So, it was Hubby’s turn to pick our date night, and he chose – wait for it – AXE THROWING! Yup, you read right. He thought going to a place where we would be given sharp objects to randomly throw around while drinking adult beverages was a great idea. To say I wasn’t all on board with the idea at first is an understatement. It’s not that I’m not up for a new adventure; it’s just I have become rather fond of having all 10 of my fingers and 10 of my toes. But he was so excited about the idea, and honestly, if you think about it, it really is the perfect date. I mean, it’s a chance to be interactive with one another in a place where you can actually hear and talk, and you get to learn a cool, new skill. When I started thinking of it in that way, I got on board. But I did refuse to wear matching lumberjack shirts. Hey, a lady has to draw the line somewhere! Drawing the line also included me picking the place and the time. He may have gotten his vaccination already, but I haven’t yet so I wanted to go to a place I would feel safe.
A quick Google search will show you that Orlando has quite a few axe throwing places to choose from. (Who knew how popular it was?) After doing a little research, I chose BATL – The Backyard Axe Throwing League in Downtown Orlando in the Church Street Market. I chose them because I was super impressed with their COVID-19 safety procedures and they are the OG, as in only BATL can lay claim to inventing the sport of urban axe throwing. According to their website, in 2006, CEO Matt Wilson founded BATL in his backyard. At first, it was just a personal passion he discovered while at a cottage. Today, nearly 2 million people have experienced the thrill of axe throwing at their 19 locations throughout Canada and the U.S. Make that 2 million and two cause now we have, too!
I told Hubby I wanted to go early before the usual Saturday night downtown crowd hit, so he made us reservations for 3 p.m. at their special current rate of $24 per person for an hour on a private lane. It was the perfect time to go, too, because we were the only ones there!
The place looks super cool. They have two large garage-type side doors, which were open to allow fresh air to circulate throughout. (But don’t worry, the AC was also going so it wasn’t hot.) We checked in, filled out our waivers, and ordered a couple drinks. Then, our expert coach took us to our private arena, which is like if a batting cage and a bowling alley had a baby! At the end of the “lanes” is a wood platform with a bullseye painted on it. Sitting on the ledge waiting for us were two axes as well as a huge container of hand sanitizer that our coach said he had to see us use before we could proceed. (A new company policy I deeply appreciated.) He then wiped down everything in front of us, another much appreciated gesture, and proceeded to explain what to do. The coaching session, which went over basics on the parts of the axe, safety, different standing and throwing positions, and the scoring of points, lasted about 10-15 minutes. Afterwards, he sat back to allow us to throw. He offered us some pointers and then left us to do what we came to do … enjoy our time together. AND THROW AXES!
Axe throwing is certainly not as easy as it looks, and we got quite a workout having to keep bending down to pick it up when we kept missing the board. But after 20 minutes or so, we both started to get the hang of it and eventually some of us (and by some, I mean me) got quite good. Yes, I kicked his butt and gained bragging rights! Hubby was super proud of me and a great sport about it, telling both the kids just how good their mama was when we got home. It was so cute.
To sum it up … we had an AXE-llent time! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) Seriously, it was a great stress reliever and something I originally never thought I would enjoy but now can’t wait to do again! For more information or to book a reservation to try your hand at axe throwing, visit the BATL Orlando website (https://batlgrounds.com/axe-throwing-orlando/orlando@batlgrounds.com) or call (407) 988-2323.
