ALL eyes will be on Basel this weekend as the Swiss Darts Trophy kicks into high gear.
But for tournament favourite Luke Humphries and Jonny Clayton, it was not the pre-tournament routine they are used to.
Jonny Clayton helps out Swiss presenter Michelle Hunziker[/caption]
Luke Humphries and Jonny Clayton led the line-up in the Swiss mountains[/caption]
Rather than the calm, focused practice one would expect from two of the competition’s biggest names, the pair made the long journey to the top of a Swiss mountain for an unforgettable exhibition match.
The darts stars, battling the thinner air and frigid temps at almost 3,500m above sea level, were joined by regional celebrities with hilarious results.
‘The Ferret’ would be paired with giant Swiss wrestling star Sven Hofer, who was nifty with his arrows, leading Clayton to joke “I think Sven played better than me!”
But it was immediately clear that celebrity presenter Michelle Hunziker had less experience at the oche.
Before a dart was thrown, ‘La Belle’ let the audience and her teammate Humphries know that she had literally never played the game before.
Clayton’s crash course in darts technique helped her pick up the basics and get the arrows on the board, but there was one part of the game that she simply could not grasp.
Perhaps it was the pressure of the occasion, or the influence of the high altitude, but after almost every appearance the Swiss star forgot to grab her darts from the board.
The crowd could not help but laugh as Hunziker walked away from the board, before being reminded by Clayton and a finger-wagging Humphries that she had to collect her equipment.
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Each time the presenter took the mistake in good spirits, laughing and jogging back to the board, often with a quip or an exaggerated sigh that lit up the audience.
Humphries picked up the slack for his inexperienced teammate, and the pair took the opening leg.
But Hofer’s surprising skills and Clayton’s growing confidence became too much for their opponents, winning the short match 2-1.
The darts pros also had a friendly match between themselves beforehand, with Humphries handily winning 2-1 despite the unusual atmosphere clearly affecting both players, and that applies in more ways than one.
Humphries would go on to state that the darts flew strangely due to the high altitude, and cool hand Luke also made a few altitude related jokes when Clayton missed his shots.
Away from the oche, the players enjoyed the mountain sites at the Jungfraujoch, the ‘Top of Europe’, which included Europe’s tallest train station and a tour around their stunning glacial ice caves, sharing their trip on their Instagram accounts.
The pair will hope a relaxed practice match and a mountain getaway was exactly what they needed as they prepare to begin their Swiss Trophy appearances on Saturday.
Humphries will face Callan Rydz, while Clayton will battle Nathan Aspinall for a spot in the next round, and potentially, a shot at the £30,000 jackpot.
