Axe Thrower Interview: Queen Bee

I met up with Queen Bee at the U.S. Championship this year, and interviewed her JUST before she had an amazing match with Canexican – I feel like the interview would have been different had it happened just after that match, but here’s an axe thrower interview with a person who was just about to have an amazing day.

Queen Bee was ALSO kind enough to talk to me about the blog a bit, give me encouragement, and not make me feel like a sewer rat, which was very much so appreciated. Anyway, here’s the interview!

What’s your home venue?

Well, it was Valhalla North out of the UK, but unfortunately that’s just closed. So we’re probably going to be going down to Axcadia at the moment.

Where’s that?

That is down in Somerset.

What brought you into the sport?

We used to have a local restaurant that we liked when we were in Cornwall. And then obviously COVID hit. So we just turned up to go for a meal at a sports bar and there was axe throwing. We went, “Oh, we’ve got time to kill. Let’s just go throw.”

We did that, and then we Googled and realized there was a venue close to us, started going there, and as you know, it kind of gets addictive.

So that’s where it all started.

. What are you throwing currently for your axes?

I have a Ace Hammerhead on an 81 handle, a Queen on an 81 handle, and then I’ve got a Warrior spawn big ax on an 81 handle.

Awesome. So what does success look like to you?

Trying to have fun whilst throwing axes and making friends.

Well, this is kind of a tricky question because you went to Valhalla and they just closed. But what would you say your ax venue did or does that is different?

It was the community vibe that we had at Valhalla. That was the big thing.

And how do you think that was different than other axe houses that are around?

I think it came from Kat and Carl, the owners, with regards to the fact that they were just very much community based and they wanted people to throw those that couldn’t.

They set up a community fund so that people could put in so that if someone couldn’t pay for a league, that there was money there to pay for it, to allow them to still throw.

What keeps you in the sport and what could drive you away?

I think at the moment it’s the people keep me in the sport. We went to Detroit because Stormy invited us over. We’ve come here because Rob and Dina are amazing said, “You need to come.”

So yeah, I think the people keep me in it. And unfortunately, I think potentially the lack of venues in the UK might be the … The thing.

Is anyone over there discussing how to revive UK axe throwing?

We’ve got a couple of venues in the Midlands. You’ve got one, down in Bridgewater.

Unfortunately, we have had Valhalla and others close in the last 18 months or so. There are some of the throwers that are like, “Oh, let’s try and do a community place that’s just for us and not for people. ” It’s just going to be difficult. I think it’s just costs. Yeah, sure. That’s the biggest issue.

Well, yeah. And we’re running that in … I mean, obviously America’s a lot bigger and has a bigger scene, but we’re running into the same thing where how do you balance whether Axe throwing survives because of people just coming in for one time or are you just investing it all into the community and hoping that the community is big enough?

But we all know that leagues don’t make the money, do they? If you walk into the ones that make the money and then it’s a question of fitting in leagues.

If there’s one thing you could change about the sport, what would it be?

To have more events in the UK, which are easier to get to.

What’s your biggest achievement in axe throwing?

I think the biggest achievement was winning the first ever Shieldmaiden and Slam, which was officially my first ever major that I entered.

What’s something you would tell your just starting self?

That it is addictive and to try as many axes as you can. It’s a bit like Harry Potter and the wands – The axe choose you. So it’d be to just to throw as many axes as you can and remember to have fun.

Anybody you want to shout out or anything you want to include?:

My husband, Dom/Pendragon for supporting me in this really crazy adventure that we go on together.

Huge thanks to Queen Bee for hanging out with me for a bit, talking to me during the event(s) and for being so very kind!