HAVE you ever thrown an axe?
When the question was posed to me by Aaron Hocking, head of sales and marketing for axe-throwing venue MANIAX, my response was a resounding "no".
"Sorry, I can't resist asking that," Hocking laughs.
"I love asking that question because we only get one of two responses, which is either 'Yeah, I loved it!' or 'No! What kind of question is that?'
First-time axe throwers have their chance to get in on the action when MANIAX opens in Newcastle on Wednesday, April 19.
The Nordic-inspired custom-built venue is the eighth MANIAX site in Australia since the urban axe-throwing company was established in Sydney in 2014. It has expanded into Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
More than 500,000 people have visited the venues which, Hocking says, equates to about 15 million axes being thrown.
The company was founded by Sydney-sider Adam Schilling who discovered the popularity of the sport during a trip to Canada.
So what's it all about?
The Newcastle venue has three group lanes with two targets and six quick chuck lanes with single targets, which cater for both large and small groups.
The idea is to offer a new experience and also learn a new skill.
After a safety briefing and coaching session, it is simply a matter of picking up your axe and throwing it at the target.
"There is this primal feeling the first time you throw an axe and it sticks in the board," Hocking says.
"You watch it happen with every person and they get this big smile across their face and throw their arms up and say 'Did you see that?' "
Hocking points out that axe throwing is not about strength, but about technique and accuracy.
"The axes that we use are not too heavy," he says.
"We find that in a group setting, it's not the big burly bloke that wins, it's generally one of the smaller people who has a good technique because they're not trying to throw it too hard.
"It is 100 per cent about technique. The axe will do the work for you if you send it in the right direction."
Anyone over the age of 11 can join in on the axe throwing (under parental supervision), while younger ones can watch the action.
MANIAX has proved a popular venue for team building events, birthdays and bucks and hens parties. Each venue has a fully-licensed bar and food menu.
The drinks list includes Viking-inspired cocktails - served in genuine drinking horns - craft beer, wine and non-alcoholic options, while food includes fresh-baked pizzas and grazing boards.
They also partner with neighbouring businesses to offer burger packages and, for large groups, The Great Feast package includes slow-cooked meats, salads and sides.
Hocking says the creation of MANIAX has also led to an increase in the popularity of the sport, which was exactly what Schilling had in mind when he launched it nine years ago in Sydney.
Each venue has an axe-throwing league and, according to Hocking, hundreds of people across Australia compete every week in their venues.
"Last year we sent 14 axe throwers from our league across to Canada to compete in the International Axe Throwing Championships," he says.
And for those feeling dubious about the idea of axe throwing, Hocking says every effort has been made to ensure the safety of patrons.
"Our lanes are designed to keep people very safe," he says.
"They are a lane with a cage inside it and they are supervised and hosted.
"We haven't had any serious accidents since we opened and we are really proud of that."
- MANIAX is at 188 King Street, Newcastle. Book at maniax.com.au
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