In this video, CrossFitter and world-champion lumberjack competitor Erin LaVoie shows off her axe-throwing skills with Chance Hughs, her boyfriend and fellow co-owner of Predation CrossFit.
LaVoie explains the sport of axe throwing and how it’s judged. Although there’s quite a distance between competitions, winning brings money, prizes and bragging rights.
Her strategy is simple: “It’s just a straight line from behind my back, over my head, to the bull’s eye,” LaVoie says.
She’s handcrafted her axe and has even made a portable training target.
Hughs takes some throwing lessons from LaVoie and learns it’s harder than it looks.
“You’d think it’d be easier, but it isn’t. You watch logging sports and you go, ‘Oh yeah, I could do that.’ No, you can’t,” Hughs says.
LaVoie demonstrates the technique she uses and explains how important the axe, hand position and throwing form are for success.
11min 48sec
Additional reading: Hammer Time: Throwing Drills by Robin Lyons, published Feb. 1, 2008.