Hatchet in Hand: Building a Community of New Throwers

Sumner Blackburn, Alex Hutchinson and Owner Faris Ojjeh

I love competition but it can weigh on you sometimes. Throwing in the World Axe Throwing League is one of the great thrills of my life and yet once in a while you just want to share your sport with some chill people who do it just for amusement. That opportunity came when I was visiting an axe throwing venue in Middleboro, Massachusetts called Hatchet in Hand. 

HIH is owned and run by Faris Ojjeh and Jake Chartier, both of which I met at practice. Sumner Blackburn (Pictured above) is a former IATF thrower who works there on Sundays. Faris is very affable and animated. He loves talking about throwing with his friends. He invited Iris and myself to compete in their winter league. There were limited spots but he managed to squeeze us in.

As promised the league was all about fun. Everyone was getting drinks at the mini-tiki bar, watching hockey on the big screen and just having a good time. Beside the throwing, they were also playing Foosball, Cornhole and extra large Connect Four. Some of the players grew up together and knew each other well but were very welcoming to us newcomers. There were no competitive nerves, no jealousy, just a party among friends.

The league itself consists of six weeks of play and play is the operative word. Bury your axe head in the bullseye you get six points, if it is partially outside the bull, you get five and so on. Some people throw nothing but killshots and rebuttals in a wild hit or miss frenzy of 8's and 0's. This makes matches dramatically close and really entertaining to watch. Each player is handed a score sheet to record the matches. Everyone completes 16 matches and then enters an elimination tournament. 

I have always loved the town of Middleboro. I lived here for seven years back in the 1990's. My parents had a house on Center Ave and an apartment on School Street. I lived in a tiny studio above Lindo's pizza shop. I graduated from Middleboro Evening School and attended the Unitarian Universalist Church. It was here that I filmed a Cable Access Comedy Show and a couple Independent low budget movies with my brothers. I wrote my first books here and sold them at Maria's Hallmark shop. I have so many great memories of this town and thanks to this league I was able to add a few more.

Middleboro has a lot of beautiful parks and sports fields but was often short of indoor spaces to hang out. Hatchet in Hand provides the perfect combination of group entertainment and event participation. The atmosphere is what really makes this place special. Built inside what used to be Benny's department store, the interior is large enough for gatherings but intimate enough for a date night. The rustic western decor takes you out of Massachusetts and into another world. When facing dark, cold New England winters what more could you ask for than a local retreat that feels like an escape.

Hatchet in Hand is located on the downtown strip. It is walking distance from breweries, pizzerias, antique stores and a coffee shop. Faris says that the weekend traffic alone is enough to keep the business going. They rent the place out for private parties and host line dancing events but the real fun is getting new walk-ins to give it a try.

"Almost none of these people had ever thrown a hatchet before they came here," Faris proudly explains. They are building a community of throwers from the ground up. In an economic atmosphere where many axe venues are struggling it was a relief to see that new ones like this are keeping hope alive.

If you are in the area, give them a visit:

Hatchet in Hand