the tri-state area will love The Biggest Party in Sports.”

Tickets for the inaugural Cross-Border Darts Challenge start at $30.00 plus applicable fees and go onsale to the general public November 17 at 12:00 PM ET at https://ffm.bio/cdcweh

Ticket Information:

Two Day Pass (access to both April 21 & 22 Events): https://www.seetickets.us/event/2-DAYPASSCross-BorderDartsChallenge/517505

Friday, April 21, 2023: https://www.seetickets.us/event/Cross-Border-Darts-Challenge/517509

Saturday, April 22, 2023: https://www.seetickets.us/event/Cross-Border-Darts-Challenge/517507

About Championship Darts Corporation:
Championship Darts Corporation (CDC) owns and operates the Championship Darts Circuit, North America’s professional darts tour, consisting of 12 regular season tournaments leading into The Continental Cup Tour Finals Championship. We are the official North American affiliate of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) – the global head of professional darts, which stages events across the world with over $17 million in prize money. CDC provides the exclusive path to the World Darts Championship, World Series of Darts, World Cup of Darts and other major international events for US and Canadian players. The company also focuses on the next generation of players, running two youth tours to provide exclusive opportunities to play internationally via our affiliation with both the PDC and Junior Darts Corporation (JDC). Further information is available at www.champdarts.com.

About White Eagle Hall:
White Eagle Hall is a historic 8,000-square-foot live performance and private event venue in Jersey City, NJ which hosts live performances and private events before an 800-standing and 350-seated capacity audience. Originally constructed in 1910 and reopened in 2017 after a multi-year, multi-million-dollar renovation, the venue has hosted a variety of notable artists over the years including The Front Bottoms, Mitski, Kamasi Washington, Japanese Breakfast, The Bouncing Souls, Parquet Courts, Yo La Tengo, The Mountain Goats, Thursday, Screaming Females, Spoon, Waxahatchee, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Guster, Built to Spill, New Found Glory, and many more. White Eagle Hall has presented numerous sold out shows, community events, theater productions, and private events. As of 2021, the venue is operated by the entertainment, management and booking team at Prudential Center.

About Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE):

Recognized as one of the most innovative and entrepreneurial companies in the industry today, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), is a leading sports and entertainment company, with a focus on inspiring possibilities in people and enhancing the communities where we live, work, play and win. Founded by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, HBSE’s global portfolio has grown to include premier sports franchises, brands, venues and investment platforms, centered around marquee assets, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils and the Prudential Center.