Sometimes, a new trend comes seemingly out of nowhere and, once you hear about it, you see it everywhere. That’s the nature of trends. Once the spark is lit, they can catch fire incredibly quickly.
Recently, you might have noticed that a lot of axe throwing places are opening up. You might hear water cooler talk about a colleague joining an axe throwing league in your city or a friend planning an axe throwing bachelorette. What exactly is this new trend, or where did it come from?
Those are a couple of the questions this article is going to try and answer. If you keep hearing about axe throwing but don’t quite know what to make of it (what are they throwing axe at exactly!?) then hopefully the following answers can fill you in.
What Is It?
Axe throwing is pretty much exactly as it sounds, but with a sporting element involved. It is, simply put, a game that involves throwing axes at a painted wooden target – sort of like darts, but with axes. Like darts, axe throwing also has its own unique system of scoring, as well as rules surrounding how far back your feet can be from the target.
Where Did It Come From?
Axe throwing has precursors in medieval France and pioneer-era North America, but the game as it’s played now is something wholly unique. It was invented over a decade ago, in 2006, in Canada. The product of a few friends throwing axes at a lake cottage in Ontario, “Axe throwing” as it simply became known took off when one of those enterprising friends – a man by the name of Matt Wilson – turned the pastime into a bar sport.
From Canada, the sport spread around the world, and now there are international tournaments, and numerous celebrities getting in on the fun.
How Do You Do It?
Throwing an axe has been described as a similar motion to throwing a free throw in soccer. You start by aiming, placing your dominant hand at the axe’s bottom and then bringing the axe up over your head. As you bring the axe forward, you lean forward and release the axe when it’s level with the target. If all goes as planned, you will watch as your axe flies effortlessly towards a bull’s eye.
When Should You Try It?
You can drop in anytime you want, but the best way to do it is to round up some friends and go axe throwing. It makes a great party atmosphere, if you want a good excuse to try it; it’s a great birthday activity, a fun bachelor/bachelorette activity or an exciting company teambuilding exercise. And once you’re hooked, you can join an axe throwing league – a multi-week league culminating in a championship tournament.
You might as well learn as much as possible about axe throwing, because its popularity shows no signs of abating. If you’re genuinely curious about it, though, close this tab and go try it for yourself – above all else, it’s just an incredibly fun pastime!
