To promote the exchange between axe- and knife throwers, already in 2001 the European Throwing Club Flying Blades (EuroThrowers) has started the "Big Throwers Meeting / European Championship". This event has since been established as the both the central annual competition and relaxed and friendly meet up for throwers from all over the world, and is assigned to a different country each year.
Every couple of years, the event is designated as World Championship, and organised on a very big scale. For example in the World Championship in Callac, France, 2014, there were throwers from 12 nations competing, with teams from countries as diverse as Italy, Russia, Switzerland or the Czech Republic. You don't need to be a member of EuroThrowers to compete, but if you want to join the community, just fill out the membership application.
To understand why the Big Throwers Meeting / World and European Championship is really the most important event for knife throwers and axe throwers each year, just read the reports about the last years' events.
For example, in 2018, the World Championship was held in Rýmařov, Czech Republic, and in 2019 we met in Newark, England.
Have a look at our calendar of important knife thrower meetings worldwide.
The World Championship brings together athletes from more than 15 countries. But Covid made things slower and travelling more complicated, and Putin's war on Ukraine made things more expensive.
So far, no local organising team could commit to hosting a truly international EuroThrowers World Championship in 2023. We are still open for application from local clubs that have enough helping hands to make such an event happen.
For 2024, two candidate teams (from Germany and France) have already expressed interest to hold the 20th World Championship / Big Throwers Meeting.
Question: What happened to the World Championship in 2020 and following years?
Answer: Those years will be recorded as our Covid break. First the situation was too new for anybody to travel, then town officials told local teams on two occasions that international participation is not allowed for health reasons, and that they have to stop preparing the event.
Question: I already paid my registration fee for the World Championship that was set to happen in Herrischried. What happens to it?
Answer: The organiser, Holger Wycisk, has assured EuroThrowers that the registration remains valid for the next World Championship that can be held in Herrischried.
At the World Championship, we will employ the European Knife and Axe Throwing Rules (
available in multiple languages).
There is a change that came in 2019 that you should bear in mind: All participants will now throw the walk-back, not only the top throwers.
The International Starter Award will be a separate ranking, reserved for beginners in the sport.