Why did Stephen Bunting walk on to ‘Surfin’ Bird’ before darts matches?

5 months ago 34

STEPHEN Bunting is one of the top darts players in the world, having won the BDO World Championship before rising up through the ranks in the PDC.

Here we take a look at his career and why he chose to walk out onto the oche with Surfin’ Girl by The Trashmen playing.

Stephen Bunting walking into the arena during the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in December, 2020[/caption]

Who is Stephen Bunting?

Stephen Bunting, born on April 9, 1985 in Fazakerley, north Liverpool is a professional darts player who goes by the nickname The Bullet and is currently ranked 18 in the world.

In October 2012 he won the Winmau World Masters and Zuiderduin Masters, finishing the year as the British Darts Organisation (BDO) and World Darts Federation (WDF) world number one.

Stephen successfully defended his World Masters title in 2013 — becoming only the fourth man to do so after Bob Anderson, Eric Bristow and Martin Adams.

Following winning the BDO World Darts Championship in 2014, Bunting joined the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) the same year and rapidly climbed up the organisation’s world rankings.

He made an immediate impact on the circuit by winning his very first PDC Pro Tour event at a UK Open Qualifier.

In 2015 Stephen made his Premier League Darts debut after reaching the quarter-finals in his first PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace, and then made the semi-finals of the UK Open weeks later.

During his run at Ally Pally, Prince Harry was in attendance as Bunting defeated James Wade 4-1.

After the match he said: “I didn’t know Harry was here. I’m going to have a pint with him now! But it is great that darts is getting this type of coverage.”

Stephen has also made the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix and reached the same stage during the 2021 World Championship.

He won his third PDC ranking event at the Players Championship in July 2021.

Bunting has a son named Toby who was born in 2012.

Why did Stephen Bunting walk on to ‘Surfin’ Bird’ before darts matches?

Bunting bares a striking resemblance to the Family Guy patriarch Peter Griffin.

The song Surfin’ Bird by The Trashmen has long been associated with the cartoon character, so Stephen used it as his entrance music as a humorous nod to the fact he looks like him.

But the joke wore thin for him and he eventually decided to change his walk on song.

In December 2019 Bunting said: “I’m getting too old for Family Guy now, it was a gimmick and I’m a dart player.”

He has since been walking out onto the oche to the David Guetta club banger Titanium featuring Sia.