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Learn a New Skill at Bad Axe Throwing

Canadian-based Bad Axe Throwing opened their first Colorado location in late July.

BY WILDER DAVIES | AUGUST 2, 2017 see original post here

Ah, axe throwing: the cornhole of the Great White North. The rugged pastime has officially arrived in the southern parts of the Rocky Mountains, thanks to Canadian company Bad Axe Throwing—a venue where you can learn to appropriately hurl the sharp tool and compete against friends to determine who is most likely to survive in the wilderness (kidding, of course).

The new Denver outpost opened last week as the company’s 14th North American location, according to managing director Jesse Gutzman. Situated on the border of Denver and Thornton, Bad Axe Throwing is located in a 2,500-square-foot, industrial space that consists of a lounge area with tables and chairs, and three lanes—for throwing—with two targets made of plywood affixed to the wall. According to axe master Nick Jahr, each of Bad Axe Throwing’s locations features unique art by local creatives. Here, visitors will see a mural that reads, “lookin’ sharp” by a local artist Taste.

Before you start, a resident “axe master” takes you through a 10-minute safety tutorial, laying the ground rules and teaching you proper technique. Rule number one: Wear closed-toe shoes (you won’t be able to participate without them). Keep the axe perpendicular to the ground when you release it from your hands. Don’t pick up your axe until your opponent has thrown theirs. Lastly, it is common courtesy to clink your axe with your opponent before and after a match.

While throwing the axe has a bit of a learning curve, most manage to sink it into the target after a few attempts (Tip: The bigger axes are easier to throw). Once you’re feeling comfortable, the axe master will set up a tournament for your party. Most games are variations on the rules used for the World Axe Throwing League—a bracket-style competition where people compete head-to-head until one champion stands. For each match, players get 10 throws to rack up points on the circular target. The closer you get to the center of the target, the higher the score. After five throws, the players switch sides, and whoever gets the most points moves on to the next round.

While slinging heavy, bladed projectiles would make for an unconventional first date, Bad Axe Throwing caters toward groups and requires a party of eight or more to make a reservation (walk-ins for smaller parties are welcome, but space is limited). Patrons are welcome to bring snacks, refreshments, or catered food, but no booze yet. (They’re working on acquiring a liquor license.) If you discover that you are particularly apt at this activity, consider joining their axe-throwing league, which hosts tournaments throughout the year.

Our takeaway? Axe throwing is easier than one might think and incredibly addicting. Even though it may seem dangerous, the staffers do a stellar job assuaging any fears one might have; to date, there have been no accidents at any of their locations. So, throw on some flannel, ya’ll—we predict that the rustic activity has enough appeal to delight city-dwellers and wannabe lumberjacks alike.

If you go: Bad Ax Throwing is located at 845 E. 73rd Ave.; $35 per person for a three-hour session; $30 per person for groups of 35 or more; $20 per hour for walk-ins; reservations can be made online

Into the woods: why high flying Londoners are falling hard for forestry

London has fallen hard for forestry, with urban high achievers retreating to plant trees, build fires and throw axes to unwind. Samuel Fishwick tests his mettle and lives the lumberjack dream.

By SAM FISHWICK

The craze for shed-building is growing

Joel Bird thinks that the craze for shed-building is a valiant attempt to bring woodcraft back into the cities. “People want to use their hands again. I’d put it down to people wanting to find a meaning in their lives. When you’re working with wood there’s an immediacy, a feeling that these things have always taken place, for thousands of years. Therefore there’s a sense that we’re connected to our ancestry in some way.”

By way of contrast, we spend our working lives navigating tools like iPhones and computers that have been part of human life for only a few decades. Instant gratification is its own worst enemy. A typical shed, Bird says, takes 18 days to build — a welcome change from one-click Amazon purchases. “The more you learn about something, the more deeply invested you are. When I look at a piece of wood, I can look at the grains, see the seasons, see where there’s a hard winter — you know what the knot means. And you just get a relationship with it in the end. There’s something about wood that makes you feel closer to it than other materials because it was once living. You can see its story a bit more.”

Or you could just throw an axe at it for half an hour. That’s how I would chuck wood.

