Is Axe-Throwing Really a Thing?

Yes, apparently it is. And surprisingly, it’s fun, especially for those who enjoy a little friendly competition.

For my most recent birthday, which happens to occur on New Year’s Eve, I wanted to host a fun celebration for a few family and friends. After a little bit of research, I settled on Axe & Ale in Topeka, KS, mostly because they allowed us to provide our own food service and because they offered a good selection of beverages for my guests. I booked three lanes, which accommodated about 18 throwers.

Scoring is similar to archery or darts, with each of the rings being of different point values as shown on the target in my photo, and winning is a matter of getting the axe to stick in the target and totaling up more points than the rest of the competitors on your lane.

So what’s the appeal of axe throwing?

At Axe & Ale, there were two axe options. Apparently, one of them is supposed to be thrown one-handed while the other requires two hands. One hand or two, it felt good to hurl a heavy object at a wall. So as I celebrated my birthday and we all celebrated the end to another year, every thwack of the axe was a satisfying farewell to the worst that 2021 had to offer.

Now, with a year full of worries, disappointments, and aggravations lying in a heap of broken bits of wood on the floor, I am ready to take on a new year and new challenges. I’m not sure I’ll want to throw axes again, but if I do, it should probably be more often than once a year — considering that it took me almost an hour of our 90-minute session (with solid coaching from an Axe & Ale staff member) just to figure out how to get the sharp edge to hit wood.

Most of my guests were more successful than I was, so heaving a hatchet may be a great, if temporary, way to unload your burdens. Another way, which I sometimes forget, is giving them to God, as Matthew 11:28 instructs. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” No satisfying thwack, no broken bits of wood, but a long-lasting solution to life’s unrelenting worries, fears, and heartaches.

Bring it on, 2022!