Sports

Local axe thrower going to World Championships

March 12, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

A local competitive axe thrower will be heading to Tulsa, Oklahoma, from April 15 to 19 to compete in the Axe Throwing World Championships.

Steve Hunter competed at the 2024 World Amateur Axe Throwing Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, last year and has earned another bid to compete at the top level this year.

Hunter is ranked 69th in the World Amateur ranking and is in the top five of Canadian throwers.

Axe throwing as a competitive sport is relatively new. Over the past decade, clubs and tournaments have gained popularity across North America.

The sport is exactly as its name implies. Competitors throw an axe at a target and are scored on where the axe hits the target.

There is a full set of rules during competition that cover everything from a competitor’s distance from the target, scoring, and the type of throwing axe that meets competition regulations.

“I have been competing for not quite four years,” Hunter explained of his involvement in the sport. “In those years I have travelled to Cleveland, Jackson, Michigan, Atlanta, Georgia, and now Tulsa. I honed my skills with the help of Benn MacDonald from Farshot Orangeville. I worked as an employee and coach for Benn. I own him a ton of gratitude for all the help he has given me.”

Hunter added, “Over the years, I have won multiple league championships from Orangeville, Brampton, and Cambridge. We won a team event in Lindsay, Ontario, with Jason Sharples from Orangeville and Peter Brown from Burlington. I have met a ton of great people and have made a lot of friends throughout my journey.”

Axe throwing requires concentration, physical dexterity, and steady nerves to place the axe on target with consistency.

“I took up axe throwing to be more active and get out to do something fun,” Hunter explained. “One thing led to another and I realized it came naturally after one season. I started right here in Orangeville, then started going to other leagues in Brampton, Cambridge, and Waterloo. Should I make the top eight in this upcoming event, I will be granted a spot in the Pro division on the same weekend.”

He added, “I would like to thank all my sponsors who have made it possible for me to travel to this event, including Superior Construction and Pools (Timmins, Ont.); The Dufferin Group; McEwan Windows and Mirror; Coppertone Paving; Broadway Beat; K and G Engraving; Shawshank Designz in Orangeville; and Grey Wolf 3PL Logistics in Mississauga.”

The Axe Throwing Championships in Tulsa are expecting more than 600 competitors in various disciplines, including hatchet, knife, duals, and big axe events.

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