Finally, a place to sharpen your ax-throwing skills in Vegas

Now you can cap off a late night in Vegas with something different: a little axe=-throwing.

Anyone can tap their inner Celt, Viking or lumberjack at a new indoor facility called Axe Monkeys, which opened March 1 about five miles east of the Strip.

No experience necessary to heave an ax over your head and take aim. Guests spend $25 each for an hour’s worth of throws.

You aim for bull’s-eye targets painted on large logs in one of 23 lanes, kind of like hurling really big darts.

“When that ax makes contact with that pine wood, it’s a feeling you just can’t explain,� says Anthony Cools, a hypnotist who performs five nights a week at Paris hotel-casino. “It’s awesome.�

Cools, a native of Calgary, Canada, brought the activity to Vegas. It’s his second site; the other is in Kelowna, Canada.

He says ax-throwing has become crazy popular north of the border.

“It’s a license to print money in Canada,� he said. “I looked at 70 or 80 odd locations across Canada, [but] there was nothing in the U.S.�

With Vegas visitors coming from different parts of the country and the world, Cools figured it would be the ideal place for his latest venture.

And the activity, he pointed out, is family-friendly too. Kids ages 7 and older can participate.

“[The axes] are very dull. They don’t have to be sharp to stick in that log,� he explained. “It’s safer than a gun range. It’s safer than an archery range.�

Trained staff members greet each guest and give a quick lesson before handing over an ax. Trainers remain at their side until they feel comfortable throwing on their own.

Knives and ninja stars also are available for tossing at targets, but guests must be at least 16 years old.

Axe Monkeys is open 10 a.m.to 2 a.m. daily. It’s at 3525 Post Road, Suite 110, Las Vegas.

Info: Axe Monkeys, (866) 293-6665

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