- Trendy axe-throwing bars are becoming all the rage in major cities around the nation, including New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
- "It's a really good release. It's like cheap therapy," Ginger Flesher-Sonnier, founder of Kick Axe Throwing, told Business Insider.
- I visited a Kick Axe Throwing location in Brooklyn and saw why urban millennials can't get enough of this cathartic activity.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Never since "The Shining" have axes had so much time in the spotlight.
In cities around the nation, axe-throwing bars are opening their doors to stressed-out millennials seeking a night of catharsis and friendly competition. On a recent evening at Kick Axe Throwing in Brooklyn, groups of eager axe-throwers sipped craft beer and waited for their time in the ring, where they would compete in a series of games like "Knockout" and "21."
Since the venue opened in December 2017, it has attracted a steady stream of city-dwellers looking to blow off steam by heaving a metal axe at a fixed wooden target. In recent years, axe-throwing has grown so popular that the World Axe Throwing League was formed in 2017 to organize international competitions that are now broadcast on ESPN. At the same time, retailers like Nordstrom are selling out of artisan axes.
"People in cities are always hungry for experiences," said Ginger Flesher-Sonnier, founder and CEO of The Ginger Companies, which operates Kick Axe. "Everybody's always looking for a unique night out."
I visited Kick Axe Throwing on a recent weekend with two friends, and while I learned axe-throwing is not my true calling, I found it to be a uniquely entertaining way to spend an evening. At times, I would even describe the experience as freeing.
"It's a really good release," Flesher-Sonnier said. "It's like cheap therapy."
Here's what it was like: