(axe grinding) (axe grinding) (upbeat music) (thud sound) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] Axe throwing is quickly growing in reputation around the United States, and rapidly becoming a popular pastime.

Sometimes called hatchet, athletes compete by throwing an axe at a target, attempting to hit the bullseye as close as possible.

-[Jesse] When I think of axe, I think of a big, like a long-handled axe, like you would use for firefighting, for forcing entry or anything like that, but it's actually more of like a hatchet.

So the hatchets themselves are about anywhere from a pound and a quarter to about five pounds.

- You have to be behind a 12-foot line, and then there's another 15-foot line, there's hatchet, big axe, duels, knife throwing, stuff like that.

- [Narrator] Modern competitive axe throwing began in the early 2000s, and it quickly grew into a sport that's accessible for nearly anyone.

With the introduction of axe throwing bars across the country, more and more people have been introduced to the pastime while enjoying their favorite drink.

- I would say, for most people, it's two things that definitely shouldn't go together, but we find a way like to make it work.

- [Narrator] Jesse Rood is just one of the many who fell in love with the sport.

After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and marrying his wife, Isabelle, the two ventured out to Colorado in 2019 for a summer camp.

While mentoring young children as a horse wrangler, Jesse found a new passion that exceeded his wildest dreams.

-[Jesse] One day I just picked up an axe and tried it and I was like, "This is pretty sweet."

And one of the older guys at camp was like, "Yeah, and all you have to do to double your rotations of the axe is just back up the same distance you are from the target, so just double your distance."

- [Narrator] With this new interest in tow, Jesse and his wife moved back to Nebraska to fulfill a childhood dream, one that would have slight parallels to his new passion.

-[Jesse] My dad was a firefighter all throughout my life various different departments, volunteer departments, so I knew early on, I wanted to go into firefighting.

I had my EMT, but I had no fire experience, so I kind of thought it would be a really difficult time.

But with COVID, there was some openings at the Air Guard base, so I kind of slipped in at the perfect time.

Obviously, for firefighting, you're using an axe for all kinds of things, forcing entry, helping with the halligan, but that's what we use axes for on the job.

It's a lot harder to throw those big axes.

(upbeat music) One night, when we were closing, I threw probably like a six rotation shot.

(intense music) - Whoa.

-[Jesse] And I was like, dang, I kind of wanna see what the world record is, so I went home, looked it up and it was around 72 feet at the time.

And just that night, 60 or so feet, I knew I was close so I was like, with some practice, I guarantee I could break it.

So I applied for the record and it took really long time to get approved to attempt it, maybe four or five months.

But in the meantime, Craft put me into contact with the Nebraska Sports Council and Dave Mlnarik, who works out there, he's a great guy, and he was super excited about having me do it for the Cornhusker State Games.

- [Narrator] In order to set a record, Jesse trained hard to hone his throw.

- I would say I was going like three to five times a week, depending on how busy I was.

But I'd go out there in the morning and just throw till the mid-afternoon and toss my headphones in.

- [Narrator] With his sights set on the 72 foot record, Jesse's goal was not only to break the record but to shatter it.

- Obviously, some days, if I wanted to focus more on like 120 feet or beyond, I wouldn't throw as many until I got to 120 just 'cause my arm was gassed.

And I also had issues initially where I was thinking, I think I overdid it.

(intense music) - [Steven] I mean, we lent him old, like half-used boards that he could practice on, we gave him a couple sprayers, 'cause if the wood's too hard, it's not gonna stick.

Just kind of gave him like the supplies he needed and the support of like an official, like, we're certified with the World Axe Throwing League.

- We had to reach out to Allied Surveying and Mapping, and they were awesome, volunteered their time to come out and get it certified.

(upbeat music) I think most of the nerves came from like the questions I was getting on the day of where people were saying like, "What kind of percentage are you hitting from, from like 75 feet plus?"

And I was like, "Well, I've never thrown in front of people ever."

And I was pretty nervous after about eight or nine that I invited all my friends and family to come watch me not stick an axe.

But then, I think I really relaxed, took a couple deep breaths.

(somber music) (crowd cheering) (upbeat music) I finally stuck from 89.3 feet, officially.

It was pretty sweet when I hit it.

And I think it was mostly 'cause I missed so many and I think I could kind of see that people were starting to question if this was like gonna happen.

But I was really excited after sticking to get a chance to hit from 120, because in warmups, even that day, I hit two axes from 120, so I really, that was my goal.

And even though it was only by like 10 or so feet, it's just cool to have your name on something like that.

-[Steven] He comes from a small town, I come from a small town, different small towns, but still like for that world record to be held by someone who came from rural Nebraska, I think that part was like the coolest part for me.

-[Jesse] I would love to do it again.

It was kind of a lot of hoops initially to jump through and I'm kind of am just enjoying the time of not setting anything up.

- [Narrator] As Jesse looks to the future, and potentially defending his world record, the popularity of axe throwing continues to spread.

- Some people do, you know, like spa days, stuff like that.

For a lot of people that come here, it's how they forget about a bad day at work or stress or whatever, it's just something to get your mind off of whatever you're going through.

(upbeat music)