Axes not just for chopping down trees anymore

Looking to vent some frustration and try something you likely haven't done before?

A new sporting facility has opened up in Regina the first of its kind in Saskatchewan, although it has been quite popular in Ontario for the last decade.

It's called Lumberjax and it is what it is: Axe throwing.

Tyson Liske got the idea at a bachelor party last month in Winnipeg.

"The guy who put [the party] together, he said, 'How about axe throwing?' OK, we'll check it out," Liske recalled. "We had a blast. It was absolutely great. The moment we looked into it, there's nothing like that in Regina so we thought we should start something like this."

Within 40 days Liske put the venture together and has a building to put it in.

Lumberjax opens its doors to the public this weekend.

"Every single person that comes in will go through a waivering process where they sign off so everyone knows what they are getting into," he said. "Our trained staff will walk you through each of the safety protocols of what to do and we, as a business, reserve the right if we feel there's unsafe activity happening then we will shut it down."

There has already been enthusiastic reaction.

"Its really taken off," he said. "We have bookings every single week from now until the end of January. [Finding] staff was almost instantaneous."

And no one pressed send in the application process faster than Denys Lemire of Peebles, Sask.

For Lemire, who looks every bit a voyageur, demonstrating the art of axe throwing and getting paid to do it is a job made in heaven.

"It's just really, really enjoying, it's an intense thing, yet it's a calming thing, it's my happy place," said Lemire.

Lemire has been getting his axe fix at his parents place in Peebles, which is south of Grenfell.

"Small hamlet, like twenty people, perfect place to throw axes and not get in trouble."

Lumberjax at this stage is a no frills, spruce and chain link environment but Liske says the opportunities for growth are endless.

Not just for things like leagues and Christmas staff parties, but potentially different themes as well.

Game of Thrones anyone?

"There's some Norse-viking type mentality, I have huge dreams for sure but we will keep it down to earth for now," Liske said.

"The two biggest questions that always come up are, is it safe? The answer to that is always yes, we have a bunch of safety protocols in place, we have trained staff to make sure everything is followed appropriately and the second question is, can we drink and throw?"

And that question is answered by an emphatic, "No."

"There is never any drinking and throwing that's for sure," said Liske who admitted someday they may look into a permit to allow guests to have a post-axe throwing beverage in the facility.

For now, Lumberjax will be open for bookings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

They are located at 1545 South Railway Street in Regina.

Denys Lemire demonstrates axe throwing

8 years ago

Duration 0:30

Denys Lemire demonstrates axe throwing