Erik Clarys, the Belgian darts pioneer who made history in 1995 by becoming the first Belgian and first non-British player to win the Winmau World Masters, saw his promising career abruptly ended by a workplace accident. Clarys, born on October 18, 1968, in Deurne, Belgium, fell off a ladder while working as a roofer later in 2006, breaking his arm in several places. Despite multiple surgeries, he never regained full use of his right arm. 'I thought I’d be throwing again within three weeks. But three weeks later, I had already undergone five operations. My arm kept dislocating and they referred me to a specialist. That’s when I realised it was serious,' Clarys later said on the Double Top podcast. He tried playing left-handed but could not reach his previous level and eventually ended his career.
Clarys's breakthrough came at the 1995 Winmau World Masters, where he defeated Andy Fordham in the quarter-finals and Martin Adams in the semi-finals before crushing reigning BDO world champion Richie Burnett 3–0 in the final. He returned home with a cheque worth £7,000. The tournament, then the biggest after the BDO World Championship, had legendary winners including Eric Bristow, Phil Taylor, Dennis Priestley, John Lowe, Raymond van Barneveld, and Michael van Gerwen. Clarys made his BDO World Championship debut in 1997, losing 3–2 to Paul Williams in the first round. He lost in the first round in his next three appearances, to Kevin Painter, Tony Littleton, and Martin Adams respectively. In 2002, he finally won his first match, beating Andree Welge 3–1, before losing 3–0 to Van Barneveld in the second round. A year later, he reached the quarter-finals, defeating Tony Eccles 3–1 and Robert Wagner 3–0, but lost 5–1 to Van Barneveld.
Clarys switched to the PDC and quickly became a regular in the world's top 32. On his PDC World Championship debut in 2004, he beat Dan Lauby 3–0 and Mark Walsh 3–0 before losing 4–2 to Ronnie Baxter in the third round. Later that year, he reached the quarter-finals of the UK Open, his best PDC major performance, losing 11–2 to Walsh. In his final World Championship in 2006, he beat Winston Cadogan 3–0 before losing 4–1 to Wayne Mardle in the second round. Clarys also won the Dortmund Open in 1998, 1999, and 2002, and the Swedish Open in 1999. He was known as a mathematical genius for his unusual checkout combinations.
Now aged 57, Clarys remains involved in darts as a co-commentator on Belgian TV channel VTM, where he provides commentary for major tournaments. He also gives workshops, coaches young talent at the VTM Darts Academy, and mentors Kim Huybrechts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he released a book titled 'Just Darts' with publisher Lannoo, offering information on rules, techniques, and equipment. VTM recently announced it will broadcast all European Tour tournaments from next year, with Clarys as a regular co-commentator.
