Portsmouth Southern Ohio Axe Throwing employee heading to World Axe Throwing Championship

PORTSMOUTH― From a rookie to a serious competitor, Wyatt Dawson shows the determination it takes to master a new sport in less than a year- even something as intimidating as axe throwing.

Dawson, 27, first visited Southern Ohio Axe Throwing with friends last fall. He was instantly hooked on the sport. He joined the league, started working at Southern Ohio Axe Throwing and, this summer, qualified for the 2022 World Axe Throwing Championship.

"I've been doing this kind of stuff for a long time," Dawson said. "Axe throwing is new, but I was a shooter throughout all of high school. I used to shoot competition shotguns. I've always been an outdoors person doing this kind of stuff."

The axe-throwing league meets once per week to compete and practice with each other. The league scores are automatically submitted for consideration for the world championship, which is how Dawson qualified.

The target has six sections with each innermost section earning the thrower additional points. A bullseye is worth six points. There are two "kill shot" dots located in the upper left and right of the target. A player can call a kill shot twice per game. If hit, the thrower gets 8 points.

Axe throwing is much like bowling or darts, requiring a strong technique and follow-through. Dawson grips the bottom of the axe with one hand, positions the hatchet next to his head, then throws the axe with one swift motion at the target. With a max possible score of 64, Dawson can generally score in the 60s by throwing slow and steady.

While working at Southern Ohio Axe Throwing, Dawson has plenty of opportunities to practice. He said he enjoys working with axe throwers every day and watching new throwers enjoy the sport.

"It's like if you had a favorite movie and you get to geek out about it with some random person," Dawson said. "I get to do that for a living with people all the time. They always enjoy it."

Dave Drawta and his wife, Heather, own two locations of Southern Ohio Axe Throwing in Chillicothe and Portsmouth, along with Throw Nation in Dublin. Drawta said he has enjoyed watching Dawson hone his skills.

"It's very addictive," Drawta said. "It really does take a lot of work to be consistent."

Dratwa said urban axe throwing has only existed for about 15 years and is a relatively new sport. The Drawtas have cultivated axe throwers in Southern and Central Ohio through their three businesses.

Dawson will travel to Appleton, Wisconsin for the world championship in early December and will spend time with friends at the tournament. Throw Nation has three throwers competing in the world championship, including:

• Coleman Bates, an OSU student who is throwing in the hatchet competition for the first time.

• Joshua Russo, who has been to the world championships several times in all three disciplines, including duals, big axe and hatchet.

• Zach Crawford, who is the 2020 World Champion Big Axe Thrower and is also competing this year in all three disciplines.

The axe throwers will be competing for a $50,000 prize pool and the championship tournament will be televised on ESPN.

Southern Ohio Axe Throwing is located at 35 N. Paint Street in Chillicothe. For more information, call 740-298-4950 or visit www.southernohioaxe.com.

Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at mbecker@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @BeckerReporting.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Portsmouth local to compete in World Axe Throwing Championship