Ax Throwing: Philadelphia's New Hobby

— -- From the backwoods of Canada to a hip warehouse in Philadelphia, this sport’s rising popularity is no “ax-ident."

Urban Axes is a competitive ax-throwing facility in Philadelphia. Open for just a few weeks, it’s quickly gained a cult following. On any given night you can find friends meeting up for a few beers and a couple rounds of throws, a company team-building retreat or even professional athletes! The starting catcher and first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies got a lesson and no surprise, they were pretty good.

But one of the coolest things about ax throwing is that it’s a completely even playing field -- strength does not really make a difference. A big burly young guy could come in with a bit of swagger and learn very quickly that it’s not as easy as it looks. Meanwhile, the little grandmother next to him is hitting that center circle on her first try.

Safety is a key part of the training and demonstrations, according to Lily Cope of Urban Axes. But what keeps people coming back is that adrenaline rush when you hit your first bull's eye and hear that beautiful “thwap” as the ax goes into the board.

ABC’s Karen Travers spent an afternoon with Philly’s “axeperts” and tried to show off what she learned.