Glendale Heights man bringing 'Kick Axe' throwing business to Lombard

Get ready to kick some ax in Lombard at a new business that actually will cater to the growing sport of ax throwing.

Kick Axe Club is preparing to open this fall at 850 N. DuPage Ave., Unit 1, offering six steel-mesh enclosed lanes for up to 12 people to compete in ax throwing at a time.

Hashmath Hussaini of Glendale Heights, a computer engineer, said he's starting the throwing club with a partner to bring a hobby he enjoys to more suburban residents. Hussaini said he throws axes for fun at trees in his yard and wants to bring that experience to others.

"We wanted to create a place for adults where they can go to relax and have a good time with their friends and family," he said. "It became clear that a place like this was needed for the western suburbs."

Addressing Hussaini's application as if it were for a shooting range or an archery center, the Lombard plan commission and village board both approved a conditional use for the business to operate inside a space in an industrial area off North Avenue.

While an ax isn't a bullet or an arrow, Director of Community Development Bill Heniff said, the village chooses to regulate it as such.

"It's kind of the same idea," Heniff said. "You're throwing an object at a target."

That means the village decided it's OK for Kick Axe Club to open in an industrial area, away from houses and retail businesses, but with good access to major roads. No alcohol will be allowed inside the facility - Hussaini said all guests who enter will be evaluated to ensure they are not already intoxicated as a safety precaution.

Kick Axe also will work toward safety by giving customers coaching before their hourly throwing session and showing videos on using safe ax-throwing technique.

"Safety of everyone in the premises will be our primary concern," Hussaini said.

The aim of the game is similar to that of archery, or even darts, he said: throw an ax as close as possible to a bull's-eye on a target. The use of an unusual projectile "makes this sport more interesting and lots of fun," he said.

Lombard could be the first in the suburbs to offer this activity, but Heniff said he doubts it will be the last. Already popular in Canada, ax throwing seems to be making inroads farther south.

"Nationally, this is a growing phenomenon," Heniff said. "Surprisingly, there are a lot of establishments doing this in the Midwest and around the country."