I believe in the therapeutic benefits of chucking one potentially lethal thing at a wooden target, and soon you will too.
While there are, as of yet, only two places for axe-throwing in Memphis, the activity still dominated the Snapchat stories of people I vaguely know over the past year. I went, I then also put it on my Snapchat story, and the cycle continued.
To start, an instructor showed us how to throw both a two-handed axe and a single-handed one. It’s fun, it’s quick, and the gist is that essentially you step forward with the foot from your non-dominant side while you throw the axe. Normally I’m terrible at listening to instructions, and also terrible at anything related to physical activity, but I understood this! I got this! I even managed to get the axe in the center circle of the target! I really want to brag about it and this is a work-related way to do so!
For the sake of saving money I only actually threw axes at one axe-throwing location, Civil Axe, although it turns out that Axe & Rec is significantly cheaper. However, both have remarkably similar set-ups and their own unique merits. While Civil Axe is not a Memphis-based company, they had great instruction to start, well-placed fairy lights, and the Rec Room attached next-door for all your recreational desires. Highland Axe & Rec is a Memphis-based axe-throwing company and offers video games, beer, comfort food with fantastic new twists, and a consistent schedule of trivia nights as well.
For those of legal age, axe-throwing can be a lot more than just throwing axes. You can also have craft beer while doing so, or some intense-looking cocktails. Mostly, though, the advertising that comes with axe-throwing stresses the alcohol part. As we all know, potentially dangerous activities go best with inhibition-dampening substances.
Axe-throwing is not just for grizzled older men who drink whiskey, smoke cigarettes and probably own some kind of beard oil! I went with my sister, the throwing booth next to us was entirely older women with scarily precise aim, and the booth after that was a whole family.
Don’t let anything stop you. If this is for you, then go joyously forward and experience the wonders of axe-throwing. If this isn’t for you, still go joyously forward, maybe at least try it, and then go joyously away. Either way, you should unleash your beautiful, weathered inner lumberjack this autumn.
