When it comes to razzamatazz and extravagance you can’t beat the darts for uplifting entertainment, but some players have more unusual rituals than others. Take Dirk van Duijvenbode for example. The Dutch world No. 12 was a quarterfinalist at the World Championships in 2021 and reached the same stage at the World Matchplay in 2022. But he is also known for his energetic entrances coupled with hard electronic music.
In recent years, the 31-year-old has also started to play on the nature of his second job as an administrative assistant at the Van Onselen eggplant farm in the Netherlands.
Van Duijvenbode has worked at the farm since he was 15 years old and such is his dedication to the job that he earned himself the nickname “Aubergenius”.
Pulling together all of his passions, the tungsten thrower enjoys nothing more than arriving in the room for a darts match with Dutch hardcore blasting whilst he performs his signature fist pump move. But he takes things one step further by bringing a fresh Aubergenine to the oche before every match.
Speaking about his vocation, Van Duijvenbode said: “I began working here at 15. I’d come before school to pick – just another – row of eggplant, then I’d end up being late for class.
“We take a professional approach to training. And I try to get the best out of it. The company recently automated some things, so I work fewer hours.
“Everybody should eat eggplants. It’s part of my image. Eggplants are an unfamiliar product, so all the attention might make more people aware of them.”
However, Van Duijvenbode got a bit more attention than he was hoping for when about to perform in a WTO Expo match against Dylan Slevin back in May.
In front of a raucous home crowd, the darts player attempted to whip the crowd up further by dancing to a heavy track from DJ Radical Redemption. But to his embarrassment, Van Duijvenbode tumbled backwards on the stage, injuring himself in the process.
The red-faced star managed to regain his composure but hobbled on one leg as he tried to complete his routine. Clearly in pain, he managed to beat Slevin 6-5 but admitted later that the pain from his injury had caused him to vomit.
Speaking to HLN after the match, he said: “I’m afraid of my meniscus or posterior cruciate ligament. I felt very good about myself, but now I fear that I have to take a step back.
“I was puking from the pain on Saturday. Even now I don’t feel well. In another country I probably wouldn’t have thrown because I was in a lot of pain. But because it was in the Netherlands, I didn’t want to give up.”
Van Duijvenbode may need to concentrate more on aubergines than hardcore dancing if he wants to stand a chance of winning the forthcoming PDC World Darts Championship.
