Axe throwing is still a relatively new sport but appears to be evolving at a rapid pace. What started as hatchets outside a bar room now includes hundreds of venues that cater to duals, knives and big axes. There are many directions that the sport can expand into including age groups, skill levels, state championships or perhaps team competitions. In this article I hope to explore some of those possibilities.
Age Groups - There are several participation sports that break their competitors down into age groups for the sake of fairness. In many cases you don't want to pit a 50 year old athlete against a 25 year old, this could be very one sided in sports like Crossfit or god forbid MMA. Having said that, Axe Throwing is a different animal. It is less athletic and more psychological relying on accuracy, precision and tactics. After all, I'm a 51 year old man who has no problem beating people half my age. In some ways age can be a benefit to throwers in that it requires the patience and focus of a more mature mind.
Since throwing does not need age groups it might someday want them for the sake of fun. How cool would it be to have a Teen World Axe Throwing Champion? Or a category for older throwers like that envisioned by SWATL, the Senior World Axe Throwing League. Athletes often congregate with people of their own generation, that's one reason that age groups are popular in sports like running and mountain biking. For right now there are too few throwers for this idea but if the sport continues to grow it might become a thing.
Skill Levels - RelAxe Throwing in Manchester, New Hampshire posted a couple tournaments based on skill level. They measured the levels using your average score in the last season's league. If you averaged 40 points or below then you are a Beginner, Between 40.1 to 46.9 is Intermediate and I'm assuming above 46.9 would be Expert. We already define the Professional level as someone who uses the 15 foot rule (A rule that many people dislike, including me). So maybe a Professional average would be 53. and above.
Currently WATL defines only two categories Amateur and Advanced but skills levels are a little different. In many sports skill levels are used to categorize athletes but in Axe Throwing it would more likely be used to help throwers judge their own progress. We kinda already do this so why not make it official?
State Championships - In my opinion this is a no brainer. I have competed in State Championships in three different sports and those were always the most widely attended events of the year. There is an allure to becoming a Champion even if only on the State level. There are many reasons that people would never attend or compete in a World Championship even if they qualified. Those reasons are mostly about money, travel or personal responsibilities. However, a State Championship is a much more attainable goal.
State Championships for Axe Throwing would be easy to run because it is a one day event that happens once a year for those who have qualified some basic standard. The location could rotate between venues within the state and the top prize could be an entry into the Pro/Am or Worlds but mostly it's the bragging rights. You go from representing not only yourself and your venue but now you represent an entire state.
Team Competitions - During League the Week 8 tournament is for individuals to show off their skills but the first seven weeks need a little razzle dazzle. I get that we already have duals but I'm thinking about something simpler. Just imagine that you are attending a league but you get to pick a partner or three and declare your team name. Throughout the league season your scores are added together and pitted against other teams of equal size. Each season one team would walk away as the winners.
There are so many benefits to this type of team competition. First, it encourages individuals to work together and cheer for each other. Second, the league scores would suddenly be more meaningful for recreational players who normally wouldn't care where they landed at the end of season. Third, Throwers would start to build their teams, take pride in their tribe and recruit talented players in hopes of creating a throwing dynasty for the ages! Ahem, sorry I got a little excited. But that's the point, team sports are often more exciting than individual sports and thus attract a larger crowd.
Will any of these ideas be adopted? I have no idea. I'm just some really handsome dude who writes stuff on the internet. However if you like any of these ideas, share this article and spread the word. This is a great sport but we can make it even better. See you on the circuit. - Alex "TaskMaster" Hutchinson
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