Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
Nick Kolomyja believes throwing an ax could have saved his life.
After 30 years as a welder working long hours in heavy construction, he opened an ax and knife throwing location in Calgary with his wife last year.
“You work 21 days straight. I never got to see my children. I was burnt out, worked hard, found this, found a new passion in life and went for it,” said Kolomyja, 45.
“It’s crazy because I always look back on it a little bit and think that throwing an ax saved my life.”
Kendra Kolomyja, 42, took archeology at the University of Calgary and then did her graduate work in the Netherlands before moving back to teach at Mount Royal University and work in cultural resource management.
So far, she has not found any ancient ax heads.
“I’ve found a lot of bison bones, arrowheads around here. It would be super cool if I found a fur trade axe, like. That would be amazing.”
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The couple first started throwing axes and knives at a friend’s birthday party and liked it so much they signed up for an alliance.
Both have qualified, for the sixth time, to compete in the world championships. Next year it’s in Appleton, Wis.
Live Edge Ax Throwing, which the couple opened in November, offers instruction for beginners as well as space for more advanced throwers who compete in weekly leagues with the aim of reaching the world.
There are two large targets painted on plywood in each of the five lanes, separated by a chain link fence.
The Kolomyjas all get their own kind of satisfaction from throwing.
“You get that statement out of him. If you’ve been having a bad day, and you think, ‘God, I want to throw something at a wall,’ that’s it,” said Nick Kolomyja.
However, putting a picture of a politician or ex on the target is a no-no to keep things positive.
For Kendra Kolomyja, it’s getting the ax to stick, or sinking the blade into the target.
“It’s not as difficult as people might think,” he said.
“Sticking it is so satisfying and cathartic … it’s a Zen thing, where you go into that repetition over and over. It’s amazing.”
The sport flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic with online and Zoom tournaments. People built targets in their backyards and basements. The Kolomyjas set one up in their garage.
With their new business, the couple said the bills are being paid and the lights are still on.
“It’s an interesting industry where it’s exploding in the last few years,” said Kendra Kolomyja.
“It’s a new type of bowling at the moment, where people find that everyone wants to throw an ax … you might not have known you did.”
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://globalnews.ca/news/10768593/calgary-couple-axe-throwing/
