Until recently, modern-day fans of the ancient sport of axe throwing had to attend a niche competitive event, hit up a renaissance festival or buy their own gear and set up shop in their own backyards to get their fill. While the practice itself predates medieval times, you couldn’t exactly wander down to the local strip mall to bury the hatchet.

That’s changing, however. Axe throwing is emerging as one of the hippest and most entertaining new pastimes, with venues popping up across the nation. Some sport leagues, some craft beer and/or food, and some just offer a chance to sink a throwing axe into a target, but all provide a thrill unavailable most anywhere else.

“After they throw one or two times, you can see the enjoyment coming over their faces,” says Scott Brewster, Vice President of sales and marketing for Huntsville, Alabama-based Civil Axe Throwing. “And when they stick that first axe, the jubilation you see on their face—they’re hooked.”

Civil Axe Throwing
1517 E. 9th Ave., Ybor City
civilaxethrowing.com
info@civilaxethrowing.com

Founded in 2017, Civil Axe Throwing has become one of the biggest names in recreational axe throwing in the Southeast. With more than a dozen locations scattered around Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, the company has become synonymous with a clean, contemporary and safe axe-throwing experience. The brand has at least five more locations slated for the near future, with one of the first coming to our own Ybor City—Civil Axe is hoping to have its first Florida venue open at 1517 E. 9th Avenue in the next few weeks.

“It’s one of these unique opportunities and we just love that area,” Brewster says. “It’s a great fit for us, to come in and add to the great restaurants and bars, everything that’s going on down there.”

Brewster says the Ybor City location will initially open with just its axe lanes; beer and wine is planned to follow soon after, but in the meantime, patrons can bring their own. Civil Axe is also dedicated to the idea of community, and is looking forward to working with neighborhood restaurants and breweries to provide the best possible experience all around.

If the thought of combining alcohol and axe throwing gives some pause, it’s important to know that Civil Axe Throwing has a spotless safety record. The company’s “axeperts” offer tips and training at the beginning of every session, then keep a close eye on the proceedings while still allowing everyone the opportunity to enjoy their time at Civil Axe. 

“It comes down to, we’ve just got a great team in place at the store level that do such a great job of training and supervising that we’ve got a good eye on everything,” says Brewster. “They’ve truly done an amazing job.”

Plus, Brewster adds, “People will find it’s a workout. You will get tired, you will break a sweat. So you kind of burn off that kind of energy.”

So what’s the average axe thrower like? Brewster says their clientele varies extremely widely, from bachelorette parties and company team-building outings to singles and families ranging from the minimum age of 14 up to a few in their 90s. Civil Axe makes accommodations for everyone—the venue is wheelchair-friendly, and the charitable work the company does with a number of nonprofits also helps attract customers of all stripes.

“We can work with any level of ability, no matter what age, gender,” he says. “It’s funny, we actually skew a little more female than male.”

Civil Axe is extremely excited to be on the cutting edge of bringing this new recreational trend to Ybor. As the sport itself continues to explode and more and more people are exposed to it via word of mouth and even televised competitions and other events, Brewster and company are happy to be spreading the excitement in a fun, safe and unforgettable way.

“It’s growing like wildfire,” he says. “And we want to craft a great experience for every single customer that comes in.”

For more information about Civil Axe Throwing, visit civilaxethrowing.com.

This article appears in Feb 20-27, 2020.