About Our Founders
about Our Founders
Meet Austin Luecke and David Lewis, two seasoned WATL/WKTL professionals with unmatched passion for the sport. Together they possess an impressive collection of accolades, having honed their skills, and mastered the art of axe and knife throwing through years of dedicated practice and competitions. Their expertise and commitment to safely teaching the craft has also earned them special recognition, making them trusted authorities in the world of throwing sports in the World Axe Throwing League, World Knife Throwing League, and the International Axe Throwing Federation
about Our Founders
Meet David Lewis and Austin Luecke, two consistent seasonal top ten WATL/WKTL ranked professionals with unmatched passion for the sport. Together they possess an impressive collection of global accolades, having honed their skills, and mastered the art of axe and knife throwing through years of dedicated practice and competitions. Their expertise and commitment to safely teaching the craft has also earned them special recognition, making them trusted authorities in the world of throwing sports in the World Axe Throwing League, Worl Knife Throwing League, and the International Axe Throwing Federation.
Austin’s axe-throwing journey started in childhood at his family’s cabin, where he and his dad decided to throw an axe at a tree just for fun. That moment sparked a lifelong passion, and before long, Austin became known as “that guy who throws axes.” When friends told him about a new axe-throwing venue opening in Minnesota, he jumped at the chance. He signed up for the first-ever league at Bad Axe in Minneapolis in 2018 and has been competing ever since.
Austin has qualified for every World Axe Throwing Championship since 2018. This is his 7th World Championship in 2024, where he will be competing in all axe events in Appleton—Standard Axe, Big Axe, and Duals. He was also selected for the IATC All-Stars in 2019 for his IATF season. When WATL introduced Big Axe as a discipline in 2020, Austin finished 9th in the world in its inaugural season. His skills and consistency have kept him among the top-ranked throwers globally, with multiple top 10 world finishes, including a 4th place finish in Big Axe at the WATL US OPEN, where he was featured on ESPN.
Now, as he heads to Appleton for his seventh World Championship, Austin continues to prove that his dedication, skill, and passion for the sport keep him among the best in the world.
David “Lightning” Lewis discovered axe throwing just months before the 2020 quarantine. Seeking an escape from work while living alone in Lakeville, he transformed his garage into a personal axe arena, igniting a passion that would shape his future. Once venues reopened, he joined leagues and quickly found a competitive rival and close friend in Austin. With guidance from Austin and other world-class throwers, David honed his skills, earning consistent top 10 global league rankings in Big Axe and duals and establishing himself as one of the top all-around throwers in the world across all disciplines.
David’s accomplishments speak for themselves—he has earned invitations to the last four World Championships and will once again compete in the 2024 World Championships, where he is one of only 23 throwers competing in all five disciplines: hatchet, big axe, duals (as part of the Finnish Hymn team with Austin), as well as the WKTL Knife Throwing World Championship, both individually and in duals. His past duals performances include 13th and 5th place finishes in consecutive years at the WATL World Championship.
Beyond competition, David represents Tuff Wraps as an official ambassador, using their Villain wrist wraps for comfort and stability in his throws. His dedication, precision, and passion for the sport continue to push him toward new heights in the world of axe and knife throwing.
David’s axe throwing started months prior to the quarantine in 2020. David needed an escape from work while living alone in Lakeville, so he set up an axe arena in his garage and a new passion was found. Shortly after, he met Austin in leagues once venues opened up again and a competitive friendship was forged. With coaching from Austin and other world class throwers, David has been fortunate to earn consistent top 10 global league rankings in Big Axe and knives.
David has also had invitations to the last three World Championships and will be in the 2023 Championship as well for hatchet, big axe, duals (with Austin as the Finnish Hymn team) as well as the WKTL knife throwing World Championship. David and his previous duals throwing partner finished 13th and 5th in consecutive years in the world in previous WATL World Championships.