All good things come to an end, and time continues its ever-shuffle toward eventual entropy, now is the time that we reflect on what we've accomplished, and what we're gonna change in the coming year.
Wait...you thought I was gonna...gonna quit axe throwing? Oh no. No, no. That's just a weak attempt at a clickbait headline. I learned it from watching you, Choppers.
This post is a reflection of my 2024 goals, and how I did. Sheesh. So with that, let's take a look at my last year in axe throwing.
2024 axe-olutions
As a reminder (I'm sure all of you remember them by heart), here are my 2024 goals:
Get a fancy axe
Bring up my average
Travel to at least two new axe houses
Bring at least one new person into the fold
At first blush, I think I did pretty dang well.
How I did over the last year in axe throwing
Get a fancy new axe:
Babies, I got this one out of the way in spades. My current stable includes two Kevin Bradley hatchets and a big axe made by Northern Axe Works.
Overall, and as I indicated in my initial 2024 axe-olutions post, this wasn't really a goal I thought I'd miss out on, nor a very important one. But boy howdy, do I love having them. And, as an added benefit, I'm not buying an axe every time I see one for sale, so that's nice.
I also made it a point to get the same shaped handle for both my clutch axe and bull axe (I've been flirting with going back to just one axe, but that's content for another day), and I've found having that similarity between the two has helped me be more confident in my clutch throw/transition from one to the other. That's likely not news for anyone (having the same shape of axe handle is helpful), but it wasn't something I considered until I did, and it made a difference.
so:
Goal: Goaled.
Bring up my average:
I mean...kinda? Compared to 2023 I seem to have done pretty well, average-wise. It's not a spectacular change but it's there, and I'll count it as successful, overall. There were/are some blips in there where I really didn't do so hot, but hey, what's life if not a series of acceptable disappointments.
Goal: Kinda goaled, I guess?
Travel to at least two new axe houses:
So I thought I failed this one until my partner came downstairs and I was talking about this post. They reminded me I've been to:
IATC (So several BATL locations) (I literally forgot I competed in this)
Choptober (Choppers)
Clutch Shot
Now, that last one was just for some extra throwing during Choptober, but I'm gonna count it. I gotta say - going to a new axe house is always, always worth it. It's like a study cram session for throwers to learn new things, improve their own game, and meet new people. Expenses aside, going to new axe houses is where this sport shines.
Goal: goaled
Bring at least one new person into the fold
This one is a little bit harder to figure out, as I think, at best, I can get about 8 "assists" in this goal. I don't remember being the sole person who convinced someone to throw away hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year to join up with a league/get into this sport, but I know I worked real hard alongside others (Chopman, Otter Guy) to keep people interested and motivated. Point in fact, Meduseld Meadery has so many throwers, they might expand into additional days for league night. Which would be a pretty great accomplishment.
Goal: Imma say "best attempt" or something like that. Not a failure, but not an outright win.
I'm gonna spend some time thinking about what I'd like to accomplish for 2025, if the fates allow me to have a full year of throwing. Off the top of my head, I'd love to have a 75 average season (that's a long way off), and I'd really be excited to get another achievement coin under my belt. But I might also like to try 3 new ice cream flavors so we'll see where the ambition takes me.
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