Axe throwing lanes coming to the Pont Blanc beach on May 29

Axe throwing lanes coming to the Pont Blanc beach on May 29

Visitors to the Pont Blanc beach in Mansfield-et-Pontefract will have a new activity to try out at the end of the month: axe throwing. The beach site, which is operated by the coopérative Aventure Hélianthe will officially open of the new lanes on May 29. Guillaume Lavoie-Harvey explained that while he understood the reservations some might have with the about hurling sharp objects, their safety standards will be high.

“Yes, these are concerns that are very valid, precisely because throwing an axe, at first glance, seems like something quite dangerous,” he said (translated). “But it is, in fact, a sport that is becoming more and more popular across Canada and in the United States. It is a sport that is, in fact, recognized through a world league called the World Axe Throwing League and it is on these criteria that we based ourselves at the Coop to build this axe throwing facility. In fact, it’s like playing darts, but with a much bigger target. Axes really aren’t thrown hard. It’s really just to give them a spin so they can land in the targets where they stick quite easily.”

The axe throwing is just part of the cooperative’s plans to diversify the activities that they offer at the site.

“Yes, so it is certain that these days like any business, we are always looking for workers,” he said (translated). “But, depending on the availability that we will see, we want to start on Friday and Saturday evenings. It’s going to be after our opening day on the water so it’s going to start around 4 p.m. and finish in the evening around 8-9 p.m. We will start during the month of June at the beginning of summer on Friday and Saturday. Then, depending on people’s interest, we will try to open the axe throwing centre more and more to the public. The rest of the days of the week, we will open to rentals for large groups, corporate events, which need a little more reservations and organization.”

The inauguration of the axe throwing lanes will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday May 29.

The full (French-language) interview with Lavoie-Harvey is available here.