REVIEW: Bad Axe Throwing, Kitchener Ontario

BAD AXE THROWING, 700 Strasburg, Kitchener Ontario

There are few things in life as basic and satisfying as the sound of an axe striking true.  Chopping wood was one of those fun chores at the cottage, but we never got to throw an axe.  Now, I have.

Axe throwing is, simply put:  fun!  It’s fun because it’s not something you get to do every day.  It’s a physical activity, but one that all types can participate in.  Thowing axes is a casual group activity that’s about as competitive as going out bowling.  At its core though, axe throwing gives you the thrill of hurling a sharp metal object at a target.

Here’s the thing.  I’ve watched enough seasons of The Walking Dead.  I know how handy this skill would be in case a zombie apocalypse.  Hell, they virtually did an entire episode about Rick Grimes’ axe.  Should the zombies come for us all, I will have an advantage over anyone who hasn’t gone axe throwing.  When the zombies rise, I’m heading over to Canadian Tire and stuffing as many axes as I can find into my belt.

Once waivers are signed and a few basic rules are gone over, you are free to start throwing.  There are throwing cages, set up for two throwers and two targets.  Our group had an instructor who showed us the basics.  I favoured a two-handed throw.  Others chose to throw single-handed, though with less accuracy.  It’s so easy!  Once you have your form, you can really get on a roll.

After everyone had warmed up, a game began.  We were to give insulting names to the other team, and it seems the best they could come up with were “Spice Girls” and “Charlie’s Angels”.  Needless to say, I was not involved in the name selection.

I was pleased to have thrown the winning axe in game #1.  We barely lost game #2, which involved a tricky target of a small blue dot.  To keep things fun, the instructor threw in a few twists.  Bonus points were given for the best “battle cry”.

Food and alcohol are welcome, but our pizza delivery guy got lost.  The Kitchener Bad Axe Throwing location is not easy to find.  Go to the Forest Glen plaza on Strasburg Road, but then you have to drive in behind the No Thrills.  Look for the wooden Bad Axe Throwing sign.  If you have your windows down, you’ll be able to hear it before you see it — that awesome sound of wood giving way to steel.

We had our group booked for three hours, and after we finished our second game we just took turns having fun.  Fun it was!  I would do this again.  At no time did I find it dangerous, and the instructors are always right there to help.  As my visit was organised as a work event, I did not see the final cost.  Give Bad Axe a call and check out their website.  They have locations in Canada and the Unites States.  Throw an axe and have a blast.

5/5 stars

20 comments

  6. We have friends in Listowel (and no, they’re not on Letterkenny) who have taken up this as a passtime. They love it. We got to throw an axe at a festival down at the beach here in town last summer, I got it first try (one-handed)! Even my son threw one, he thought it was cool like he was getting away with something he shouldn’t be doing… of course, if his mother had seen us, he would have been right!

    Like

    Reply

Rock a Reply