The Ax Man: Local Resident, Bob Rankin, Competes in National Ax Throwing Competition

 

[December 25, 2023] 

Much like pickle ball and disc golf before it, ax throwing has become a popular pastime in recent years with televised competitions and ax throwing clubs popping up in many cities. However, for local resident Bob Rankin ax throwing is not something new at all, but rather a lifelong pursuit that has taken him to national invitationals and championships, including the World Axe Throwing League 2023 USA Pro-Am Championship held this past November in Appleton, Wisconsin. Lincoln Daily News caught up with Rankin to ask about the sport of ax throwing and his achievements.

How did you get started throwing axes?

Thirteen years old and throwing sharp things. In 1972, I threw in the second National Railsplitting Festival. It was an official activity and still is. I continued throwing in high school and I started making my own tomahawks.

How is a tomahawk different from an ax?

A tomahawk has a thinner blade and a different style [of blade]. It’s a weapon.

What happened after high school?

First, I need to mention my mentor Orlf “Cricket” Hulvey from Normal. He was heavily involved with the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. The tomahawk throwing contest at their national event is named after him. He would be at the Railsplitting Festival every year. He invited me to his shop and would show me something he had made, then had me figure out how he had made it. After he passed away, I started making tomahawks for sale.

In the mid-1980’s my stepbrother, Steve Tibbs, and I started throwing with Furtraders of America at their national convention. We did demonstrations at Conservation World at the Illinois State Fair. I kept throwing with the Railsplitting Festival, plus in Kentucky and Missouri.

In 1982, my stepbrothers and I started TRT Tomahawks. We were making them for sale. I still make and sell them under the same name. I make all the parts, the handle and the blade. I can do engraving now, too. I supply axes to four different venues to use as house axes.

I joined the ax throwing leagues in January of 2020 at Real Ax in Springfield, which opened in 2019. During the pandemic, we had Quarantine Leagues. People set up at home and competed virtually.

The World Axe Throwing League (WATL) has four league seasons per year. I have placed in every league event, but one. Leagues range from novices to professionals and all age ranges. For WATL, as long as you can safely throw, there is no age minimum. It can be a backyard sport, too.

Is it dangerous?

It’s not dangerous if you follow the safety protocols. Safety is a top priority for the WATL and their rules and protocols. People are most likely to be hurt by handling the ax carelessly [waiting their turn to throw]. (WATL rules are available on their website: https://worldaxethrowingleague.com/axe-throwing-rules.)

What do you like about ax throwing?

The competition and the friendships over the years. I have met people from all over the country and the world. And it has become a side business.

Why has ax throwing become so popular in recent years?

It’s a lot of fun. The sport has caught up to me! There are 8,000 people worldwide participating in the WATL. I typically rank in the top 3-4%. Ax throwing actually grew during the pandemic.

Do many women throw?

Some of my most competitive opponents have been women.

Men and women throw in the same league. Our league has close to half and half, about 60% men and 40% women. It [ax throwing] is not about strength, it’s about finesse.

What goals do you have for the future?

To score a perfect game with the new targets. In 2023, a perfect game is 8 bullseyes [the middle of the target], plus both kill shots [a point on the upper quadrant of both sides of the bullseye]. The points total for a perfect game is 64 points. In 2024, a perfect game will be 5 separate bullseyes and 2 kill shots. But after you hit one bullseye, it closes out. You can’t hit that spot again. It’s a lot harder.

 

What advice would you give to someone interested in getting started?

Don’t pick an ax that’s too heavy. Relax. Don’t be afraid of the ax. It’s simply a matter of getting a few throws, observing your throw, and adjusting from there. Give it a try.

Check out Real Ax in Springfield. Come join our league. Real Ax is the closest venue with a WATL-affiliated league. League night is four games and opponents are assigned by the WATL app. Week eight is a final tournament. This league season ended on November 2 and the next season starts on January 6. I would love for Lincoln people to join leagues.

What is the strategy for a good throw? Obviously, the right equipment…

The ax will naturally rotate. Handle length makes the rotation. The longer the handle, the lower the rotation. So the closer the distance, [you want] a shorter handle. It goes back to the idea of the pendulum. Then practice, practice. I try to focus on exactly where I want to hit, until everything else is a blur.

What was the WATL Pro-Am Championship like? Were you nervous?

Rankin at WATL

WATL ProAm 12th place Skills Team of Pro John Doepke, Rankin, and Zach Vann

Of course, I was nervous. Part of it is learning to control it.

It was great to see so many talented opponents. To qualify for the Pro-Am Tournament you have to have a certain scoring range. There were 256 amateurs competing and 64 pros. I placed 33 out of 256 amateurs. There were competitors from New Zealand, Great Britain, Canada, and all over the United States.

Competition is always head to head. There are ten throws in a game. The WATL scoring app randomly assigns opponents. The tournament is seeded in advance, double elimination. So you stay in Bracket A until a loss, then you stay in Bracket B until a loss. I won 5 and lost 2. The WATL championship is held every year in winter or early spring. It worked well this year to split the elite and the amateurs.

There was also a team event with teams assigned by the WATL. Each team was one professional and two amateurs. There were four challenges with unique targets. We placed 12 out of 56 teams.

The WATL website sums up the 2023 Pro-Am championship like this: “It was an incredible event that saw players competing in not only the backbone events of this sport but also unique ones that challenged them at all levels.
This event, unlike any previous, was designed to showcase all the sport has to offer. It was intended, more than anything else, to highlight the amateurs in the sport – the up-and-comers that will soon be taking the sport by storm.”
As far as Logan County is concerned, the storm is already here and has been around for awhile. While skilled ax throwers make the sport look effortlessly easy, a first-timer's lesson will prove that making an ax go exactly where you want it to go in the manner you want it to get there is much harder than it looks.

Special thanks to Dorothy Winter of Real Ax for hosting the interview and ax throwing lesson.

[Stephanie Hall]