GLENDALE, AZ — Another sport is coming to Glendale's Westgate Entertainment District: competitive ax throwing.
Lumberjaxes, an adults-only attraction where people can sling axes at wooden targets and score points, announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening that it would open a second location at the West Valley shopping and entertainment center.
It will be located near Waterdance Plaza on the second level above Fat Tuesday, according to Joe Busone, director of sales at Lumberjaxes, in an email to ABC15.
"Big news.... LUMBERJAXES IS COMING TO GLENDALE!!!," the Facebook post said.
A spokesperson for YAM Properties, which bought Westgate last year, also confirmed the news and said the attraction would be moving into a space that had not been previously occupied.
In his email, Busone said the nearly 8,000-square-foot venue could open as early as late September or October depending on the construction schedule, "but we are shooting to have it open for the holidays."
It will have 20 targets, capacity for up to 250 people, and a full-service bar, according to its website. People have to be at least 18 to be allowed inside the venue and to throw an ax.
It was not immediately clear what pricing would be for the Glendale location. However, its Tempe location charges $35 per person for a two-hour session and $25 per person for an hour walk-in session.
During each session, an instructor will go over safety techniques and how to properly throw an ax at the target.
Last year, Lumberjaxes opened a throwing venue near Southern Avenue and 48th Street in Tempe, its first in Arizona. That location has 16 throwing lanes, capacity for up to 250 people, and is "BYOB" after 4 p.m.
The concept's first location opened in 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Other axe throwing concepts have opened or are under construction in the Valley: Splitting Timber has locations in Phoenix and Tucson; Urban Axes is currently building a location within downtown Phoenix's Warehouse District (at last check, Urban Axes was anticipating a summer opening though an opening date has not yet been announced); Backyard Axe Throwing League opened in Scottsdale; and Class Axe has a facility in Tempe.
WHAT IS AXE THROWING?
Competitive axe throwing seems to have its roots in Canada and has expanded into the United States over the last few years.
The National Axe Throwing Federation was formed in 2016 and has sanctioned tournaments throughout the year in Canada and the United States, including an annual championship held in Toronto, Canada.
The targets have three rings, plus two circles outside the rings, that each represent certain point values.
