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'We had a blast': New axe-throwing trend targets P.E.I.

Pat Martel/CBC
Pat Martel/CBC

A cold beer and a sharp axe. Not really the combination you'd expect to find in a bar.

But the owners of Chuck Hatchets, a new axe-throwing lounge in Charlottetown, say safety is a priority.

"We have our enclosed throwing cage so the axes that don't stick, aren't going to hit anybody that's standing and watching," co-owner Ryan MacMillan said.

During each round of the competition, MacMillan sits outside the cage keeping score. But he's also keeping a sharp eye to make sure no one's drinking too much.

Safety first

"That's 100 per cent true," he said. "Anyone who seems intoxicated to the point of staggering or deemed not safe won't be allowed to participate."

Before entering the cage, MacMillan offers safety tips to players. "So only two people inside at a time," he cautioned.

Pat Martel/CBC
Pat Martel/CBC

"Make sure the door is fully shut. Make sure you're staying on your own sides and most importantly, make sure both people have thrown," before retreiving axes.

'A ton of fun'

MacMillan first encountered axe throwing with friends at a bar in Halifax. "We had a blast," he said.

"It was a ton of fun and we kept talking about it after the fact and more talk led to we should have something like that here."

Pat Martel/CBC
Pat Martel/CBC

So they built the chain link cage and bought a half-dozen axes. Since opening in December, most of the evenings are booked.

'I thought, "Uh, might be a little dangerous"'

The night CBC was there, a group of about 15 people were celebrating a birthday.

"When I first heard of it, I thought, 'Uh, might be a little dangerous,'" said participant Claire Woodhead.

"But now that I'm here and I see what's going on, it seems pretty good. It's safe."

Pat Martel/CBC
Pat Martel/CBC

It's also a new experience for Kathe Nissen from Charlottetown. "None of us have tried this before and we wanted to try something new and have some fun."

Throwing a one-kilogram axe toward a bull's-eye on a wooden board four metres away takes some practice.

'A bit of a rush'

"I thought I was going to be able to get it right off the bat," Nissen said. "But it takes a couple of times to figure out the weight of the axe and how to throw it properly and the strength behind it you need."

And when you hit the bull's-eye? "It was awesome. A bit of a rush," Woodhead said.

Pat Martel/CBC
Pat Martel/CBC

Nissen kept in mind that axes are potentially dangerous. "It's something you have to respect for sure. It's nothing you're going to mess around with."

Once the players got used to throwing the axes, the top players round off the night with a short tournament.

'I have all 10 fingers, so that's good'

The winner gets a photo holding the golden belt. Woodhead was not disappointed she was walking home without winning the belt. "We'll be back. Next time I'm taking the belt home."

For Kathe Nissen, it's all about the fun. "We had a ball. And I have all 10 fingers, so that's good."

Pat Martel/CBC
Pat Martel/CBC

The growing trend of throwing axes for fun continues on P.E.I. with the arrival of a new mobile axe-throwing unit.

Axes, Eh! has a trailer equipped with an outdoor cage to bring the party to your backyard.

"We live in rural P.E.I., so we are certainly used to travelling to get to our entertainment," co-owner Rebeccah White said.

She said arranging transportation and scheduling on an evening "was always a job."

"People love that they can have their party or event at their house," White said.

Submitted by Rebeccah White
Submitted by Rebeccah White

"We show up to their door saying, 'Lets throw some axes!'"

While the outdoor mobile unit might be a chilly experience at this time of year, there is one consolation — White's husband David is a paramedic.

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