KENTVILLE – Steve Rex’s love of axe throwing is taking him places.
The Kentville resident has signed on for the World Axe Throwing League’s upcoming US Open competition that will held in Chicago this August.
“It’s not an easy sport to master. I’m not a master of it, and I’m the one going to compete,” joked Rex, an employee of the HaliMac Axe Throwing Lounge on Cornwallis Street in Kentville.
“It takes a long time to get good.”
Rex can regularly be found throwing axes at the round, bull’s-eye style targets painted on wooden panels at HaliMac.
“I practice all the time. When I’m at HaliMac, I’m usually throwing,” the 24-year-old said in a recent interview.
“I throw upwards of 25 games a night when I’m there.”
He’s committed to doing a minimum of 30 practice throws per night leading up to his debut at the US Open. He suspects the advice he often gives first-time axe throwers, “stay calm and keep your cool,” will come in handy when he takes aim against some of the top axe throwers in the world in Chicago.
Rex is relatively new to urban axe throwing, only picking the sport up when HaliMac opened in Kentville in the fall of 2017. Until that point, he said he used to throw axes at makeshift targets around his backyard for about 12 years.
“I collect knives and blades, so when I found out that we were going to be doing axe throwing competitively around here I was very interested in trying it,” said Rex.
He said new throwers are often surprised at how addictive the sport can be.
“It’s a great sport, great way to relieve any stress that you have in your life and get a little bit of exercise at the same time. I’d recommend anybody try it at least once to see if they like it.”
HaliMac owner Paul MacInnis is certain Rex will rise to the challenge at the US Open.
“I think what makes Steve such a great thrower, is that he thrives on pressure. You hear that a lot about professional athletes who want to take the big shot in the big game. Steve is no different when it comes to axe throwing,” he said.
“He always wants to throw against the best - and the higher the stakes the better.”