Read further on the original post: https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/why-high-flying-londoners-are-falling-hard-for-forestry-a3663631.html

More about: | Axe Throwing | World Axe Throwing League

Indianapolis Zombie Axtravaganza - Halloween Charity and Fun

Grab your Halloween costumes, it's time to fight off the Zombie infection in Indianapolis in the best and most fitting way possible.. with AXES! 🤢 ⛏💪

Bad Axe Throwing Indianapolis has teamed up with the Bearded Villains community group to bring a safe and fun Halloween event for the whole family while donating all net proceeds to a good cause. Here's why you should come: 1) You will receive lessons from one of our axe throwing coaches on how to throw an axe safely 2) You will get the opportunity to throw axes and see why it lives up to the hype 3) Custom Zombie targets to throw axes at.🎯 4) INFECTION! A custom game we created that will go all day long. Will you help fight the zombie infection or become one of the undead horde? 5) Well be holding a raffle for Prizes! 🎟 6) Costume contest! 👹 7) It's for a good cause. So you get to celebrate Halloween and help those in need! Money raised at the event will be used to to help Puerto Rico in its time of crisis following the wake of hurricane Maria. We'll be donating to UNICEF which will be helping Puerto Rico with essential supplies. The supplies will help children and their families keep clean and healthy, protecting them from diseases that can occur after the loss of equipment and infrastructure and the disruption of a safe water supply. So if you have been dying to try out this awesome sport, this will be your lucky weekend! What you need to know: ➡️ Admission:✔️ $20 per person for open axe throwing! Stay as long as you like! ➡️ Hours are: ✔️ 4pm-Midnight on Tuesday October 31st (Halloween) ➡️ Attire: ✔️ You must WEAR CLOSED-TOED SHOES ➡️ Food & Drink: ✔️ WYou may bring your own! Though NO Glass containters and NO Liqour. Share with your friends to bring your own zombie extermination squad! Also, if you'd like to book your event (birthday party, bachelor/bachelorette, corporate event, or any other special occasion) please book online: https://badaxethrowing.com/

Visit our other top locations:

Axe throwing Ottawa

Axe throwing Kitchener

Axe Throwing Toronto

ABC 7 news's Jesse Kirsch recently took a trip to WATL affiliate, Bad Axe Throwing in Chicago and featured the World Axe Throwing League!

Also visit our top locations: Bad Axe Throwing Toronto Bad Axe Throwing Kitchener Bad Axe Throwing Edmonton

Other Related Topics: https://www.surreynowleader.com/community/video-bad-axe-throwing-comes-to-surrey/ http://abc7chicago.com/sports/global-axe-throwing-showdown-comes-to-chicago/2453876/

Last year, Bad Axe Throwing opened up a location in Newton

Also visit our top locations: Bad Axe Throwing Toronto Bad Axe Throwing Kitchener Bad Axe Throwing Edmonton

Other Related Topics: https://www.mississauga.com/community-story/7579751-world-axe-throwing-leagues-starting-in-mississauga-and-other-cities/ http://abc7chicago.com/sports/global-axe-throwing-showdown-comes-to-chicago/2453876/

Bad Axe Throwing creates new global initiative COMMUNITY Sep 29, 2017 by Iain Colpitts Mississauga News SHARE Alex Ramirez, axe master of Bad Axe Throwing, one of 20 sites that will host World Axe…

Also visit our top locations: Bad Axe Throwing Toronto Bad Axe Throwing Kitchener Bad Axe Throwing Edmonton

Other Related Topics: https://www.surreynowleader.com/community/video-bad-axe-throwing-comes-to-surrey/ http://abc7chicago.com/sports/global-axe-throwing-showdown-comes-to-chicago/2453876/

#Also visit our top locations: Bad Axe Throwing Toronto Bad Axe Throwing Kitchener Bad Axe Throwing Edmonton Other Related Topics: https://ww

ABC 7 news's Jesse Kirsch recently took a trip to our Chicago location to talk a little bit about our fall league and the World Axe Throwing Championship!

Also please check one of our top location: Axe throwing edmonton

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Over the last year, axe throwing has made its mark in Chicago.

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Washington D.C. is where history is made. Axe throwing history, that is!

Bad Axe Throwing Toronton Location

Meet the newest member of Denver’s entertainment scene: Ax throwing

Bad Axe Throwing is opening its third U.S. location at 845 E. 73rd Ave. in August. (Bad Axe)

A Canadian pastime is hurling into Denver.

Bad Axe Throwing Toronto, an ax-throwing event venue, is staking its ground north of Denver, opening a 2,500-square-foot venue at 845 E. 73rd Ave. this August.

CEO Mario Zelaya picked Denver for Bad Axe’s third U.S. location to be near local tech companies, which he said are often the first in a new market to host ax-throwing corporate parties.

