KILLEEN, Texas — Boards took quite the beating at Axed Out Texas in Killeen over the weekend as the venue hosted its first national tournament.
It brought out some of the top competitors from Texas and even a few spots across the country. Owners Kyle and Ashley Bower were happy to give their town the spotlight in the axe-throwing community.
“To bring them to our little venue in Killeen and get to show them our home and our home venue and what we've built and share it with the community, that’s something we are very proud of," Kyle Bower said.
Axed Out Texas is open during the week for anyone who wants to come by, throw axes, and have fun. But some of the more serious throwers compete in these tournaments, with a few of their members traveling to Atlanta to compete in the U.S. Open.
One of them is Michael Dolan. He also competed this weekend and had great success on Saturday, winning $500 out of the $4,000 in prizes that were handed out.
"I had the opportunity to throw really well at hatchet yesterday, this is my home venue, I feel more comfortable here," Dolan said. "I actually came in second out of the hatchet tournament.”
This tournament is going to be a yearly event, Bower said. That is good news for Eric Enriquez, a friend of the Bowers and who throws axes in Denver and traveled for the tournament. He said the axe-throwing community is tight-knit and easy to get along with.
“Everyone in this community is such a close family, even if you just started throwing you're considered brother or sister," he said. "The vibe is always fantastic win or lose, there’s just a lot of love here so it’s great.”