From the people who brought you Escape Room Tucson comes Splitting Timber Axe Throwing Range (STAR), the newest local attraction in Marana, conveniently located at the Tucson Premium Outlets at Marana Center. Naturally I wood have to try it out.
Driving up on the way to the Axe Range, my boyfriend kept reminding me that there was a brand new Northwest Emergency Center Marana across the street (rather by axeccident or coincidence), it was so close that you could throw an axe and hit it (figure of speech - do not attempt).
Marana’s Splitting Timber is the largest axe throwing range in Arizona, with 8,200 square feet and 26 axe throwing lanes. Talk about a wooded area!
We were welcomed into the lumbering lobby by their friendly staff and axeperts. The lobby was also well decorated with a splitting resemblance to Marana’s heritage and culture of cotton, white Sonoran Wheat, and sunflowers.
We discovered that ax throwing is knot as axepenseive as you wood think. My boyfriend signed us up with the team name (directing it toward me): “Axeccident Waiting to Happen.”
I was caught up in the enthusiasm of this sport and wanted to really cut deep into the world of the axing activity. According to Splitting Wood’s website, axe throwing has been a trending Canadian past time for about 12 years and has slowly migrated south to the States. It’s already an international sport. The World Axe Throwing League’s (WATL) 2018 World Championship will air on ESPN December 15, in case you need ideas for technique and execution.
The lobby itself included a couple games, pun-filled merchandise, and costumes for that perfect Instagram moment. I am so glad we arrived early with enough time to channel that lumberjack flannel.
We were assigned an axepert who provided all the safety rules (Rule #1: murderous rampages are forbidden!). You get a name tag for your nickname while you’re there. Mine was: “axe me later.” Friendly reminder, you don’t need whit in order to hit, for those less inclined to test your puniness. The axepert also tracks points for the group, individuals, or teams (however you’d like to split it up). In hindsight I wish I did a small axercise or stretch prior to get more limber for throwing at timber.
It turns out I had a natural knack with an axe and wood. I won the first game with points, but when it came to the final cut (no prior points count, five shots to win it all) I ended up only roughing up the wood instead of making a clean cut into it. However, I chuck it up to beginners luck to even get any points on the board at all.
If you want to hone your axpert skills, leagues start in January. There are Ladies League on Tuesdays 6:30pm-8:30pm, Wednesday’s Men’s League from 6:30pm-8:30pm, and Co-Ed/Family Leagues on Sunday 3:30pm-5:30pm.
Wood you be the best axer in the west?