“A lot of these cities that we’re in all have a strong tech presence,” Zelaya said. “This is bowling 2.0. This is the cool hip thing people want to do.”

He said Bad Axe scouted the spot on the northeast corner of Interstate 25 and Interstate 270 for its access to downtown and proximity to other entertainment nearby, such as Unser Karting and Events.

“It’s a five- to 10-minute drive from the Pepsi Center or Coors Field,” he said. “That area in part has a lot of highway access. We’re a destination type of business.”

Zelaya grew up throwing axes in Canada. In 2014, he opened the first Bad Axe Throwing with his brother-in-law in Burlington, Ontario. The company has expanded to 11 locations, including two stateside – in Chicago and Indianapolis.

Zelaya is funding the growth with capital from his previous business, marketing agency Majestic Media. He said Bad Axe is in the black, but declined to share revenue numbers.

Drop-in customers can visit Bad Axe for $20 per hour, but the company’s bread and butter is group events that cost $44 per person. Zelaya said he’s seen ax-throwing bachelorette bashes, corporate teambuilding events and even divorce parties come through the venue’s doors.

Sessions start with a coach explaining safety and throwing techniques. Players then throw 2-pound axes at a wooden target from 12 to 15 feet away, playing a few team-based games and then a group tournament.

Although Bad Axe does not serve food or alcohol, groups are allowed to bring grub and beer while they play.

Zelaya is planning for no more than 10 targets at his new Denver facility, each of which can accommodate eight to 12 people. About seven employees will help run the new facility.

Bad Axe also founded the World Axe Throwing League, the self-described global governing body of ax throwing. Zelaya said the league now has 23 member leagues in the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Ireland.

In addition to Denver, Zelaya is bringing ax throwing venues to Atlanta, Oklahoma and Washington. By the end of the year, he hopes to have seven or eight locations in the U.S.

I learned how to throw axes in Atlanta, and here’s what happened

Until this week, I was in the dark about urban axe throwing.

I didn’t know it was a thing, much less a legitimate sport with global tournaments, standardized rules and even its own holiday — International Axe Throwing Day on June 13. But then I found out about Bad Axe Throwing, a Canadian-based company that teaches people how to throw axes.

I learned not only does that exist, but the company was opening a facility here in Atlanta. Days after this new information entered my brain, I pulled up to an unassuming warehouse on the Westside for my session with Chief Axe Thrower Nick Jahr (last name pronounced “like a pirate,” he said helpfully).

Jahr, in town for the opening from the Indiannapolis location, showed me around the refreshingly barebones facility. No sleek bells and whistles, no flatscreens vying for your attention; just four lanes comprised of wood target boards between chainlink fences, a couple of couches and quirky graffiti-style murals on the walls. Unique to Atlanta, there’s also a designated practice lane for those who aren’t quite nailing it right away. (“Those” such as myself, as we’ll see.)

The concept of throwing a wood-chopping tool at something with an Instagram icon spraypainted on it could be considered hipster fodder, and Jahr, with ear gauges, arm tattoos and a relaxed smile, doesn’t look out of place. I followed him to a lane and learned how to grip the axe, position my feet and hold the blade just so behind my head.

Jahr expertly demonstrated what a throw should look like upon release, the axe completing one full rotation before it sticks somewhere in the circular target with a loud, reverbarating thud. He makes it look easy.

I tried to mimic him, but my weapon spinned lazily through space before hitting the wall and clanging to the floor.

My instructor was unfazed, enthusiatically encouraging me that it was a great throw — If only I’d [insert advice here], it would’ve hit. This process repeated itself many times over the lesson, with him adjusting his tips as I got closer or farther from hitting my mark. Tips such as:

-Let go of the handle earlier.

-Let go of the handle later.

-If you can see either side of the blade when you hold it in front of your face, it’s not straight.

-Try a couple throws with a small hatchet to shake things up.

-Lean forward less.

-Put some power behind it. Like you’re throwing an axe.

-Don’t overanalyze everything I’ve just told you.

Erica Hernandez

MORE: I tried 'indoor skydiving' at iFLY in Cobb, and lived to tell about it

Okay.

I missed what felt like a couple dozen attempts.

But then... I nailed one.

And it quite irrationally felt like I’d just — I don’t know — defeated the apocolypse or something.

Jahr believes one of the reasons people are into the activity is because it’s a good stress reliever. He is not wrong.

That feeling is presumably what CEO Mario Zelaya was after when he founded the company in 2014. The stated mission is to “bring the thrill of a traditional Canadian backyard pastime to urban communities.” Those communities include cities in Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Oklahoma, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and now 1356 English St., Atlanta.

