Axe And You Shall Receive

L-R Shoni Jodway cuts the ribbon as Makiiya Jodway (L, ax in hand) and Isiah Carnegie admire his work.

Axe Throwing Arrives In White Cloud

Story by Ken DeLaat

The closest I have ever come to Axe Throwing may have been tossing lawn darts (aka Jarts) back when they were legal. Or maybe it was darts in a favorite tavern on occasion back when I was young, single and spending an inordinate amount of  time in such establishments.

But I was admittedly intrigued when River Country Chamber’s Rachel Porter let me know about a ribbon cutting ceremony to be held at Aximum Effort, a new business opening in the downtown of our county seat featuring, you guessed it, Axe Throwing.

Shoni and Makiiya Jodway were looking for a way to raise funds to support the Youth Center they opened  in their downtown White Cloud storefront just over a year ago. 
“We have received a lot of generous support for the Youth Center from many places but when it comes to fundraising we’re not good at just going out and asking for money, “ said Makiiya.
​ 
Always up for something new and fun they decided to give ax throwing a try. They checked out a couple of locations around the state, found it to be a good time and decided to bring a similar venue to their hometown.
And on Valentine’s Day after much planning and preparation the Jodway’s opened the doors and greeted a couple dozen well wishers from the area who came to help celebrate the opening.

Hosting a few private parties prior to the Grand Opening allowed the Jodways a few trial runs and it proved to be not only a fun way to spend time with friends but also a team building exercise for groups.

Since I arrived early I was given the opportunity to try out the sport. After Shoni deftly  tossed one into the target he delivered a few tips and I gave it a go. With my past experience involving Jarts and darts  it would be great to tell you how well I did. How I sank the tip of the axe into the wooden frame directly dead center of the target with an accuracy that would remind onlookers of Conan the Barbarian

But truth be told, it was not to be and I failed to rise to the occasion. I gave it 4 or 5 goes and not one time did my axe achieve the intended result. Being slightly more than mildly competitive with myself I was willing to press on but the time for the ribbon cutting drew near and I yielded my weapon with a promise to myself that there would be a return trip.

​Aximum Effect looks to be an outstanding addition to our areas ‘things to do’ list. We love the name, the art of throwing an axe is one that Shoni assures me will come with practice, you can do this as a group venture and while they do not serve drinks it is a BYOB facility so friends can enjoy adult beverages while channeling their inner Viking or if you are a LOTR fan maybe your inner dwarf.

Want more info? Care to reserve one or more of their three lanes?
Here’s the skinny
https://aximumeffort.com/?fbclid=IwAR2QAPDrwYuTkI2ac_9c5BpV6mbSoD-xoCZkYSHULsTSWNOOtzyg_B7AdrM

And for younger readers, google “Ed Ames Teaches Johnny Carson How To Throw A Tomahawk” and watch the youtube video.
If you are like me it will be impossible to not think of it when axe throwing is the subject.