WILD CARDS WRAP UP
With our 2018 league seasons all wrapped up, all BATL Axe Throwing league members are getting ramped up for this year’s National Axe Throwing Championship (NATC) taking place this coming February 17th and 18th in Toronto.
The Wild Card Tournament took place at all BATL venues across North America December 16th and were open to any thrower at BATL Axe Throwing who had competed in at least one league season in 2018 and had not yet qualified for the NATC.
The Wild Card Tournament was a double elimination affair and delivered on the promise of some fierce competition between throwers trying to get a foot in the door for Round 1 of the NATC. We just wanted to say congratulations to all the winners of the Wild Card Tournament and wanted to wish them the best of luck going into Round 1.
NATC: ROUND 1
The preliminary round (Round 1) is a competition within each NATF member organization to determine which players will represent them in the final stage of the tournament, and will be taking place on January 6th, 2019. In the preliminary round, players will be randomly split into groups of four. Players will take to their assigned lane, then throw the equivalent of 3 matches (a total of 45 throws) and 9 Big Axes. From there, your overall average will be ranked against all other participants across North America.
NATC, WINTER SKILLS, AND THE AXE PROM & AWARDS CEREMONY
This is what it’s all about – the dream of every axe thrower in the National Axe Throwing Federation: winning the NATC. The top 192 ranked players from Round 1 will meet in an all-day affair, culminating in one champion. The National Axe Throwing Championship will be taking place February 18th in Toronto as part of the 8th annual All-Star Weekend hosted by BATL Axe Throwing. All qualifying league competitors from all over North America, including many from BATL Axe Throwing, will be facing off for their chance at not only bragging rights but also prize money for the top 3 competitors. After that, we begin the 2018 Winter Skills competition, showcasing the most skilled throwers battling it out for their chance at glory.
Once the dust has settled, we’ll be ending it all off on the evening of February 18th with our annual Axe Prom & Awards Ceremony, taking place at Palais Royale in Toronto. Joining an axe throwing league is a great excuse to get out of the house and engage in some weekly friendly competition. But more than that, it’s a chance to meet new friends and be part of an extremely tight-knit community. At BATL Axe Throwing, our mission is to show people the power of being good to each other, using the axe as a tool to build community inspired by our backyard roots. Our league members come from all walks of life, and are some of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet – and we can guarantee that will be on full display that this year’s Axe Prom and Awards Ceremony.
Tickets for this year’s axe prom are now sold out, so be sure to join us for the after party at The Dock Ellis bar, taking place immediately after Axe Prom. Get ready for an action-packed weekend!
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Wondering how this all came about? By now, you’ve probably already heard the story. Back in 2006, a group of friends were bored at a cottage outside of Toronto and decided to throw an axe at a stump. Little did they know that this innocent way to pass the time would soon evolve into the creation of a worldwide sport.
Fast forward to 2018, BATL Axe Throwing has 18 locations across North America (including Toronto, Pickering, Ottawa, Niagara Falls, London, Kitchener, Hamilton, and Calgary in Canada; in addition to Novi, Nashville, Scottsdale and Chicago in the United States) offering up the urban axe throwing experience that we pioneered over 12 years ago.
AXE THROWING LEAGUE
Our axe throwing leagues run for 8 weeks, completely under the guidance of our resident axe gurus. Each season consists of round-robin style tournament play, where you’ll throw 28 games against other people in the league, culminating in a top 16 double elimination playoff on week 8. Our leagues are suitable for people of all skill levels, with staff on hand at all times ready to give you tips and tricks to make sure that you’re hitting the bullseye. League play falls under the National Axe Throwing Federation (NATF) umbrella, the worlds foremost governing body of the sport of axe throwing (of which BATL Axe Throwing is a founding member). Being part of the NATF also gives you access to the most advanced statistic tracking in the sport of urban axe throwing.
If you haven’t joined a league yet – what are you waiting for? And for everyone that made it to Round 1 of the 2019 NATC – good luck! We can’t wait to see you all at the National Axe Throwing Championships.