Bad Axe Throwing also spearheaded the creation of the World Axe Throwing League, a professional associaton companies can join to legitimize “their axe throwing business with the global standards of the sport.”

The business model is intended for group gatherings. In Atlanta, the cost is $35 per person for group bookings, or $30 per person if the group is larger than 35 people. Individual walk-ins will pay $20 per hour.

But you can try it and book Axe Throwing Toronto.

And don’t worry if you don’t land your throws at first. Despite my pretty pathetic first-time performance, I plan to come back, keep practicing and be able to throw two axes at once in no time.

Don’t Axe, Don’t Tell: Bad Axe Throwing Lands a Bullseye

The art of axe-throwing isn't hard to master.

“You put one foot in front of the other and hold your axe straight, point your axe to the ceiling, lead with your axe, and move forward so all the rotation is coming from your shoulders,” says Amanda Falikowski, operations manager for Bad-Axe Throwing San Francisco.

That’s essentially the art of hurling an axe at a wall-mounted target — and after the fourth or fifth throw, one finds oneself loosening up and one’s anxiety draining out of the tension vortex between one’s shoulder blades.

This SF Weekly numbskull was the first civilian to test out Bad Axe-Throwing’s new facility — which is actually in Daly City, not S.F. proper, and accessible only via the Silver Dragon Kung Fu studio — just before its open house in early July. (Bad Axe-Throwing formally opens to the public on Friday, Aug. 18.) It’s a high-ceilinged room, almost warehouse-like in its proportions, from which you can hear the kids learning martial arts. There are eight throwing lanes and some graffiti that evokes the tough-guy image of a lumberjack felling timber in the frozen north.

And indeed, Bad Axe-Throwing hails from Canada. Falikowski, who arrived the week before from Indianapolis and who will spend only a few weeks in California before moving on to open the next outpost in Oklahoma City, was not informed about Daly City’s summer climate. This resulted in an amusing situation: a Canadian in a line of work that isn’t for the faint of heart complaining (good-naturedly) about the chill.

“No one told me it was cold,” she says. “I thought it would be nice weather, and I’ve been wearing layers.”

While she’s intrigued by Oklahoma for the novelty factor — “When would I ever go to Oklahoma, ever?” — she’s quickly grown acclimated to the Bay Area after a sunrise hike through Muir Woods, and “because I grew up on Full House.”

As for her profession, she essentially fell into it via Kijiji, the Canadian equivalent of Craigslist. Sick of her job, she stumbled around the listings until something stuck out.

“I just saw ‘axe-throwing coach,’ and I thought, ‘That sounds dope, I should do that.’ So I just applied.”

Falikowski became what Bad-Axe Throwing calls a “host” before moving up to management, establishing new locations and hiring four or five hosts to run them, then moving on to the next. She’s a good coach, too, correcting newbies’ poor technique without getting up in their faces.

Since an axe rotates in the air before landing in the target, the trick is to find your sweet spot in terms of distance from the wall. Too close or too far, and it will strike the wood at an inhospitable moment in its rotation and clatter to the floor. Another important element is follow-through. If you don’t throw the axe in one smooth motion, your hands can end up above your head, empty.

“I call that ‘jazz hands,’ “ Falikowski says. “And there’s no jazz hands in axe-throwing.”

We move onto littler axes, which are considerably harder to control. You have to put your dominant foot forward and karate-chop it away — and apparently, a frustrated stubbornness on the part of the thrower is not always a virtue. Then it’s time for double-throwing: a parallel motion with both arms over the head. One’s first bullseye is a lot of fun, no question.

Axe-throwing also happens to be pretty generous with the scoring. The sunken blade only has to touch one of the concentric circles ringing the target for you to get the points; you don’t need to get the axe fully within it. And, as in Skee-Ball, you can get a higher score by hitting one of two blue circles above and to the side of bullseye: 10 points, rather than six.

Therapeutic though it is, axe-throwing is also a sport. There are seasonal leagues, each eight weeks long and costing $15 per week overall. The winter leagues are busiest, Falikowski says.

“Everyone, every week, has to do 40 throws in four sets of 10,” she says. “It’s like a mini-game, so you play against someone different all four times, and we determine the wins and losses,” leading to a round-robin tournament as the finale.

“It’s 30 or 40 people,” she adds, “and at the end, we crown the ‘Axe Master.’ They get this big-ass axe engraved with “Bad Axe Champion.”

