Step inside the lanes at Broadaxe and try your hand at axe throwing. Photo: Broadaxe
Axe throwing has come to town.
“Let’s go throw axes in Maple Grove!”
That’s a sentence Matt Pohlkamp is hoping to hear more often. Pohlkamp is the owner and CEO of Broadaxe Axe Throwing, nestled inside Maple Grove’s Broadway Bar and Pizza, a fun place for family and friends to try a new activity.
This isn’t Pohlkamp’s first time running an axe-throwing venue. “I fell in love with the concept, how things ran and the camaraderie,” he says.
Broadaxe, recognized by the International Axe Throwing Federation (IATF), offers axe throwing for groups ranging from four to 24 people in its two arenas. Participants don’t need experience to reserve a time slot—an axe master joins each group.
“An axe master is a trained employee that has been certified. They will take you through two different throwing styles. They’re there throughout the process of a round robin style game, then do a tournament at the end,” Pohlkamp says.
Axe throwing might seem intimidating, but Pohlkamp assures that all are welcome to try it out. “You don’t have to be super athletic to throw axes. That’s not even the concept,” he says. “It’s as simple as being able to bend your elbow, point and throw at the right time. We’ll help you land on the target. We’ll help you focus on the bullseye part of it.”
Regardless of participants’ level of experience (novice to expert), anyone can become part of an axe-throwing league at Broadaxe. “If you’re a first timer, you can sign up for a league,” Pohlkamp says. “Guys and gals that have been doing this for a long time … they’ll help you get better, too. It’s a way to bring a bunch of people together.”
Through a league, participants can compete with other IATF throwers and even get opportunities to travel. “You compete nationwide against people,” Pohlkamp says.
The camaraderie of competition keeps things exciting. “You might be competing, but if you’re going for a perfect score, everyone will stop and watch and cheer you on. It’s quite the accomplishment,” he says.
Broadaxe offers full bar and menu service, including happy hour. The venue is known for its pizza, but there’s also pasta dishes and wings, as well as other snacks and meals. “The goal of this is to come in, have fun, drink and eat pizza, boost your own ego when you win,” Pohlkamp says. “And then when you come back, you can defend that title!”
Pohlkamp previously worked for Broadway as general manager in another location. However, this is the first restaurant and axe-throwing venue that he’s owned. “I fell in love with the process and with the company itself,” Pohlkamp says. The location had a lot of extra space, and when he first saw it, he had his heart set on axe throwing as the use for the extra space. “Now, we have this option for something new,” he says.
Interest in axe throwing is growing in Maple Grove, and Pohlkamp hopes people start to see it as a place to regularly visit. “The goal with Broadaxe is that it’s an experience,” Pohlkamp says.
Broadaxe
7890 Main St.; 763.333.1303
Facebook: Broadaxe – Axe Throwing
Instagram: @broadaxemn
