‘Have a beer and throw an ax at the same time.’ First Modesto ax-throwing bar opens
Admit it, sometime in the last 15 months you’ve felt the urge to throw an ax at something.
Well now you can — in a controlled environment — thanks to the opening of Modesto’s first and only ax-throwing bar, Smart Axe in Village One Plaza. Call it pandemic stress relief, a new recreational trend or just fun with the family, the appeal of chucking hard steel at a wooden bullseye is easy to understand.
The north Modesto location, on Floyd Avenue in the Raley’s shopping center, is the third for the Rancho Cordova-based business. But it is the first for the local chain in Stanislaus County and outside of the Sacramento area. Its two other sites are in Rancho Cordova and Folsom, with new bars opening in Davis and Roseville this summer.
Ax-throwing bars started popping up a few years ago around larger cities in the state like Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Sacramento. But locations outside of metro areas have been fewer and far between. So for once, Modesto appears to be at least near the cutting edge — so to speak — of a trend.
Now, you may be saying to yourself, did you say ax-throwing bar? Yes, bar. Smart Axe offers a small draft beer selection (four brews, to be exact) and a larger selection of non-alcoholic drinks. They do not serve hard alcohol. You can buy bar snacks like potato chips and Corn Nuts, or you can bring in your own food from outside.
The site also closes at 9:30 p.m. each day, so they hope to cut down on rowdy late-night crowds chucking axes willy-nilly.
Safety measures keep ax-throwing injury free
Now the natural follow-up question is, still, how can this be safe? Well Modesto Smart Axe manager Shannon Munoz assures me the worst injury across the their various locations so far has been “a splinter.” The space is split into 15 throwing lanes, measuring 20-by-6 feet. The lanes are caged around the throwing target, and have sawdust on the ground to keep axes from bouncing all over.
You also have to wear closed-toe shoes (dropping an ax on a flip-flopped foot is no fun for anyone) and sign a liability waiver. Throwing is open to those ages 12 and up, with a guardian’s signed permission for anyone under the age of 18. But after that, it’s time to grab your ax.
The about 3,600-square-foot space sits on a corner of the shopping center three doors down from Tasty Thai. The space used to be a bank, so a bar with flying axes is definitely different. The inside has capacity for about 94, with about six fitting comfortably per lane.
Blake Albino, one of the so-called “ax-tenders” at Smart Axe, said anyone can learn to throw. He said it took him about a week of throwing to become proficient. Most people can sink it into the target after 10 or 15 tries, at most.
As a self-described weakling and sports dunce, I was able to sink a couple axes after about 10 throws, too. The satisfying “thwack” of the ax lodging itself into the wooden target is hard to resist. The clang of a failure, much less so.
But, fear not, if you’re having trouble the ax-tenders roam around to offer help with technique and suggestions. The goal, Munoz said, is for everyone to sink at least one ax their first visit.
Ax-throwing leagues coming to north Modesto bar
“It’s empowering when you finally get one to stick,” Munoz said. “It’s easy to pick up once you find your sweet spot. It’s about finesse, not strength.”
At Smart Axe you can play a variety of ways, using the scoring system of other shooting or throwing games including darts, corn hole or HORSE. Sessions cost $25 for an hour and a half of throwing per person, and includes use of the axes. The venue can also be booked for private parties or corporate events.
They plan to set up a regular ax-throwing league as well, to start in June or July, that will function much like a bowling league. Smart Axe is affiliated with the World Axe Throwing League, which promotes urban indoor ax-throwing as a competitive sport with competitions and more.
Since its soft opening in late April, the bar has seen people come from across the Northern San Joaquin Valley and as far away as Sonora and the foothills.
“As we come out of the pandemic, it’s nice to do something different,” Munoz said. “People can’t believe they can have a beer and throw an ax at the same time.”
Smart Axe, at 3020 Floyd Ave. in Modesto, is open 3 to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information call 209-408-8345 or visit www.thesmartaxe.com.
This story was originally published May 14, 2021 at 9:09 AM.
