BullShooter Magazine April 2017 Number 4 Volume 34 | Page 19

kind of shocked, because there was
some really stiff competition. But
it’s a good feeling to win a tour-
nament when the competition is
so tough, especially when I really
didn’t know what I was doing (both
laughing).
Pacer: Did you have any first
impressions of the soft-tipped
game?
Joe: (Laughing) Well, my first
impression was that the doubles
were a lot easier to hit on the elec-
tronic board--but they took care
of that! A few years ago at the
BullShooter, they switched the
heads around to a 13” board and
it kind of caught me by surprise.
Recently, I played on the 13” board
at the Tennessee
Regional and
was actually
pretty proud
of how I shot.
But when they switch to that 13”
board you can forget about the
easy doubles (laughing)!
Pacer: Joe, you are starting to
rack up your share of accomplish-
ments in the electronic game. You
won Pro/Pro AA Mixed Cricket at
BullShooter 31, with Marlise Kiel,
in an event that was literally filled
with some of the greatest men and
women players in the world. I
mean there were no easy matches
in that event. Recently you also
had two 1sts and two 2nds at the
Tennessee Regional. How do you
cope with playing the two differ-
ent games?
Joe: Tom, it hasn’t always been
easy. There were times when I
would just kind of go into a funk
when I was switching back and
forth. I finally decided that if I
was going to be involved in steel
and electronics I had to do some-
thing. I finally designed a barrel
that I could use no matter what
I was playing. The only differ-
ence is the tip on the end of
the dart. Besides that
they are exactly
the same, it has
made things a
little easier.
Pacer:
When
Joe and I were
discussing dart
matches and how
sometimes luck
plays a part in a
close match, he
made an inter-
esting statement
to me.
Joe: There’s no doublt that a lit-
tle luck or a break or two can make
a difference in a dart match, but I
am a firm believer that you have
to play well enough to get lucky. If
you are throwing well, for what-
ever reason, you just seem to get
more breaks.
Pacer:
That is an interest-
ing theory. You have to play
well enough to get lucky. I think
that is totally true. I just never
thought of it quite that way. Joe,
we all know you don’t accomplish
everything you have in the game
of darts without support. Is there
anyone you would like to mention?
Joe: Number one I would have
to say is my financee, Sandy. We
play together a lot and we are each
other’s number one fan. Red Eye
Rhino, Cosmo Fit Flights, and
Pickled Pig Dart Supplies have
been great sponsors. I am proud
to represent them. And I have to
mention my boss, Joe Rinert, the
owner of the Southern Belle River-
boat. When I went to work for Joe
we agreed that being able to travel
and play tournaments was part of
the deal. I’m really fortunate. I
think I’m playing pretty good, but
my best darts are ahead of me.
Pacer: To say that Joe has a
good relationship with his boss is
an understatement. He not only
lets Joe have the time off work to
compete in dart tournaments, he
flew him to Chicago and several
other tournaments last year in his
private plane. Now that’s what I
call a fringe benefit!
Pacer