SAFER! LESS FUN!
Well, OK, maybe the new lawn darts are as fun as the originals. But no question: They don't inspire that same old frisson of fear when the metal-tipped skewer was lobbed in your general direction.
As usual, we're making light of serious business: In 1988, the game of lawn darts was banned from sale in the United States after several deaths and hundreds of injuries were reported when the long steel tip would become embedded in something other than grass. The Consumer Product Safety Commission urged parents to destroy the darts.
That, of course, inspired a "forbidden fruit" reaction among enthusiasts who kept one another apprised of a lawn dart black market, while still holding annual tournaments. (Although we suspect "hold harmless" forms suddenly became a common sight.)
Now, though, Sportcraft Ltd. is launching Soft Tip Sky Darts, which are four large weighted darts with soft rounded tips, so no one gets impaled (although perhaps softly bonked). The game is the same, trying to aim the darts at two scoring rings. But you can play these darts on a hard surface; they spring up "kind of like weighted dice," according to the company. Look for them at your usual lawn fun retailers for about $20.
And keep your eyes on the skies.
Because you never know what's coming down.
KIM ODE
