The Family that Throws Together....

Suzanne, Tim, Drew, me and TJ (missing Liz -- and Jakie!)

I wasn't really offended when my sister told me we were going axe throwing over the holidays but that it would probably be best if I just watched. After all, there was that time when I attempted to throw a softball and it landed about two feet in front of me. The mere mention of it makes my family convulse with peals of laughter. Given my clear athleticism -- and the dangers of a sharp-edged instrument -- I was content with the idea of being a bystander. Until, that is, I saw how much fun everyone was having.

Tim throwing two handed while TJ throws with one hand

Our adventure took place at the Axe Throwing Society in Pompano Beach. Two of TJ's friends joined us for the outing, rounding our group out to two teams of three so long as I stayed on the sidelines. We started off with an orientation, some training tips and a safety lecture from Kyle, our personal "axe-pert."

Two players throw at a time in an area contained on both sides by a chain link fence. There's a barrel with an assortment of axes to choose from and two targets. The most important rule: Don't collect your axe until the other person has thrown. It seems pretty self-evident, but the adrenalin can get the better of you sometimes. The second most important rule: If you're not throwing, stay out of harm's way behind the counter situated a few feet behind the competitors. And then there's the rule that visibly intoxicated people wouldn't be allowed to play. The lawyer in me was particularly happy to see that one.

One of Suzanne's early throws

You can throw one- or two-handed. Either way, you need to have your elbows up as if you were doing some tricep work with a weight.  If you elect to use both hands, you lean back a bit before you throw. It's an opportunity to engage your core. (My trainer would be proud.)

The objective in the first game was for a team to get exactly 50 points. I'm not sure how you score darts, but I suspect the systems are pretty similar. Your points increase the closer you get to the target, with the outermost circle being a one and the bullseye being a six. If you happen to hit one of those little blue circles, you get eight points. If your axe sticks outside the target or ends up on the ground (a not infrequent occurrence), you've left your team high and dry. If your team's score surpasses 50, it resets to 44. I have no idea why. Each player gets five throws per round from a distance of 12-15' from the target.

Bulls-eye!

In the second competition, the teams went up against each other in a game of hangman, with the phrase being "Bad Axe." You threw against an opposing team member, with each player getting three throws. The player with the higher of the two cumulative scores for the round got a letter. By the time this game was over, I was eager to join the fun.

I went up against Suzanne in another round of the 50 point contest. I was quite proud when four out of my first five throws stuck, and I actually got a bulls-eye. Beginner's luck at its finest. (Everyone in our group got at least one bulls-eye over the course of the two hours.) Just in case you're wondering about the odd number of people, our axe-pert joined my team to even things out since the others were now highly experienced throwers. He wasn't particularly good and mentioned several times that it was the first time he was throwing that day.

Last up was a take on some cricket game. The objective was for each team to hit a particular area three times; e.g., three throws hitting the outermost circle. This was clearly a game for more experienced throwers who actually have the ability to aim. Our time ran out well before either team completed this challenge.

It was definitely a fun and unusual way to spend an evening. And while I'm not going to become an axe-pert, I'll definitely do it again. After all, Axe and Bull is just around the corner....