|
 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.
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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] |
