International Axe Throwing Day Date in the current year: June 13, 2024

Axe throwing is a modern sport that began to develop in the early 21st century, but its roots can be traced back to lumberjack competitions of the 1940s that were held in lumber camps to determine the best woodcutters. Axe throwing has been an event at lumberjack competitions for decades but now it stands on its own both as a competitive sport and a pastime at bars and pubs, theme parks, and festivals.

The modern sport of axe throwing originated in Europe in the early 2000s, with axe throwing enthusiasts gathering in rural settings for informal meetings and competitions. In 2008, official axe throwing and knife throwing representatives from four countries met at the Big European Throwers Meeting in the Czech Republic and formalized the rules of the sport under the EuroThrowers umbrella.

The first commercial axe throwing locations began to open in 2016. The next year, representatives of the sport from Brazil, Canada, Ireland and the United States founded the World Axe Throwing League to highlight that axe throwing is more than just a fun pastime; it’s a competitive sport with its rules and regulations. The four founding nations and Denmark became the first members of the League.

Axe throwing is similar to dart throwing and knife throwing in that it involves throwing a sharp object (in this case, an axe) at a wooden target, attempting to hit as close to the bullseye as possible. There is a scoring system where a player’s score is determined by where they strike their axe into the target.

Targets used by the World Axe Throwing League are divided into five main zones and one extra, while targets used by the International Axe Throwing Federation have three main zones and one extra. Every axe throwing league also has its own rules regarding axe size and weight, throwing distance, number of throws per round and number of rounds in a match, etc.

And, of course, there are a lot of safety rules to prevent injury. Flags or light fencing materials are used to tale off the target area, and each axe throwing event is required to have a person trained in first aid and CPR and a first aid kit.

The World Axe Throwing League founded International Axe Throwing Day at its inaugural session in 2017 to raise awareness of the fun, offbeat and inclusive sport. To celebrate the holiday and promote axe throwing, members of the World Axe Throwing League from the United States and Canada offer free axe throwing to give everyone interested an opportunity to try the sport in a safe, controlled environment.

International Axe Throwing Day events are mostly held by clubs and organizations affiliated with the World Axe Throwing League, but the holiday can be celebrated by anyone with a passion for urban axe throwing. However, you shouldn’t forget that an axe is a sharp and dangerous weapon, so safety must always come first.