World axe throwing championships on target for August in Barrington
The venue has been decided, competitors will soon be starting to register, and volunteers and sponsoring partners are being sought as the countdown begins for the World Double-bit Axe Throwing Championships being hosted in the Municipality of Barrington Aug. 26-28 by the Nova Lumberjacks Society.
“The planning has been going good,” says Ryan McIntyre, chairman of the World Championships organizing committee and Vice President and Founder of the Nova Lumberjacks Society.
“We formed the committee back in the fall of 2020 and involved local residents from the Barrington area, the South Shore and axe throwers from the Halifax area," McIntyre says. "We've all been pretty involved in the organizing for the past year and half, putting all the pieces together to bring the event to fruition. We're in good shape."
The world championship tournament was initially scheduled for 2021 but due to COVID restrictions the decision was made to delay the competition by one year.
“We feel pretty confident that by this August people will be free to travel,” says McIntyre. “The Europeans are really big into axe throwing. It's huge over there and they hosted the past (two) world championships. This is the first time it's been hosted in Canada so it's a pretty big honour for us."
"We're taking it very seriously," McIntyre adds. "They are keen to get over here and compete. That's one of the reasons we delayed a year.”
At least 150 competitors representing as many as 10 countries are expected to compete in the men's, women's, youth and team divisions. To make the event accessible to as many international athletes travelling to Canada as possible, all residents of the Maritime provinces must pre-qualify for the 2022 World Championships.
Maritime qualifiers will be held in May and June in Moncton, Dartmouth and Barrington with 36 spots (18 men and 18 women) in the world championships up for grabs for axe throwers who are residents of the Maritime provinces.
While axe throwing has always been one of the events at the World Championships for Lumberjack Sports in
Hayward, Wisconsin, it's not as focused or as highlighted a competition as the World Double-bit Axe Throwing Championships, says professional lumberjack Darren Hudson of Barrington, who has competed at both.
“This is a three-day competition really to iron out who is the best axe thrower in the world. At the World Championships for Lumberjack Sports, axe throwing was quick. You threw three times. The top guys throw off," he says. "It wasn't a good measure of what it takes to be world champion under the pressure of being up against the best in the world through multiple qualifiers and elimination rounds to iron out who has the nerves of steel to stand on the podium, top spot. It's a way bigger deal this time around.”
Competing in Europe, Hudson says the people were great and very supportive – an inclusive community that really wanted to show they have a passion for the sport of axe throwing. “Everybody shares that common bond. Everybody immediately gets the feeling we're a part of something here. It's really exhilarating.”
McIntyre says organizers have partnered with a film production company who are going to come and film the event and then produce three television events which will air on TSN later this fall.
“It was a lot of work to build that relationship with TSN,” McIntyre says.
Three, half-hour episodes will be produced from the competition – an episode on the teams' world championship, one on the women's world championship and the third on the men's world championship, with the youth world championship feathered throughout those three episodes.
“It's very exciting. It's going to be a big event, arguably the biggest axe throwing contest in the world with $30,000 in prize money on the line. It's just a big deal," says McIntyre.
The Sandy Wickens Memorial Arena on Sherose Island will be the venue for the competition. Tickets for spectators will go on sale this spring.
“By going indoors it offers us a few things,” says McIntyre. “We can set up in advance and get ready to go. Also for filming for television it makes a controlled setting for that. We don't have to worry about weather. It's perfect conditions for throwing, great conditions for viewing and great conditions for television filming. It's just a good spot.”
McIntyre says organizers are actively soliciting sponsoring partners.
“We've got some great partners on board. We're looking especially on the television side of things at providing direct tv advertising with really good viewership,” adding anyone interested can reach out to them.
The Nova Lumberjack Society has hosted the Canadian Axe Throwing Championships twice in Liverpool and the Nova Scotia Lumberjack Championships four times, including three times in Barrington.
“The other events are what gave the axe-throwing community the confidence that we could host this event,” says McIntyre. “I'm so glad they laid the groundwork to show we can host this big event. It's a pretty big honour.”
At least 50 volunteers are going to be needed to help in various aspects of the world championships, from set up and tear down, to the banquet and actual competition.
“We've had some really good uptake,” he says. “Almost 40 people have signed up already. I don't think we'll have any trouble getting volunteers."
"It's awesome to see the community just jump at this and want to be part of it," he adds. "It's great to be able to do such a big event as this in a small community. It's not often an event like this, a world championship, is held in a small rural community in Nova Scotia.”
Hudson is looking forward to welcoming the world's best axe throwers to his hometown.
“It means a lot to me. My whole life I traveled the world competing at lumberjack sporting events and met so many incredible people who have been absolutely wonderful to me. I was learning from the best in the world as I traveled. Now I have the opportunity to return the favour and be a host in Barrington.”
The World Double-bit Axe Throwing Championships were first held in Munster (Hessen), Germany in 2017, and in Hallefors, Sweden in 2019.
Further information on the 2022 championships is available online at www.novalumberjacks.com.