You definitely want to be a total Bad Axe.

This being Northern California, serving alcohol in such an environment is a no-go. (Elsewhere, many other locations are B.Y.O.B., Falikowski says.) If your first thought is that drinking and throwing sharp weapons around is a recipe for catastrophe, keep in mind that the axe blades aren’t very sharp.

“You’re not cutting a tomato,” Falikowski says. “You’re not going to cut off a limb. You’d pretty much have to hack it. And we don’t have any double-sided axes.”

Turning serious, she emphasizes that axe-throwing is “safe, safe, safe” — and there’s a first-aid kit on-site besides. (Of course, it might be prudent to weed out any homicidal maniacs from your social circle before joining an axe-throwing league with your buds.)

In the end, this unathletic schlub with little upper-body strength got one dead-on bullseye and a few that counted but still felt like technicalities. Throwing started to feel a little easier toward the end, but then again, I was alone with a helpful professional, not surrounded by teammates teasing one another. Falikowski says the atmosphere of competitive play is a bit tougher.

“You have to throw in front of groups of people you don’t know,” she says. “It’s very stressful. In Indianapolis, I had to do probably about 11 news interviews — even live TV. So I had to get those.”

Bad Axe Throwing, opens Friday, Aug. 18, 30 Hill St., Daly City, 888-435-0001 or badaxethrowing.com

Also please visit Axe Throwing Toronto

Background of Bad Axe Throwing

Being bad never felt so good at Bad Axe Throwing (BATL), the world’s largest urban axe throwing club. With a mission to transform a traditional pastime into a thrilling activity that can be enjoyed to celebrate any occasion, the club has also revolutionized how North Americans spend a typical night out. It’s about good old fashioned entertainment from almost a century ago, brought back to life--only with a contemporary spin that people of all ages and skill can enjoy. From talented coaches trained in the sport as well as how to deliver the ultimate fun-filled experience, to skilled staff able to support with event coordination, BAT consistently provides incredible customer service across the board. The club offers a diverse range of experiences, including axe throwing leagues in which players participate in regional tournaments, private parties, corporate events and walk-in specials throughout the week.

BAT Founder Mario Zelaya saw the potential of the popular sport while playing it in his own backyard and quickly acted to bring it to the masses, opening the first official BAT location in 2014 in Burlington, Canada. Soon after, Zelaya and Managing Director Jesse Gutzman started looking at other venues and began their domination of the urban axe throwing scene across Canada and the U.S. Now, the club has expanded with 16 locations, including Toronto, Ottawa, Kitchener, Edmonton, Surrey, Winnipeg, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Indianapolis, Oklahoma, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Expansion will continue as BAT scouts new cities with a growing axe throwing culture and desire to shake up the entertainment district.

Axe throwing toronto

#bad axe throwing #axe throwing

It all started from Canadians having fun in their yards. But we brought it out of the backyards and into a new urban environment. Now, we’ve brought it to Atlanta!…

Axe throwing atlanta

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Bad Axe Throwing shows us how to draw targets that meet the World Axe Throwing League standard.

World Axe Throwing League (WATL)

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The NINjournalist travels to the bad axe throwing opening. Visit one of our branches.

Urban Axe Throwing

Good is overrated. Bad is where it’s at. When you’re looking to amp up your average night out, go for the baddest with real cred. Bad Axe Throwing is the biggest urban axe throwing league in the world and continues to dominate the scene by bringing the traditional backyard pastime to the masses across North America. They’re taking this mission seriously and so far, have opened 16 locations in Canada and the U.S. since 2014, including Toronto, Edmonton, Surrey, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Atlanta.

At Bad Axe Throwing, you’ll not only find expert coaches and staff passionate about the sport of axe throwing, you’ll also discover that extra edge you’ve been craving. It’s the kind that can only be tamed by experiencing the adrenaline rush of whipping sharp blades at a wooden target. There’s no thrill like it and after one throw, you’ll be addicted. Luckily, no skills are required at Bad Axe Throwing--in fact, you can truly be bad and it won’t remotely affect the level of fun you’ll have. They'll teach you how to throw an axe safely and properly and test your technique by trying out a few axe throwing tricks. Step up your game further by competing in the championship tournament or continue to feed your appetite for unlimited throws by becoming a member of the World Axe Throwing League.

Turn your next celebration or night out into an unforgettable one. From birthday parties and corporate events to bachelor and bachelorette groups, there’s no better rush than throwing a Bad Axe blade.

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