Stephen is a longtime friend of this blog. He sent me a few messages here and there when I first started the thing, and I had the good fortune of meeting him at IATC last year while I was freaked out of my gourd with all the people there. When I saw him again during Choptober, it occured to me that I never interviewed the guy. And hell, why not? So here's my tiny axe thrower interview with the man himself:
Do you often come to Choptober, or is this your first one?
This is my third. I'm going to give you the long answer to this: I started throwing in 2019 with the pandemic kind of sidetracking it for a while. So I threw out of Urban Philly. So 2022, 2023, and now 2024.
How has it changed over the years?
The bar is in a different place. The pool tables are moved. Other than that...It's a little smaller? Two or three years ago it was 250+ to the gills and part of the IATF tournament circuit - there weren't a ton of tournaments, so you'd see in 2019 a bunch of Canadians coming down to compete. I think people aren't willing to travel quite as far as there is so much to do throughout the year.
Do you think - so Choptober is a big deal in the axe throwing world. Do you think this is more of a cultural event? Or are people here to really compete?
I think it's both. I think because it's got so much history, and because Choppers has so much history - I think regionally because it's...a lot of axe throwing is East-coast oriented. An LA-AX Grand Slam gets less turnout, you know? You know with an event like this, you're getting your Randers here and your Canexicans.
And we have Australian and UK throwers as well -
Yeah, it's well known, and the East Coast is accessible in a way for a large enough segment [of axe throwers]. With the East Coast you know you're going to get a certain vibe from the community and you're also going to get a lot of the best-of-the-best throwers.
Do you have any particular goals for this tournament?
Not really, you know? I did well last year - I finished 7th last year, I was really surprised - got a novelty check and was really satisfied with that.
I'd like to get to day two, but I'd like to throw well - every year the skill goes up and up across all throwers. If I'm losing and it's premier clutches and perfect rounds, so be it. But if I lose and it's missed clutches and a bunch of threes, I'll be a little disappointed. I try not to be super goal oriented.
Is there anything you'd like to see changed - either with this tourney specifically or IATF tourneys in general?
Uh. Semi-hot take: I don't love randomized seeding for tournaments.
I think people do like it because you can get surprises like Rander vs. Daddy in round one, but I think to honor the efforts that people make year round, to seed by average or by CRS just makes more sense to me.
But I do like the random seeding a little bit - it's funny. If you're someone who's gonna go 0-2 you're probably gonna be someone who goes against Rander, or you'll have a better shot in B-bracket against comparable folks if it's logically oriented.
Anything you'd like to add, or anyone you wanna shout out?
Shout out to the Badger - I love folks working the scene and love reading your stuff, always.
Also Choptober - Joey the Hat, Kevin, Don, T-man - putting in a lot of effort this weekend, a lot goes into it. Just grateful to be able to take part.
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