After a friend in Dallas opened an ax-throwing venue, owner Dennis McCorvy said he decided to open his own place in Tomball.
“[We wanted to] just give Tomball something more to do besides movie theaters and the bowling alley,” McCorvy said.
McCorvy said he found the space to house Slinging Axes in September and spent the next three months getting it ready, doing everything except the air conditioning.
“Most of the stuff was done by myself,” McCorvy said. “I had a couple of friends help me. Even my kids came up every now and then to help when they could.”
Opening in November, Slinging Axes features nine ax-throwing lanes, with each lane accommodating six people. There are also four dart-throwing lanes and four video game stations that house two Xbox systems and two PlayStation systems. The entire venue can be rented, and while snacks and soft drinks are offered at Slinging Axes, the business is BYOB, and food is allowed inside.
When it comes to the ax-throwing, there is no age limit, McCorvy said.
“Everybody always asks me, ‘What’s the age limit?’” McCorvy said. “And I look at them and say, ‘That’s up to you. You’re the parent.’”
Before the axes start flying, McCorvy said he also gives customers a safety briefing and coaches them.
“I make sure they know how to throw the ax,” McCorvy said. “So I get them up there and have them throw a couple of times, and I coach them while they’re doing it. Once that’s done, that’s when the hour actually begins because we charge by the hour.”
The ax-throwing lanes are set up to throw from 12 feet and 15 feet away, denoted by yellow tape in front of the target.
“The only person allowed in that zone is the person throwing the ax. It’s all about safety,” he said.
Beyond axes, McCorvy said he has ordered knives and throwing stars, and has desires to expand the business’s offerings to archery and ax-throwing with bigger axes.
“The overall plan is to keep this going and to grow a little bit and offer more things besides ax-throwing and darts,” McCorvy said.
McCorvy also said he’s trying to push spirit nights with schools and fundraisers for companies.
“This isn’t about trying to get rich,” he said. “This is about just having a place [where] people can have fun.”
Slinging Axes
11709 Boudreaux Road, Ste. 610, Tomball
281-547-8119
www.slingingaxes.net
Hours: Thu. 5:30-10 p.m., Fri. 5:30 p.m.-midnight, Sat. 2 p.m.-midnight, Sun. 2-8 p.m., closed Mon.-Wed.
