Want to wake up your ‘inner lumberjack’? 3 SLO businesses now offer ax throwing
Look out! Axes are flying in San Luis Obispo.
There are now three businesses offering customers the chance to throw axes at targets in the San Luis Obispo area.
On June 24, Battle Axe became the first local business to open a brick-and-mortar location in downtown San Luis Obispo.
Located at 691 Higuera St., Battle Axe rents out eight indoor lanes where adventure seekers can throw axes 13 to 15 inches in length (from handle to blade) overhanded at ringed wooden targets, standing 12 feet away, with options for games and point-scoring.
“We wanted to create an environment downtown for families and that’s why we opted not to do alcohol because then it’s open to everybody,” said owner Shelley Stuckey, who runs the business with her husband, Neal. “This is something my 76-year-old dad and our 15-year-old daughter can do for a long period of time together. It’s fun and creates memories.”
Two other local businesses offer outdoor ax throwing: SLO Axe Company, a mobile operation, and Gladiator Paintball Park, located near Cuesta College off Highway 1.
The sport of ax throwing is similar to darts, although it involves large bladed implements that travel end over end rather than small projectiles.
“(It) seems like a scary, dangerous thing to do, but it’s actually very safe,” said SLO Axe Company co-owner Matthew Corning.
He estimated that he’s coached more than 800 people on how to throw axes.
“The body language of people, when I first arrive, goes from looking at me, like, ‘Are you crazy?’ to wanting to hug me by the end of it,” Corning said. “And it’s like I’m part of the family.”
Battle Axe
The Stuckeys originally planned to launch Battle Axe, which occupies a 2,775-square-foot commercial space between Kreuzberg California coffeehouse and Rocket Fizz candy shop, before the coronavirus pandemic hit. But COVID-19 stalled those plans.
The couple’s daughter, Mission Prep student Chloe Stuckey, developed a fascination with ax throwing after the family was introduced to the sport on a trip to Las Vegas.
“It’s a stress reliever, and it’s just something fun and not the everyday thing,” said Shelley Stuckey, who also owns Tails Pet Boutique and Doggie Salon & Spa in San Luis Obispo. “It’s very inclusive and great for younger people especially to have another activity they can do downtown. I have friends that are in wheelchairs that have even been able to do it.”
Battle Axe is open to participants age 10 and up. Staff members are available to explain the rules and offer safety tips.
“The blades are dull and designed to pierce the wooden target, but they’re not sharp,” Neal Stuckey said. “They won’t pierce your skin if you touch the blade.”
Battle Axe requires customers to sign safety waivers and wear closed-toed shoes, with only one person allowed in a lane at a time.
“Don’t try to catch an ax!” the business notes on its rules board. “If an ax bounces back from a target, quickly step backward and to the side in your lane.”
The Stuckeys said the downtown area can use more entertainment opportunities.
“I’ve been on the board for (nonprofit organization) Downtown SLO and (the San Luis Obispo) Chamber of Commerce,” Shelley Stuckey said. “So I’m pretty familiar with a lot of different businesses. And I thought that bringing an entertainment element that’s not competing with other businesses, as far as not offering food or clothing or things like that, would be something people really appreciate and enjoy.”
Battle Axe is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The business is closed on Mondays.
Renting a line costs $30 to $40 per person, depending on the length of time for the rental and size of the group. Lanes are rented for an hour to an hour-and-a-half.
For more information, call 805-439-1700 or follow the business on Instagram at instagram.com/battle_axes_slo.
SLO Axe Co.
SLO Axe Co. opened in February 2020.
Corning said the mobile business was inspired by a family visit to an indoor ax throwing site out of the area, where his mother took on throwers half her age to everyone’s delight.
“My mom was just going to watch and ended up participating,” Corning said. “And at the end of it all, we did a King of the Cage/Queen of the Cage contest, single elimination, and my mom came in third place against about 30 people. So it was pretty cool watching her take out these big college guys.”
Corning and his wife, Jen, combined their backgrounds in nursing, recruitment and rental industry management to open their own ax throwing business. They built a custom-designed trailer, with the help of welder and craftsmen friends.
“The thrills of sticking an ax into a target and participating in fun, interactive and competitive games are guaranteed to bring out everyone’s inner lumberjack,” the company website states.
Corning said SLO Axe Co. visits winery and brewery locations. The mobile business is available for private events, festivals, venue partnerships and more.
It also hosts ax-throwing leagues.
“We’ve appeared at a number of different types of events, even a Viking-themed wedding,” Corning said. “Especially since COVID ended, we’re seeing a surge in mobile types of business and more people wanting to be outside, and we’re building a network of wonderful local businesses that we can come to.”
Corning said one misconception about ax throwing is that you have to throw an ax forcefully. Instead, the blade just needs to stick, he said.
“It’s 90% technique,” Corning said, adding he saw a Cal Poly Logging Team member dot the target with seven consecutive bull’s eyes.
SLO Axe Co. provides safety briefings, requires closed-toes shoes, and turns away anyone who might put safety at risk, including those who have over-consumed alcohol. Customers also sign safety waivers.
“We’re teaching people how to do it in a controlled environment, how to do it safely, and then providing that oversight so that we can do our best to minimize any risk,” Corning said.
For more information, call 805-439-1004 or go to sloaxeco.com.
Gladiator Paintball Park
Gladiator Paintball Park offers outdoor ax throwing at its location at 1 Sutter Ave.
The experience is open to participants age 8 and up. Drop-ins are allowed but reservations are preferred.
Ax throwing costs $40 per lane, with up to four people per lane. Guests receive $5 off with a valid student ID or military ID.
For more information, go to gladiatorpb.com.
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
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