Help Canada get to World Axe Throwing Championship

Canada Meets Sweden!

Canadian’s are known worldwide for many things. We are known for our maple syrup, brutal winters, our great hockey players and we are known for being way too polite (sorry)! We are on a mission to add ‘legendary axe throwers’ to that list!

We are a group of Canadians with a common dream… The dream of throwing an axe at the World Double Bit Axe Throwing Championships in Sweden! We are bound and determined to represent Canada at the World Championships, but we need your help. This is a costly endeavor, and we want to make sure we get a team to represent the best country in the world. Every bit helps! 

The Nova Lumberjacks Society is a registered non profit in the Province of Nova Scotia (reg # 3295101) which was founded in 2016 with the mandate of “growing and promoting lumberjack sports and its athletes. We do this by hosting events and by supporting fundraising initiates such as this. The NLS is “home base” for the fundraising done for Team Canada in efforts to travel to the World Championships. All funds will be used to help support the team’s travel to Sweden and accommodations during competition. It will be split evenly between committed members of Team Canada. It will be withdrawn before traveling to Europe and the Nova Lumberjacks society will write a cheque to each competitor. 

Thank you, 
Nova Lumberjacks Society, on behalf of Team Canada 


Meet the Team

Name: Ryan McIntyre (Nova Lumberjack Society Founder)
Age – 35
Resides in – Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada

Ryan got introduced to the sport in university and began competing in competitive axe throwing competitions in 2006 in British Columbia.  Ryan founded the Nova Lumberjacks Society (NLS) in 2016 in an effort to grow and promote lumberjack sports.  The NLS has organized the Canadian Axe Throwing Championships and Nova Scotia Lumberjack Championships and is now aiding in this fund raising initiative for the Canadian Axe Throwing Team headed to the World Championships in Sweden.  Ryan finished 7th overall at the 2018 Canadian Axe Throwing Championships and finished 33rd overall at the 2016 World Axe Throwing Championship; both finishes he’s hoping to improve on in 2019.   


Name: Tess Billings 
Age - 25 
Resides in - Centreville, New Brunswick

Tess Billings got her start in lumberjack sports in the College league. From day one axe throw was one of Tess’ favourite events and the passion for the event has only grown from there. She has been successful in the Maritime Lumberjacks association in events such as stock saw, axe throw and underhand chop. Tess competed in the Canadian Axe Throwing Championship 2018 and placed 2nd overall, finishing as the top Canadian Woman in the field. Tess hopes to keep a tight hold of the Canadian title for 2019 and she plans to compete and place well in her first ever International event. 


Name: Cynthia Kennedy 
Age - 53
Resides in- Middle Sackville, Nova Scotia 
 Team Captain, Cynthia Kennedy, lives in Nova Scotia with her family and a very large Bernese Mountain Dog. A few years ago she heard about a bar in Halifax where participants could throw axes and when she entered the urban log cabin called Timber Lounge, she was hooked. As an OG league player since the first league at Timber Lounge, she has spent the past couple of years casually throwing and being an enthusiastic cheerleader for the sport. More recently, after a win at the 2018 Outdoor Sports and RV Show, and placing well in the Canadian National Axe Throwing Championships, she has shifted gears and is becoming a more serious competitor. Watch out Sweden!

Name: Karl the “Godfather” Bischoff
Age - Awesome 
Resides in - Magna Bay, British Columbia 
Karl Bischoff (better known as the Godfather in Timbersports) has been throwing axe for as long as any of us can remember. He has won multiple titles, including placing 6th overall at the 2018 Canadian Axe Throwing Championship and coming in as the top Canadian in the Men’s division! Karl brings leadership, experience and wisdom to the team and he is looking forward to competing for Canada at the World’s in Sweden.

Name: Suzy Atwood 
Age - 46 
Resides in - Barrington, Nova Scotia 
Suzy started the Wild Axe Women in Barrington, a women's axe throwing league in 2014, which introduced women to the sport of axe throwing. She started throwing competitively in 2016 for the first time at the World Axe Throwing Championships in Germany, where she placed 7th overall. In 2018, Suzy traveled to Wicklow, Ireland to compete in the Irish Open, and competed in the Canadian Axe Throwing Championships in Liverpool, NS where she placed 3rd. Her axe throwing highlight was teaching Rick Mercer how to axe throw on the Rick Mercer Report.


Name: Matt Pushie
Age: 36
Resides in: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Matt started at the Timber Lounge in Halifax, took the coaches a while to get him into throwing, found out Matt was no good with two hands, so he started throwing with one. Matt then ended winning a tournament the lounge put on, he won the amateur division just 5 months after he started throwing. The tournament was for a free trip to compete at the World Championships in Germany in 2017, since that trip Matt never looked back. He placed 44th in Germany out of 86, came home won league twice in a row, went to Ireland in 2018 for the Irish open finished 24th, and Liverpool in August of 2018 for the Canadian open in which he placed 13th.

Name: Joey Bridgeo 
Age - 35
Resides in - Halifax, Nova Scotia 

Joey is a thrower out of Timber Lounge Halifax, born in New Brunswick but spent most of his life in Nova Scotia.  He started out throwing by going to a birthday party at Timber lounge and joined league the next week.  He's only been throwing for two years but has accomplished a lot in those two years. He's won two consecutive league championships at Timber Lounge, a first place finish at the 2018 Outdoor Sport and RV show, a 9th place finish at the 2018 Canadian National axe throwing championship and a trip to Ireland for his first international tournament.   He's looking forward to the nice weather in the coming spring to get his son throwing his axe that he recieved for Christmas and pass his passion on to the next generation. 


Name: David Coady 
Age - 33
Resides in - Halifax, Nova Scotia 

David is from Blue Mountain N.S., but living in Halifax. He started throwing in the fall of 2017 after joining the league following a visit to the Timber Lounge Halifax. His first national competition at the Canadian National Axe Throwing Championship earned him a top 30 finish, and he is looking forward to his first international competition this summer.


Name: Ashley Kelly 
Age -  33
Resides in - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 

Ashley started throwing in January 2018 after someone convinced her to come by the Timber Lounge Halifax and give it a try. Her first competition was the Canadian National Axe Throwing Championship last summer, where she placed in the top 15. She looks forward to her first international competition this summer.



Darren Hudson started throwing axes on his family’s front lawn at the age of 10 with his cousins, family and friends. Inspired by legends of lumberjack sports competitors Hudson dedicated his life to the pursuit of success in his chosen passion. Living the dream and chasing his goals around the world he made the decision in 2012 to give back in the form of the Wild Axe Lumberjack Axeperience which created the infrastructure to train people of all ages to pursue the same passion.
Now as the co-owner of two Timber Lounge locations he’s glad Axeperience to momentum of the sport of axe throwing and happy to help facilitate its growth. It will be a huge mountain to climb as we take on the world but he believes we have the heart and the authentic lumberjack spirit.
Go team Canada in Sweden!