WATL Council Members

While most everyone knows who we are as WATL, we wanted to introduce these members and show a little bit about them and who they are. The WATL council members are members of the axe throwing community who are volunteering their time to help progress the World Axe Throwing League to new heights. They also have shown great merit in the community not just to WATL but to axe throwing overall.  We believe that each one of them has shown the qualities that will help progress the sport of axe throwing to the next level.

Benn MacDonald – Head of Officiating

What venue are you associated with?  Far Shot Recreation, USA and Far Shot Recreation, CAN

What is your day job (if it’s not axe throwing)? Axe Throwing Venue Owner

How long have you been a part of the axe throwing community? Since 2016

How did you get introduced into the axe throwing community/WATL?  Opened a venue in 2016/ founding member of WATL

Any community achievements? Head of Officiating for the World Axe Throwing League, Far Shot won the 2017 WATL Championships

Random fun fact about yourself that has nothing to do with axe throwing. I have 6 kids and I enjoy banana pudding (when my kids don’t steal it) and reading (who has time to read with 6 kids?!).

Tabitha Carroll – Head Judge

What venue are you associated with? The Axe House Cleveland

What is your day job (if it’s not axe throwing)? Running our venue full time & judging all of you at tournaments.

How long have you been a part of the axe throwing community? Since 2019

How did you get introduced into the axe throwing community/WATL? Went throwing with my husband🪓.

Any community achievements? I worked tirelessly and spent many hours with all of you these past few years and I am now the official Head Judge of WATL!

Random fun fact about yourself that has nothing to do with axe throwing. I love our two huskies, and I have an aquarium that I’m obsessed with which is dedicated to my aquatic snails.

Kyle Rickenbaugh – Council President

What venue are you associated with? Plaid & Timber Axe Throwing Company

What is your day job (if it’s not axe throwing)? Owning and operating the venue.

How long have you been a part of the axe throwing community? Since 2019

How did you get introduced into the axe throwing community/WATL?  A mixture of a few things. First was competing in QATL and the Global Team Throwdown. I was the captain of Team Indiana. Second was by going to a major tournament. I went to Ironside in 2020 as my first major WATL tournament.

Any community achievements? Judging the first televised WKTL finals on ESPN during the 2021 US Open.

Random fun fact about yourself that has nothing to do with axe throwing. I am a certified professional bike fitter. I have spent 1000s of hours ensuring that competitive road cyclists, triathletes, mountain bikers, and weekend warrior riders are biomechanically in the best possible position to get the most out of their bodies while riding. I love rolling up to tournaments blaring some T. Swift.

Tristan Ledbury

What venue are you associated with?  Bad Axe Throwing Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, the observable Universe.

What is your day job (if it’s not axe throwing)? Creative Problem Solver // Graphic Designer // Dad

How long have you been a part of the axe throwing community? June 2017 threw my first axe, June 2018 started throwing in a league and I have survived target shrinkage ever since

How did you get introduced into the axe throwing community/WATL?  Friend invited me to throw while I ate unlimited shrimp and I said yes

Any community achievements? One of the founders of the QATL, Star of the Bad Axe Axecuses viral video, Known as the Jack Black of Axe Throwing.

Random fun fact about yourself that has nothing to do with axe throwing. Things I have designed you have probably seen on a shelf in a retail store, in the hands of an NHL player “go Bruins” or the hands of a playboy bunny or in the background of a TV show like NBC’s Park’s & Rec.

Lucas Johnson

What venue are you associated with?  Murfreesboro Axe

What is your day job (if it’s not axe throwing)? Axe Throwing Venue Owner – Escape Game Tech/Install

How long have you been a part of the axe throwing community? Since 2020

How did you get introduced into the axe throwing community/WATL?  I went axe throwing back in 2017 but didn’t go again for 2 years and opened our venue in 2019. 2020 I got into competitive throwing during QATL and the online challenges/tournaments.

Any community achievements? 2020 Duals World Champion
2021 Duals World Champion
Highest Season Score ever recorded 1709

Random fun fact about yourself that has nothing to do with axe throwing. I’ve played over 500+ Escape Games throughout the United States and some in Canada.
Cuddled with Taylor Swift.

Alison Fawthrop

What venue are you associated with? Drengr Axe Throwing

What is your day job (if it’s not axe throwing)? Real Estate Investor

How long have you been a part of the axe throwing community? Since 2018

How did you get introduced into the axe throwing community/WATL?  First date with Brandon Johnson

Any community achievements? 2022 Head Award given at WATC by Women’s Axe Council, 2021 Best Judge Award given by Texas Axe Throwing Association (TATA), 2022 Volunteer of the Year Award TATA Awards, 2023 Texas Heart Award TATA Awards

Random fun fact about yourself that has nothing to do with axe throwing. I’m a Brit and have lived all over the world.

Erika Brynildsen

What venue are you associated with? Riverbend Axe Throwing

What is your day job (if it’s not axe throwing)? Chief Nursing Officer of Anderson Rehabilitation Institute

How long have you been a part of the axe throwing community? Since 2019

How did you get introduced into the axe throwing community/WATL? At the end of 2018 I surprised my husband, Daniel, with an axe throwing date. We both hadn’t done it and both had a blast. We then did axe throwing with a couple of other groups in our lives. Every time it was the same thing, most people hadn’t done it and everyone had a blast. Both with entrepreneurial blood, we decided our hometown desperately needed an axe throwing venue because there was nothing fun for young adults to do besides bars. So we opened our venue in September of 2019 and fell in love with the sport.

Any community achievements? One of the founding members of the Women’s Axe Council, 2022 Best New Tournament, Community Ambassador, taught by Tyler and Dannielle approved Bracket Manager. Doting wife of a pro axe thrower and mom and responsible party of the cutest duals team – go Mad Sisters!

Random fun fact about yourself that has nothing to do with axe throwing. I have 4 kids of my own and 7 (and growing) axe children (“Axe Mom”).

Rachel Rowell

What venue are you associated with? Blades & Boards

What is your day job (if it’s not axe throwing)? Venue owner

How long have you been a part of the axe throwing community? Since 2017

How did you get introduced into the axe throwing community/WATL? I went throwing at a facility in Kansas City and bad a BLAST! Decided to open our own venue and join WATL shortly after.

Any community achievements? N/a

Random fun fact about yourself that has nothing to do with axe throwing. I love to rescue dogs, read, and anything outdoors – camping, traveling, and adventures!

Thaddius Shipley

What venue are you associated with? Primal Axe House

What is your day job (if it’s not axe throwing)? Retired Farrier (Horseshoer/blacksmith)

How long have you been a part of the axe throwing community? Since 2019

How did you get introduced into the axe throwing community/WATL?  With a group party just having fun!

Any community achievements? 

Founder of SWATL (Senior Axe Throwing League), owner of “RECTIFI” (video analysis for the axe thrower)

Random fun fact about yourself that has nothing to do with axe throwing. I love overland camping and I’m a former baseball coach and hitting instructor.

Previous Council Members

Carly McCance
Cara Fritz
Sean Boyle
Declan Hennelly
Michael Moore
Rachel Lorae
Gavin Caissie
Mike Morton
Zach Crawford
Ryan Smit
Jay Bryant
Anthony Szymkowiak
Ragnar Olafson
Kristyn Muller Mirasol