axe throwing

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

#621: Bad Axes

GETTING MORE TALE #621: Bad Axes

Ever have extracurricular activities at work?  Do you enjoy them?

We had very, very little at the Record Store.  In 1995, the mall had a bowling tournament.  Different stores faced off against each other.  The Record Store had to take on the ladies from A Buck Or Two, a bargain shop.  We had a lot of fun, and I cannot recall who won, which means we probably lost.

We did have annual Christmas parties at the Record Store, and for a while we even had summer parties.  There was nothing else though that would have qualified as an extracurricular activity, unless you count endless staff meetings.  I know some places have team building events, like going to an “escape room”.  That sounds like fun, unless you don’t like your co-workers.

The best work event I had the pleasure to attend was Jan 31 2009, right after Jen and I married.  I received four passes to go see the Toronto Maple Leafs from a private box.  My boss and I went, and of course I had to bring Jen.  It was fantastic!  So much food:  nachos, chips, prime rib, chicken, sushi, ribs, wings, everything!  On top of this, it was Dougie Gilmour night, and they raised his number 93 to the rafters.  I didn’t even know who Doug Gilmour was.  But the Leafs beat the Penguins and Sidney Crosby.  Good thing; the rest of the season sucked!

Our work is doing a team building event this Friday, which unfortunately conflicts with Star Wars, but that’s life right?  We all voted, and for our event we are going axe throwing!  How metal is that?  Fortunately I do like all my co-workers, so I’m not worried about any errant axes headed my way.  The establishment is called Bad Axe Throwing.  By that I hope they mean I’ll be like a bad ass, not that I will be throwing axes badly.

Knowing my teammates, we’ll be laughing as much as throwing.  I’m looking forward to it, though the timing is shitty.  This will be the first Star Wars Saga* opening that I’ve missed since Return of the Jedi.  No big deal; it’s only a movie and I’ll see it soon enough.

Axe throwing is just so metal!  With that in mind, here are five awesome tracks involving axes.

1. KISS – “I Love it Loud”, because of Gene’s axe bass.

2. KICK AXE – “On the Road to Rock”, because they have axe in their name.

3. PINK FLOYD – “Careful With that Axe, Eugene”.  Not metal, but good advice.

4. HELIX – “Axe to Grind”, from my home town!

5. THE SWORD – “How Heavy this Axe”. Really fuckin’ heavy!