John Kramer (darts player)
Encyclopedia
John Kramer was an American
professional
darts
player.
, California
the weekend after graduation in 1975.
in the semi-final and the #1 player in the world at that time, Eric Bristow
in the final. In 1982 he competed in the 1982 World Darts Championship
but was defeated by the English
darts player Tony Brown
in the first round. His national ranking in 1985 earned him a spot on the US World Cup team to compete in Brisbane
, Australia
. The US won the team gold medal at World Cup V, which saw them defeat the English team 9-0, before going on to defeat the Australian team to win the gold medal. The US team also brought home the Silver medal for their 2nd place finish overall. 1985 brought John to the US#1 ranking and his first Bulls-Eye News magazine cover.
1987 was when he first retired from the game due to personal reasons and John enjoyed his spare time playing tournament and league softball.
1999 saw a resurgence of John’s darting career after a 12-year absence, where he enjoyed many successes, including a second North American Open singles title (defeating US player Roger Carter), being part of the rare accomplishment of winning both Open Doubles events at the Las Vegas Open (with Chris White) in 2001, and a second Bulls-Eye News magazine cover.
2002 brought on a second retirement from darts and his venture into tournament paintball.
2006 has brought on another resurgence into darts. Enjoying more success at events such as the Wild West Shootout and the San Francisco Open with Open Cricket singles titles for both.
2007 added some semi-final and finals, but the quest for the perfect dart showed in the finishes.
2008 saw an Open Singles Champion for the San Diego Memorial Open.
It has been awhile since this page has been updated. 2009 was a quiet year with not too much travel.
2011 is looking to be a new year with many new and exciting things going on. John has signed a contract with Cosmo Darts out of Japan for a sponsorship deal, and his signature darts and Fit Flights will soon be available. John is also looking forward to a move to the east coast of the US to be able to compete more often at the tournament level. Stay tuned for more updates on John's finishes in 2011 and is sponsorship with Cosmo Darts.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
player.
Before darts
Kramer started playing darts in 1974 in the weight room at his high school while recovering from a knee injury sustained during a high school football game. John quickly discovered he had a knack for the game and played his first professional tournament in VenturaVentura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
the weekend after graduation in 1975.
Darts success
John enjoyed much success during his playing days from 1975 through 1987, including his first North American Open singles title, where he defeated world #3 ranked player, Jocky WilsonJocky Wilson
John Thomas Wilson known as "Jocky" Wilson, is a former Scottish darts champion. He retired from the game in 1995.Wilson was twice World professional Darts Champion in 1982 and 1989...
in the semi-final and the #1 player in the world at that time, Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow MBE is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.- Early career :...
in the final. In 1982 he competed in the 1982 World Darts Championship
1982 BDO World Darts Championship
The 1982 Embassy World Darts Championship was the fifth year that the British Darts Organisation had staged a world championship. For the fourth successive year the tournament was staged at Jollees Cabaret Club in Stoke-on-Trent....
but was defeated by the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
darts player Tony Brown
Tony Brown (darts player)
Tony Brown is a former English professional darts player. He reached the World Professional Darts Championships semi-finals four times, losing twice to Eric Bristow and twice to John Lowe....
in the first round. His national ranking in 1985 earned him a spot on the US World Cup team to compete in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The US won the team gold medal at World Cup V, which saw them defeat the English team 9-0, before going on to defeat the Australian team to win the gold medal. The US team also brought home the Silver medal for their 2nd place finish overall. 1985 brought John to the US#1 ranking and his first Bulls-Eye News magazine cover.
1987 was when he first retired from the game due to personal reasons and John enjoyed his spare time playing tournament and league softball.
1999 saw a resurgence of John’s darting career after a 12-year absence, where he enjoyed many successes, including a second North American Open singles title (defeating US player Roger Carter), being part of the rare accomplishment of winning both Open Doubles events at the Las Vegas Open (with Chris White) in 2001, and a second Bulls-Eye News magazine cover.
2002 brought on a second retirement from darts and his venture into tournament paintball.
2006 has brought on another resurgence into darts. Enjoying more success at events such as the Wild West Shootout and the San Francisco Open with Open Cricket singles titles for both.
2007 added some semi-final and finals, but the quest for the perfect dart showed in the finishes.
2008 saw an Open Singles Champion for the San Diego Memorial Open.
It has been awhile since this page has been updated. 2009 was a quiet year with not too much travel.
2011 is looking to be a new year with many new and exciting things going on. John has signed a contract with Cosmo Darts out of Japan for a sponsorship deal, and his signature darts and Fit Flights will soon be available. John is also looking forward to a move to the east coast of the US to be able to compete more often at the tournament level. Stay tuned for more updates on John's finishes in 2011 and is sponsorship with Cosmo Darts.
Tournament Results
| 1980-2006 | TOURNAMENTS | NOTABLE SINGLES FINISHES |
|---|---|---|
| MONTH | TOURNAMENT | FINISH |
| |
||
| AUGUST | NORTH AMERICAN OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| NOVEMBER | TRI-COUNTIES CUP | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| DECEMBER | A.D.O. REGION II | CHAMPION |
| A.D.O. NATIONAL | SECOND PLACE | |
| |
||
| OCTOBER | WEST COAST MASTERS | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| OKTOBERFEST | SINGLES CHAMPION | |
| DECEMBER | SAN DIEGO OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| |
||
| MARCH | DARTS FOR DIABETES | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| OCTOBER | AUTUMN DART FESTIVAL | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| |
||
| APRIL | FOOTHILL OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| JULY | COLORADO OPEN | TEAM FINALIST |
| AUGUST | LOS ANGELES OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| DECEMBER | BRITISH OPEN | OPEN SINGLES-17TH PLACE |
| DECEMBER | A.D.O. REGION II-3 | THIRD PLACE |
| A.D.O. NATIONAL | TENTH PLACE | |
| |
||
| MARCH | NEW MEXICO OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| APRIL | BAKERSFIELD OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| MAY | DALLAS OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| JULY | COLORADO OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| JULY | MARQUISE WARM-UP | 501 SINGLES CHAMPION |
| AUGUST | PEACHTREE OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| NOVEMBER | OLD PUEBLO CLASSIC | CRICKET SINGLES CHAMPION |
| DECEMBER | ADO REGION II-3 | FIRST PLACE |
| ADO NATIONAL | FIRST PLACE | |
| |
||
| AUGUST | NORTH AMERICAN OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| |
||
| APRIL | CHARLOTTE OPEN | CRICKET SINGLES CHAMPION |
| |
||
| MAY | WILD WEST SHOOTOUT | CRICKET SINGLES CHAMPION |
| AUGUST | RHADT TOURNAMENT | SINGLES CHAMPION |
| SEPTEMBER | SAN FRANCISCO OPEN | CRICKET SINGLES CHAMPION |