I’ll say this about BOOM 🧨 BOOM: they are one of the most prepared interviewees I’ve encountered. Given they have a background in sports-related interviews, I felt entirely like I was a rookie reporter for a middle school newspaper trying to get some answers from an NFL captain. Anyway, during this axe thrower interview, BOOM 🧨 BOOM and I talked about how she got started, venue closing, and the evolution of skill (and confidence) in the sport (and so much more). Check it out here:  

Where’s your home venue?

I threw out of final acts in Red Deer, Alberta. And then the venue closed in December, so we’ll likely throw out of The Range or True North.

And why are you at the IATC?

I’m going to take a minute to answer this one.

Take as much time as you’d like.

[[dear reader, they did. She thoughtfully looked off for a while, then nodded in agreement with herself and began. It was like watching someone decide which spell to use before casting]]:

I’ve seen the community from Red Deer come to IATC over the years, and last year a bunch of the guys came out and had a great experience. So I just said, “Hey, I’m going to go. Whether I qualify or not, I can throw in some of the side tournaments.”

So I really made it a decision to circle the calendar and be here for 2026, which is cool that it lines up with the 10th anniversary. And then we’ve got, obviously, a local crowd that’s here with us. So really I’m excited to just be here with the crew and the community that we’ve got locally and meet the larger community we’ve got internationally.

As somebody who’s from the States, I think it’s a very different experience for me where it’s like, oh, I get to see these throwers from everywhere. But I imagine as somebody who’s more or less a local person, you get to see your local community with the addition of the worldwide thrower community –that experience has to be totally different.

Do you feel like you’re basically at home with visitors, like with guests, or do you feel like it is kind of a unique tournament?

It’s a really unique tournament. I think Goose and Sasha at The Range have done a great job throwing some of their big events. We’ve had a lot of Ontario people come out. Even coming here, getting a chance to see some of them that I’ve only seen once, or two years ago or something.

It’s opportunity to reconnect. Even chatting with one of the gentlemen in line, he’s come over from Britain. He’s talks about how this is basically like a reunion every year now, meeting people and coming back and how axe throwing is such a small, niche community. It’s really exciting to see and connect and be a part of this year, and hopefully continue to make it an annual thing.

What, development-wise, made it possible for you to be here?

Development-wise, I think prior to our venue closing, my throwing was in a good space. I felt confident to come out and actually compete, and do decently well here.

So from a development side of it, that was the piece where I was just like, “Okay, I’m working towards this for probably about 18 months.” In a personal space, I like getting out and doing new things and this is something I haven’t done – and meeting new people. So, it’s an opportunity for me to get out personally, mentally, be out in a new space in our community, and grow a little bit more.

What’s the best piece of advice that you would give to new throwers?

Just jump in. Enjoy it. You’re going to make mistakes. You’re going to drop axes. I dropped four yesterday in the Under 70. It still happens to seasoned people. So don’t beat yourself up. Every experience is a learning opportunity to grow yourself and your athletic ability in throwing.

What do you wish you did before you came here?

Practiced more competitively. 100%.

Yesterday was my first competitive match in over five months. Getting out and being able to throw competitively beforehand just so there wasn’t that rest and there weren’t those nerves, but at the end of the day, I’m here for the experience in something new. I’m not upset with how I threw. I’ve got today — two tournaments today – so we’ll see how it goes.

Do you have a secret weapon in axe throwing?

100%. It’s like how people talk about professional athletes being in the zone, and it’s like when you click into that mentality and you just know you have confidence in your throw, you know you’re going to hit your bullseye, you know you’re going to hit your Clutch.

You’re not doubting yourself, you’re really just throwing your personal game. That’s me when I do my best. Getting into that mindset is really kind of what I focus on, really, and just preparing myself to achieve that mindset.

Are you able to get yourself in that mindset?

Still working on it. It’s like a daily practice enrichment.

I know I have yet to meet somebody who can click that on. They know when they’re in it, but be able to click that on when they need it. I haven’t met anybody who really believes they know how to make it happen on demand.

Yeah. I mean, I played competitive hockey growing up, so I had that ability in that space. Now it’s just trying to remember and translate that ability into this environment. This sport is much more social, so you’re not dialed in all the time like you are for a 60-minute hockey game. Understanding that’s a little bit different.

[[At this point, dear reader, Mollie (my partner, professional photographer and beloved-by-all-they-meet wonder, walked past us. Behold a peek behind the curtain of the persona that is badger]]:

Me: This is my partner and photographer.

BOOM 🧨 BOOM: Hi, Kendall.

Mollie: Mollie.

Me: I have literally dropped four things interviewing Kendall. It’s embarrassing and bad.

Mollie: No it’s not. You’re holding a lot and it’s endearing.

Me: I guess.

Mollie: You’re doing great.

[[END SCENE]]

Is there anybody responsible for you getting to this point that you’re at now?

Is it weird to say myself?

No, no. Speak on that.

I put a lot of time and work into showing up at the venues, participating in the community, using my credit card points to book my flights to be out here, those types of things, right? So just really taking my time and making sure my resources and everything are aligned so that I can do stuff like this.

Anybody you want to shout out or anything that you want to add?

Just the crew that’s here from Final Axe. So that’d be Axcons, Butterfingers, Captain Morgan, Slice & Dicey’s not throwing today or this weekend and Cold Steel Center.