Before last year, Tiffany Fatima never held an axe.
But this weekend, the 23-year-old Surrey resident will be lining up with at least 50 other competitors in the World Axe Throwing League U.S. Open in Chicago.
Fatima said she got into the sport by chance. She randomly applied for a job at Surrey’s Bad Axe Throwing company – a recreational spot for people to chuck axes at a target – without knowing what the business was all about.
“It turned out to be an axe throwing place,” Fatima told Peace Arch News Thursday. “I was really surprised because I never held an axe before and they were telling me to throw it.”
Fatima said the job training process, particularly the part where she was told to “touch sharp objects and throw it,” was weird.
“When they were training me, I didn’t get a single axe in at all. I was scared to throw it. I was really horrible – I thought they were going to fire me. Here I am, one year later and I’m going to a competition for axe throwing.”
Axe throwing is scored on a point base system. Hitting the bullseye will score the participant six points, and hitting the outside ring will score one point.
The winner of the competition will receive a championship ring and $5,000 cash prize.
The first wave of qualifying throws is to take place Saturday, the top 50 move on to the tournament on Sunday.
A trick shot tournament will be held Saturday.
“You can do things like underhand throws, throw it over your back, you can do a somersault and throw it into the board. Things like that,” Fatima said.
Fatima said she will be joined in the competition by other employees of Surrey’s Bad Axe Throwing.
More information on the competition can be held at https://worldaxethrowingleague.com/