Smoke 'em while you got 'em.

The next time the South Dakota State Dart Tournament rolls into Rapid City in 2010, the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center will be entirely smoke-free.

The ban originated with a 2006 decision to phase out smoking entirely. Previously, only three civic center events allowed smoking: the state pool tournament, state dart tournament and the Cowboy Bar during the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo.

Smoking at the Cowboy Bar was ended immediately. But the pool- and dart-tournament organizers were given three years to comply, starting with the 2007 events.

Robert Rouillard, a smoker from Pine Ridge who was playing in the dart tournament, wishes the city would repeal the ban but doesn't expect that to happen.

"When they do ban it, I'll have to go all the way outside. I'm not in shape to do that," he said.

Ed Reynolds, a nonsmoker from Hot Springs, said he doesn't have a problem with the smoke because his wife is a smoker, and he's used to it. Reynolds said the civic center, as an entertainment facility, should allow people to be entertained - which means allowing smoking.

Reynolds also worries a beer-sale ban could be next on the agenda.

"Then there's gonna be trouble," he said with a grin on his face.

About 4,000 people are in town for the tournament, which runs through Sunday at the civic center.

Many of the participants smoke, creating an obvious odor throughout the facility, even though most of the heavy smoke is contained in various halls and rooms where the tournament is played.

The tournament brings in 11 "smoke eaters" to help move smoke out of the playing areas. Tournament director Britt Bruner said it might not seem like it, but the machines do make a difference in the amount of smoke.

"In the old days before we had them, by now, the haze would be six feet off the floor. They don't get it all, obviously, but they do make a difference," he said.

Casual observation tells Bruner that generally, more players smoke than don't smoke, but that number is probably on the decline as more people quit smoking. Still, the environment is not a surprise to participants.

"It's a bar sport. The players that don't smoke know what they're getting into when they walk in," he said.

Players' opinion of the ban varies.

Rodney Van Sambeek, Aaron Anderson and Cal Hanson, all nonsmokers from Corona, would prefer a smoke-free environment but were enjoying themselves Friday despite the haze in Rushmore Hall.

"We tolerate it," Van Sambeek said. "I tell my wife it's not the beer that gives me a hangover, it's the smoke."

All three said they would probably be back in two years, either way.

Amy Goodrich and Heather Wurts of Highmore said the civic center may see participants dwindle if the city doesn't reinstate a smoking exception for the tournament.

"Or Rapid City is going to have to hold it somewhere else," Goodrich, a smoker, said.

"I could probably handle not smoking during matches," she allowed. "I wouldn't say it's of dire importance, no. But knowing how many people do smoke at the dart tournament, it would diminish the tournament a lot to ban it here."

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com