There’s something exhilarating about holding an axe. The very particular weight, the smooth hickory, the oils left by countless hands. It’s part of who we are as a species, one of our most time-honored tools. Just think: the oldest known axe on record is from 49,000 years ago. That’s a lot of history.
The Backyard Axe-Throwing League, or BATL, started at little more recently, in 2006. Ten years later, they have axe-throwing halls in six cities across Canada. They’ve centered their business on enriching community and creating good, clean, old-fashioned good times. They embody all that mythic talk we spouted above. And now, they want to expand their community by adding a liquor license to the mix at all of their locations.
Which…well…Let’s have a look at what goes on at BATL.
It looks cool and manly and all that, but… Axe Bros, are you sure you want to add booze into the mix?
BATL cites their excellent standards and general safety at all of their facilities. And, no doubt, they know what they’re doing. Still, they seem to be tempting the ancient gods by combining hard liquor with axes flying across rooms.
Matt Wilson, BATL CEO, believes in his staff and their ability to reliably train would-be axe-throwers (and, apparently, grow beards). Generally, anyone wishing to throw an axe will get a 20-30 minute tutorial by staff members, then it’s off to the championship match! Admittedly, being able to teach someone to throw an axe in under 30 minutes is impressive. But have these guys tried teaching drunk people?
Wilson feels that being able to drink is the one thing missing from the whole experience. “We want people to leave with a smile, and we’re excited for the upcoming change. Axe-throwing can be quite cathartic.”
We believe you man, just be careful, please.
(Via thestar.com)
