Episode #183 — The World Axe Throwing League

So apparently this past week was a very big sports week. The Olympics are happening as we type, and there was some sort of big game on the 13^th that a lot of people tuned in to watch. For the halftime show. Or as an excuse to eat wings. This blogger isn’t sure which teams played, but she does know that a trailer for Jordan Peele’s latest movie was shown during the commercials. And that’s seriously exciting. Also, the Puppy Bowl happened (three cheers for Mr. Tinkles!), so there was a lot to choose from when deciding what to watch this weekend. “Inventing Anna,” “Pam and Tommy,” “The Gilded Age,” a new J-Lo movie … truly we are in a golden era of television. What further evidence do you need beyond “The Golden Palace” now being available on Hulu?

As for the Olympics, we can’t discuss too much about them because Heidi hasn’t been watching. Now, there are a lot of reasons why people may choose to watch — or not watch — the Olympics this year. But Heidi’s reasoning falls under a strict ban on watching people’s hopes and dreams get crushed. At least the hopes and dreams of people competing on television — we’re not sure of her stance on those of her co-host.

In the spirit of this sporty time, we spoke with Hayden Brown and Lucas Johnson for this week’s episode about what may be our new favorite athletic endeavor: axe throwing. These gentlemen are the dual champions from the World Axe Throwing Championship, and those of you who have seen them on ESPN in competition already know how good they are. For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, prepare to Google local places to throw axes after listening to the podcast. And finally, for those of you reading this who are looking for axe-related puns, Luke has that covered in the interview. We don’t need to rehash it here!

First things first: Hayden and Lucas explained to us what, exactly, axe throwing entails. We got into it: basic hardware store axes versus more expensive versions; handle grips; body positioning; what types of athleticism are involved; whether flannel shirts are a requirement. Okay, maybe not that last one, but we feel it’s probably not a hard and fast rule that the contestants wear them. We’re guessing they must wear at least some type of shirt, though — bare-chested axe throwing might not be the best idea (no matter the thrower’s gender identity). Then again, is a little piece of cotton going to protect your chest from a hurtling axe? Have we just made up a new axe-wielding superhero with a magic flannel shirt that repels all attacks? If we yell “copyright!” really loudly, does that mean we now retain the rights to the character? So many questions …

Just how does one get into axe throwing? Enthusiasts and competitors come from all walks of life but considering Hayden and Lucas both have escape room work experience, we’re going to say that helps. And while we loved hearing about the logistics involved in the sport, we also loved hearing about how to pick a team name. Let’s just say you have more freedom to get punny or raunchy when you’re not competing on ESPN. (They might have more naming leeway if they moved to ESPN 8, “The Ocho.”)

Tune in to this week’s episode to hear how Hayden and Lucas went into their first and second World Axe Throwing Championships, and how a last-minute rule change left them mere minutes to change their approach to a championship match. If you’d like to know more about the sport of axe throwing and the World Axe Throwing League, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Lucas is on Instagram, or you can check out where the pros train at Murfreesboro Axe through their website, or on Instagram. Why not check out your local axe-throwing business for Valentine’s Day? Just don’t watch a certain Mike Myers/Nancy Travis movie afterward.