During the New Year's Day marathon league at Urban Baltimore, I got the chance to hang out with Jenny Beams (a local Baltimore thrower) and re-record an interview I previously mucked up from months before. Truth be told: I thought I was recording the int
erview before, but I was in fact recording nothing, and then when I hit "stop" I ended
up recording about 5 minutes of my own mumbling and self-encouragement talk. Not nearly as compelling as what I eventually got in this actual interview!
How long have you been throwing?
About a year and a half, out of Urban Baltimore.
In your time here - and it's a bit different than our first interview - I was talking to [Sex Metal Barbie] about how you've grown as a player, and she said you've progressed so much as a thrower since our first (failed) interview. Do you feel like you've progressed, and if so, how?
I think I have. The last time you talked to me, I was throwing about 50%-60% bullseyes, wasn't hitting a lot of clutches. Today, so far, 89% bulls and maybe 35% of my clutches. You know, a lot of it comes down to me going up to Choppers for their Premier League, and the Premier League in Baltimore. That's been a huge help. Aim small, miss small, right?
Has anything else changed for you? Are you still using the same axes as before?
I'm actually using a different axe! My friend Ericka (Bows) - I was throwing with her at Axes and O's, and she said "you know, you should really use a different axe, this one is too big," and I agreed, so I used hers, and it was amazing. She let me borrow it for a little while and I decided to have the same axe made.
And what axe is it?
Custom Kevin Bradley IATF Premier axe.
So you've been traveling around -
Yeah, here in Baltimore for league, Choppers for events and Women's Premier, Axes and O's a couple times for events. I want to go anywhere else within driving distance - I really want to go to the Meadery sometime soon. I really wanted to go to the Harry Potter one but my nephew had a birthday. I heard there's a big axe marathon coming up!
What else did I want to ask you...
Dear reader, please note, I took a 45ish second pause here trying to think about what else I wanted to learn from Jenny. I made it a point to record saying "please note this blank space where I couldn't think good."
I guess...and you can say no to this question, but: axe throwing is a very cis, hetero-normative sport. Do you feel like you're welcome in the spaces you go to, or do you not? Do you feel like there are elements that work against you or, alternately, support your success in axe throwing?
That's a good question. I'd like to start off by saying that Urban Baltimore is amazing. My first time coming here was for Pride night. I came down and had a great experience. The people here invited me to come out for an open house - I was a little bit...Okay.
So Pride Night was the first time I left my house not in "guy mode," just to feel it all out. My first league I was also feeling it out, proceeding cautiously, making sure things felt safe. Around Halloween I came in full dress and everything just to try it out.
And everyone at Urban Baltimore was absolutely great. Everyone at Choppers has been absolutely fantastic. Axes and O's was/is the same. With the exception of one or two people who have seemingly, intentionally, not use the correct pronouns or not respected that, it's been absolutely phenomenal.
I want to make it a point to say: those one or two people don't represent the full axe throwing community. The full axe throwing community has been incredible - this is the first place I've actually felt like I can be myself. And that's really why I keep axe throwing - I get to be myself and be part of this wonderful community, and that's why I keep axe throwing.
You're making me teary and I'm trying to work past it [[dear reader, I did]].
Now, you've used a word there a few times: safe. Now, I'm fairly boring, but I am Jewish. The idea of a "safe space" to me I understand, but I don't think I can fully understand what it means from your perspective. I'm wondering if you could explain what a 'safe' environment looks like?
[[pause in the interview whilst I throw against Flick Flick Boom]]
That's a tough question. Obviously it's the people. One of the big things, for instance, was in coming into Urban Baltimore, there were little indications, like pride flags being scattered around. That's a good tell. At the very least, they have flags, so it's probably a safe space.
Plus the league values are important in Baltimore and across the IATF. I know for a lot of people those just sound like a bunch of words, but it means a lot to me to hear that someone else is looking out for me, and for everyone.
The way everyone acts is really important. Like, the first time I came [[to axes]] in a dress, I had never really been out like that to a lot of people, in a public, open area. I had been to pride events, but that was it. So it was really big to just be able to walk in and have people say "oh hey, you look good."
When I changed my name on AxeScores - when I first started I used "Mosh" because that's a good gender-neutral name, but I needed something that wasn't outing me. When I changed that to "Jenny Beams," it was a real quick conversation. I just asked Alex "hey, can you change it to this" and she was like "oh, yeah," and boom, it was done, no questions asked. And sure, nobody had any idea who "Jenny" was for those first couple matches. But that was it.
The staff know my birth name because I have to pay with a credit card, and my legal name isn't changed yet, but they are very cool about using Jenny. It's always been very accepting, a very good community - they basically said "we know this is how you want to be perceived and seen," and they've gone out of their way to make sure that happens.
Like I said, it's a tough questions and very broad. I've had very bad experiences outside of the axe throwing community where, afterwards, I've thought "okay, cool. I can't ever go back here." I've never had that experience in axe throwing. It's super welcoming. I never feel like I'm an other or an outsider. People just ask if I want to throw sharp things at a wall and drink alcohol.
There's a thing that I come back to a lot: being in Central Pennsylvania growing up, there was precious little diversity - I was one of two Jews in any of my school years - and it's something I've experienced in almost all aspects of my life at some point, and certainly in sports: IN the group, but not OF the group. I think axe throwing is one of the few places where I haven't felt that. I feel like I make up part of the fabric of this community, and it's great to hear that you're having the same experience.
Yes. That's almost the exact same experience. It's really nice to know that I'm not the only one who understands that feeling.
Intersectionality is where it's at.
So now it's 2025. Do you have any goals for the year?
Yeah! Last year my goals were to throw a 75 and an 81. I threw a 75, so I'm still aiming for that 81, and am hoping to clear that this year. I'd love to hit a couple more venues. I want to meet a lot of different people, and experience everything the community has to offer. I really want to go to Canada for IATC. I got into the Women's tournament for coming in 2nd at the Axes and O's event. I want to see what the big tournament is like.
I went for the first time last year, and...I don't have a high opinion of myself as a thrower, but I feel like I do alright. But I went up there and the veil was lifted. It was eye opening.
Oh yeah. My first night of Premier league was like that. I was expecting to get my but kicked a little bit, but not quite as much as it was.
Is there anything you wanna add?
I want to thank Ericka Bows, Happy Axes, Big Vic Energy and everyone from my Sunday Brunch League. Thank you so much!
Thanks to Jenny for this enlightening, deep-dive interview, and thanks for being patient with me as I got confused about what I was even trying to say.
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