Michael Van Gerwen previews World Darts Championship
Darts veteran Steve Beaton has denied ever using a sunbed or getting a perm, despite his iconic nickname ‘The Bronzed Adonis’. The 59-year-old spoke out ahead of his return to the Alexandra Palace stage on Tuesday evening, when he will have another crack at a deep World Darts Championship (WDC) run.
Beaton has been a feature on the darts circuit since the early 1990s, when he spent a decade fighting for titles with the BDO before switching over to the PDC. The Coventry-born competitor has made it to the last 16 of the WDC on three occasions, most recently in 2020.
Helping to cement his status as an icon of the sport was a trademark look during his earlier years, which included tanned skin, an unbuttoned shirt, flowing hair and a groomed moustache.
That earned him the nickname ‘The Bronzed Adonis’, coined by commentator Tony Green, but Beaton himself has an explanation for teasing claims that sunbeds and hairdressers formed part of his preparation for darts’ showpiece event.
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“I’ve never been on a sunbed in my life,” he told The Guardian. “Everyone says that. ‘You’ve been on the tanning beds again.’ The Worlds used to be in January, so I always used to go away for Christmas and New Year – Tenerife, Canaries, anywhere where it was warm.
“And I’ve never had a perm. It just tightened up because I never combed it. I look back at some of the photos now and think: ‘Gee, what were you doing?'”
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Beaton has broken records with his remarkable longevity. This year will be his 33rd consecutive appearance at a world championship – initially at The Lakeside before moving over to the PDC – which puts him three ahead of undisputed darts GOAT Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor.
“This year was actually going to be the last year,” Beaton continued. “But I haven’t done too bad. I’ve qualified for the Worlds, and I’ve got my tour card. So it looks like I’m going to be giving it another year.”
The Englishman, who now lives in Norfolk, does not put his success down to a relentless training schedule. “[I practice for] probably half an hour, [an] hour a day,” he added.
“I was never a huge practiser. Even back in the day, my practice was really going down to the pub. And it’s funny. You say you practice an hour a day, but it’s amazing how many times you stop, go off and get a drink, come back.”
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