Newton Aycliffe axe-thrower Carl Howe has won a place in the International Axe Throwing Championships, to be held Toronto, Canada, this summer.
Carlo – who runs Valhalla North Axe Throwing on Aycliffe Business Park with his wife, Kathryn – took first place at the International Axe Throwing Federation (IATF) European Regional Tournament last weekend, beating 16 of Europe’s top throwers, to reach the world finals.
Carl and six other throwers from Valhalla North made the trip to London to compete in the tournament, which was based on four group stages, with the top two players from each group advancing on to a single elimination tournament to crown the overall champion.
Nine regional tournaments were held across the world to crown their respective champions, who all move on to the finals of the international final in Toronto in June.
Further spots in the finals will be up for grabs in a round one qualifiers tournament held at all venues, including Valhalla North, at the end of March.
To qualify for this, throwers must have taken a top four spot in a standard league or top eight in a premier rules league over the 2022-23 season.
“We’re waiting to hear how many spots will be available, but one thing is for certain, the competition will be tight!” said Kathryn.
Alongside regular customer sessions, Valhalla North runs 5 IATF leagues per week as well as numerous tournaments and charity events.
In August 2023, Valhalla North will host the UK Open, which will be the first IATF sanctioned open in the UK.
“We are looking forward to welcoming some of the best throwers from across the world, including the US and Canada, to what will be a fantastic event for the sport, the UK and local suppliers,” added Kat.
More information about leagues at Valhalla North can be found on their website www.valhallanorth.co.uk or by emailing [email protected].
You can also tune into weekly commentated league livestreams on their YouTube channel @Valhallanorthaxethrowing.