Here’s Why Urban Axe Throwing Isn’t Just for the Lads

Axe throwing – sounds a bit Canadian lumberjack, right?

You hear ‘axe throwing’ and you imagine a load of lads trying to out-man each other with their brute strength, raw masculinity and hulking warrior-like spirit. It’s all just a bit much, isn’t it?

But that’s where we’re wrong. See, axe throwing isn’t (and definitely shouldn’t) just be for men – and Hatchet Harry’s are here to prove it. Bringing an activity that, admittedly, did originate among competing lumberjacks in the rolling woodland of Canada some years ago into the 21^st century, Hatchet Harry’s look at the sport for exactly what it is: a sport.

As with any activities that involve throwing sharp objects around, safety is obviously going to be a concern. We’ve tried axe throwing at Hatchet Harry’s ourselves here at HLN, so we can personally vouch for the stringent health and safety measures they uphold. Turns out, it’s almost impossible to hurt yourself here, (however off-target your aim!), and not a single patron of Hatchet Harry’s has ever left any of their venues injured to date.

Ok, we hear you argue, but there’s still a reason sports like this attract guys – isn’t this going to be like shot put but with axes? What if we’ve got the upper-arm strength of a kitten?! Relax, we say: turns out axe throwing is all about technique. It’s kinda like golf – most people think you pick up a club and whack the ball as hard as you can, whereas it’s actually all in the swing. The hatchets at Harry’s come in loads of different sizes – even 8-year-olds are doing it!

What’s Hatchet Harry’s all about?

Hatchet Harrys is about bringing the sport of axe throwing to the masses in a fun way. Many axe throwing providers in the UK go down the Viking/Medieval connections to axe throwing, whereas we approach it purely from a sporting point of view.

For us, Hatchet Harrys is all about bringing the sport into the 21st century and helping people see it as an exciting hobby that you can enjoy with friends, family and workmates, as well as a competitive sport.

What’s the likelihood of getting injured?!

There’s very little likelihood of getting injured at all. We’ve had literally thousands of people through the doors of our venues across the UK, and we’ve had no injuries whatsoever – to any of our customers. Nevertheless, we take health and safety incredibly seriously. Our customers are given a health and safety briefing upon arrival, then are guided on how to throw each technique they learn with an in-person demonstration by our instructors. All of our instructors are fully-qualified and remain on-hand to coach throughout the session as customers advance through the different throwing techniques we show them.

Our floors are covered with rubber mats that stop any slide-back of the axes, and the axes and the walls behind the targets are wooden instead of rubber to prevent bounce-back. We really couldn’t do any more to ensure the health and safety of our everyone at Hatchet Harrys, and our customers’ feedback (as well as their lack of injuries), reflect this.

Is the axe throwing league still going ahead?

Yes, the axe throwing league is something that’s coming soon. We were gearing up towards launching it before the first lockdown in March, 2020. We realised we had to put it on the backburner until we return to normal – but as soon as that happens, we want to introduce the league alongside our Hatchet Harry’s Memberships. The league will be free to enter for members, with a charge for non-members. So yes, it’s definitely a side to the sport which we’re really hoping to develop in the coming months.

What does the future look like for Hatchet Harry’s?

Incredibly bright, as far as we’re concerned. During the pandemic, we managed to bring another venue into the fold, which performed very well whilst open and able to trade. So we’re certainly optimistic about our future. There are plans in the pipeline to move one of our venues to a much larger premises, as well as plans to open venues in more locations across the UK. Those developments, coupled with our membership option, throwing league and maybe even something truly special that we can’t reveal yet, will cement axe throwing as a sport in the UK once and for all!

We can’t wait to find out what it is! If, like us, you want to be the first to know about any and every development where Hatchet Harry’s are concerned, visit their website, Facebook page or Instagram

Or, from Monday 17^th May, drop in and give axe throwing a go: Hatchet Harry’s, 18 Forth Banks, Newcastle NE1 3PG