Destination WA - Lumber Punks

Episode: Episode 12 (29/09/19)

Lumber Punks

Story: Lumber Punks
Airdate: 29th September 2019
Presenter: Chrissy Morrissy

With Lumber Punks, the sport of axe throwing has made its way to Perth.

Located just out of the city in East Perth, Lumber Punks is the first venue of its kind in WA – although the sport is massive internationally.
Axe throwing has been around for hundreds of years, though it only started commercially in Canada around 15 years ago – 2 guys starting throwing axes in their backyard, invited some friends, and it snowballed from there.
You begin your time at Lumber Punks with some small tactical tomahawks. While these are still fairly sharp, it’s not really the sharpness of the blade that buries the axe – rather, it’s the weight behind the blade.
After you’ve mastered the tomahawk, you’ll be taught how to throw the camp axe. This is about 1 kilo of steel, making it easier to throw than the smaller tomahawks.
While the premise may seem simple, an axe battle has a few rules. There are 5 rounds, with 5 axes for each thrower. Whoever has the most points at the end is the winner.
Anyone who is able to pick up an axe is able to throw it – there are competitors in the axe throwing league who are in wheelchairs – Lumber Punks has even hosted a 96-yr old woman.
While there are risks to axe throwing, visitors to Lumber Punks are taught how to stay safe – the most common injury is actually splinters.
There are 5 sessions 7 days a week at Lumber Punks, with each one lasting for 2 hours.