Axes Granted: Stress-Reducing Ax-Throwing Arenas Coming To East Austin

EAST AUSTIN, TX — Apparently, throwing axes at wooden targets to relieve stress is a thing. And in East Austin, for those to whom that activity is appealing will soon have a place of their own to vent their frustrations in such fashion.

The wordplay titled Urban Axes is set to open by late August or early September at 812 Airport Blvd. featuring five ax-throwing arenas, according to Culture Map. It's an actual thing to be practiced there, called Indoor Competitive Axe Throwing popular in Canada. There's even on overseeing body dubbed the National Axe Throwing Federation.

What happens is that people throw 1 1/2-pound hatchets at wooden targets, with a coach nearby to keep score and make sure everyone plays safely. People team up in groups of eight to 20 for a 2 1/2-hour ax-throwing session at a cost of $35 per person, according to the report.

Think darts but on steroids.

"It's less about throwing axes and more about hanging out with people and having a good time ... with axes," general manager Earl Ball told Culture Map.

In that barometer of modernity pointing to a thing's actual existence, there's already a Facebook page showing ax-throwing aficionados partaking of this primal yet cathartic experience. From the Philadelphia flagship, owners are even taking applications for coaching/axepert positions at the future East Austin site.

"No axe throwing experience necessary!" operators write, striking fear in those among us still kind of afraid of the big knife resting in the kitchen with the rest of the cutlery (present company perhaps or perhaps not excluded). "Check out the ad and send in your resume if you think you've got the right stuff!'

Oh, and there's alcohol involved as the 7,000-square-foot facility will be a BYOB facility. Alcohol and axes. Let's just hope nobody ever has a real ax to grind! Right?

>>> Photo credit: Naval History & Heritage Command via Wikimedia Commons