THE ALLURE OF AXE-THROWING
Unlikely trend a popular diversion
If you imagined a burly lumberjack type as the face of Bad Axe Throwing, think again.
Kayla Henry is a petite and personable 20-year-old with dreams of being an actress. Oh, and she also throws a mean axe.
Not that the Dawson College theatre-program graduate had ever done it before applying for the job when Bad Axe advertised the position ahead of its expansion into Montreal last summer.
“I got the hang of it really fast. Now, I really like it. It’s addictive,” said Henry, whose sister Jodee will soon be joining her at the business.
Henry serves as a combination of host, coach, cheerleader and supervisor for those who arrive at Bad Axe’s east-end location on Couture Blvd. looking to test their skill at one of Montreal’s most unlikely new diversions.
Already, there are three axethrowing establishments on the island, all of which have sprung up in the past year. It’s been available for years in Toronto, Western Canada and other parts of the world, but only recently took flight here.
Dominique Jégu, a former computer business operator who opened Maniax in St-Léonard in February, said his original plan was to start a centre for the genteel sport of dart-throwing, but “once you’ve thrown an axe, you won’t go back to darts. It’s so much more fun ... the noise, the power. Even going back to pick up the axe is fun.”
Alex Karpov, who has two escaperoom centres on the island, opened his axe-throwing emporium Rage on Amherst St. near Ste-Catherine St. with two partners in March. He called it “a unique activity, super fun. It’s a distraction for some, but others treat it like a sport. There actually is a national federation, and we’ll be starting a league here this month.”
While it may look simple and straightforward, it isn’t. Technique, rhythm and coordination are all required to hit the wood target with any consistency from a distance of three to four metres.
“About 10 per cent get it with their first shot. They figure it’s easy. And then they miss with the next shot. Overthinking it is common,” Henry said.
“I’ve never had anyone here who hasn’t stuck at least one axe in the board,” she said cheerfully (hopefully?) during a recent visit where I brought the bad to Bad Axe, burying exactly two hatchets in about an hour of steady throwing. My 25-year-old daughter found the groove much sooner, however, and by the end of the visit was talking about joining a league.
“I’ve had 70-year-olds come and they can do it,” Jégu said.
Henry said axe-throwing has become a popular outing for bachelor and bachelorette parties. “What’s not exciting about going out and throwing axes before you get married?”
Karpov said companies use it as a team-building activity. Ubisoft, Motorola and Hydro-Québec are among those who have booked at Rage. He’s also taken it on the road to outdoor events in and around Montreal.
Fees vary with the company and the type of activity. During walkin periods, you can pay as little as about $15 an hour per person. For corporate events and parties, it can get up to almost $50 per person for up to three hours of throwing.
“It’s cheaper than bowling and you don’t need to rent or bring any other equipment,” said Mélanie St. Amour, media liaison for Bad Axe, which started in Burlington, Ont., in 2014 and now has operations in 11 Canadian and U.S. cities.