A couple in their late 20s stand ready to throw axes, illuminated by the light of the target, in one of 14 individual lanes at BCS Axe House in Bryan. One by one they take turns trying to sink their axe into the round red target with hopes of getting a bullseye. With a swing of the axe over her high ponytail, she says “Bullseye for me! Now it’s your turn!” The competitive banter goes back and forth between the two as the man stares at the target in hopes of matching her score. He prepares for the throw, relaxing just before the swing.
Owner Jes Linne says the competitive sport of axe throwing has come to life at BCS Axehouse since its opening in August 2020. “It's a fun activity. If people like to throw darts, they're gonna like to throw, and if people like to bowl, they're gonna like to throw axes,” Jes said. Filled with lots of laughter over the loud music, patrons can enjoy a full service bar in-between their throws. “People really don't know what to expect when they open the door,” he says. “Axe-throwing is a lot more fun and less intimidating than what they thought.”
The thought of lifting an axe overhead is intimidating for many, but Jes says they have taken many safety measures, including adding black horse mats to the sides of each lane, to prevent the axe from bouncing back. “It just absorbs the energy from the axe, and it just falls to the floor,” Jes says. “Think of a batting cage, an individual batting cage, they're like that, except we have a target in there. All the axes are self-contained within that lane.”
For extra added protection, Jes says staff “axe-perts,” give a brief lesson on how to properly throw. “We'll watch, and if we find the whole group is struggling, we'll step back in and say ‘hey, can we show you a little bit?’” he says. If they have an extra lane available, Jes says the axe-perts may pull you aside to give you a private lesson.
Unlike traditional axe-throwing venues, BCS Axe House offers a variety of games and targets including the traditional bullseye board,
Connect Four, Zombies and Tic-Tac-Toe, which are digitally projected onto the target. Patrons can even upload their own photo to aim at.
As a way to get more axes to stick to the target, Jes says he and his co-owner and son Patrick Linne decided upon using in-grain wood. “The grain is circular, which allows the axe to go in at almost any angle, versus a regular target made of two-by-tens,” he says.
Many patrons find the axes much lighter than expected, Jes says they only weigh a few pounds and are much easier to throw. “Ours are wooden handled, which takes the energy,” he says. “A lot of traditional ones are metal with a rubber handle.” For people who still are intimidated by picking up an axe, Jes says BCS Axe House also offers ninja stars, which are martial arts weapons typically in the shape of a star, for throwing. “Ninja stars are a relief for people that just can't get it,” he says. “Almost everybody can stick a ninja star, so it gives everybody an opportunity to still stay in the game and have some fun.”
Whatever the occasion may be, Jes says axe throwing is the perfect activity for people of all ages. “It's just a fun place to gather [for] date night, team building, leadership training, team meetings — just socializing with your friends and having friendly competition throwing axes,” he says.
For more information, visit bcsaxehouse.com
