Axe Throwing

Knives, axes, guns, swords and weapons in general.  These are the things that attract young boys’ attention, particularly in Montana. The challenge for parents is catering to these natural urges in a safe, positive and productive manner.

One place to satisfy that good old-fashioned axe throwing impulse is an indoor axe throwing facility located in Missoula called Lumberjaxe Throwing Company. Opened in early 2019, the place offers 8 throwing lanes and skilled coaches if you’re brand new to axe throwing. Although primarily an activity catered to adults (16 and over) due to the inherent danger in this type of activity, Sundays are considered family day open to all ages. Standard precautions and extra coaching is usually in place on Sundays to ensure a safe and healthy family environment.

Me and the boys first visited Lumberjaxe in December 2019 not sure what to expect. Oh the kids had extensive experienced throwing hatchets and knifes and shooting arrows in our backyard, but indoor targets were a different ballgame. The selection of axes is what first got their attention. These ranged from short blades, long blades, metal handles, or wood handles. After finding their natural fit and preferences, the slinging began. The axe blades themselves are not particularly sharp, it’s the momentum and rotation that makes an effective throw.

The throwing objective is a wood dartboard style round target with the numbers 1 through 4 and 2 blue dots worth extra points. The helpful staff can explain various games or objectives, but at this early stage, the goal was simply to make the axe blade stick in the wood. After a few minutes of practice throws and experimentation with the various axe choices, the games commenced.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprising, the kids picked it up a little quicker than the adult in the room. After rotating two-man teams with different games, I became the last pick of choice. Although I pulled it together to hit two blue dots towards the end of our session.

As the weather gets colder and indoor activities are sought out by active parents, axe throwing in a safe environment with expert coaching might be a great choice this winter.

For more information on Lumberjaxe Throwing Company, go here. A wide variety of axes for personal use can be purchased at Bob Wards.