![\"Axe](\"https:\/\/missionvalleynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/cover.jpg\")
<\/a>In April, Wyland opened Battle Axe \u2014 the city\u2019s first indoor axe throwing center.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, a lot of people laugh and it\u2019s hard but it\u2019s a fun activity \u2026 it\u2019s adrenaline,\u201d he said, likening the experience to going to gun range but with less expense.<\/p>\n
Axe throwing centers are relatively new to the West Coast, but the sport itself has been popular in areas where logging is a main industry. However, it is unclear on where exactly commercial axe throwing officially began.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of [axe throwing businesses] in Canada, so that would be my guess,\u201d Wyland said.<\/p>\n
Battle Axe, located at 6330 Riverdale St. in Grantville, is the first of several similar axe-throwing businesses that have popped up around San Diego this year, including Downtown, Uptown, Pacific Beach and San Marcos.<\/p>\n
To separate his shop from the others in this fast-growing recreational business, Wyland designed Battle Axe to be a clean and fun gym experience, rather than a hokey barn-like atmosphere.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want everyone to feel that there is a kind of sport to it,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have great staff here and we have four axes to choose from, not just one. What separates us, too, is we have an axe-pert with each group. We\u2019re not just going to check you in and send you to your lane.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the \u201caxe-perts\u201d at Battle Axe is Jeff Steinbacher, who has been throwing axes \u2014 and pretty much anything else that is sharp and sticks into a target \u2014 for over 10 years. Steinbacher \u2014 who holds a world record for speed throwing knives (an impressive 30 knives in 20 seconds) \u2014 is a member of the San Diego Chuckers, a local team that competes in throwing competitions at a national level. In October, the team will compete at the final event for throwing held in Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n \u201cNext year I hope to go to Europe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Even though axe throwing centers are gaining popularity, Steinbacher said competitive throwing uses different tools.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s mainly knives and tomahawks. Axes are actually less common in the big competitions,\u201d he continued. \u201cRight here [at Battle Axe], we\u2019re just scratching the surface of what throwing is \u2014 and people still love it.\u201d<\/p>\n One of those people that loved it is Robrigo Cano, who recently threw axes for his first time as part of a corporate outing with Kaiser Permanente.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a lot of fun, very exciting,\u201d he said, adding that he would gladly come back again.<\/p>\n This kind of response is what Wyland is banking on \u2014 attracting groups like fraternities from nearby SDSU and more corporate events, as well as just individuals interested in improving their throwing skills. Battle Axe will also soon start hosting league play, starting with a Sunday cash league.<\/p>\n \u201c$20 per person, just like bowling and you get a team high score,\u201d Wyland said. \u201cTwo games and you triple your money if you win it, double your money if you\u2019re second.\u201d<\/p>\n Wyland is also looking to offer a mobile axe throw by installing a target at the end of a cargo truck so he can bring the sport to parties, breweries, etc. However, so far, he has been unable to find insurance for the venture.<\/p>\n In the meantime, Wyland is concentrating on getting the word out about axe throwing and get more people to \u201ccome with an open mind and have fun\u201d at Battle Axe.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people walk in, they go, \u2018this is awesome,\u2019 just by the look of it. And then when they leave, they say, \u2018that was<\/em> awesome.\u2019 Honestly, that is my goal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/a>