Report of the 1. Throwers Meeting in Pullman City / Germany (25. - 27. June 2004) picture gallery

The knife and axe throwers meeting in the wild west amusement park Pullman City (near Passau, Germany) was held for the first time this year. Because it was scheduled on short notice, only few throwers could participate, but we had throwers joining us from abroad: three axe throwers from Switzerland arrived with their huge Gransfors axes.

I arrived already Friday, the 25th, and could help painting the targets and enjoy the wild west atmosphere. The park sports a main street with a saloon and shops, and a very big area with a cavalry fort, log huts and tipis, all of which can be rented for accommodation. After the "American History Show", the local knife throwing professional demonstrated his skills to the public. He did not only throw knives around his assistant, but also axes and big nails.

The program on Saturday started at ten o'clock. The eight throwers had the opportunity to have fun throwing at the targets that had been set up in the huge riding hall. The loose ground was a problem, because knives tended to bury themselves in it, prompting extensive searches. The throwers from Switzerland and a young park-guest had contact with the throwing of knives for the first time this weekend, but did surprisingly well in the contest. In the afternoon, the riding hall was occupied by shows, so we had relocate to a round pen for training. In the evening, the contests were finally held: Knives and axes for a short distance of three meters. The mode was simple, the participant threw one knife at each of the two targets, then it was the turn of the next thrower. Ten passes totalled in 20 throws for each thrower per event. The spectators could watch the fun from behind a fence at the side of the hall. One regular visitor spontaneously decided to participate in the contest. The axes really took their toll on the targets, which were only designed for knives. So shortly after the last contest, the very last of the targets crumbled.
The evening was very relaxed with dinner in the steak house (the menu included bison), some hours in the saloon and a late visit to the Hudson Bay bar. Most throwers could not stay for the night, but the guys from Switzerland accepted the offer to set up their tent beside the camping area for free.

All in all, the meeting passed in a relaxed atmosphere, the focus was on the exchange of experiences and the education of new throwers. I want to take the opportunity to again thank Mr. Dedy Jeschke from Pullman City, who made the meeting possible and made it fit into the local schedule! This first event was a successful test run and will find its continuation next year!

The official results