Axe throwing champion starts glow in dark throwing at Riverbend Axe

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Dylan Teets, 24, the World Axe Throwing League 2022 World Champion hatchet thrower, in January took the helm as manager of Riverbend Axe Throwing, both in Jerseyville and East Alton.

Dylan Teets, 24, the WATL 2022 World Champion hatchet thrower, took the helm as manager of Riverbend Axe Throwing, both in Jerseyville and East Alton, in January. Teets immediately started new initiatives at Riverbend Axe Throwing, particularly at the Jerseyville location, with Glow Throw.

JERSEYVILLE — World Axe Throwing Champion Dylan Teets has been named manager for Riverbend Axe Throwing in East Alton and Jerseyville.

Teets, 24, manages the two locations of Riverbend Axe Throwing founded and owned by Dan and Erika Brynildsen of Glen Carbon. Teets took the helm in January and immediately started new initiatives, particularly at the Jerseyville location.

"We started Glow Throw, a glow-in-the-dark axe throwing event at the smaller location to see if folks like it," Teets said.

He recently held Glow Throw 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday at the Jerseyville site.

"As soon as I started managing Dan (Brynildsen) pitched me the idea," Teets said. "It's kind of like cosmic bowling.

"We installed black lights and fluorescent paint on the boards for a target that glows in the dark and you throw at it," he said. "It's something new and exciting to come to around here."

Teets said throwing in black light is no different than throwing in overhead light.

"The axes glow as well, so you’ll be able to see them even better now," he said. "And I instruct you the entire way. There's no reason an axe would go crazy because I'm going to be teaching you.

"Three throws and you’ll hit board; that's our 'stick the axe' guarantee," he said.

Teets, formerly of Tampa, Florida, moved to Wood River with his wife, Krissy, after winning the World Axe Throwing Championships last year in Appleton, Wisconsin.

"Dan is a good friend of mine, and he asked for help," Teets said. "It's good experience to get into the business to own my own eventually. "The business that Dan and Erika built is really great, and I want to learn from them."

Teets killed it in the 2022 World Axe Throwing Championships hatchet competition, as one out of 300 who qualified out of 10,000 who tried to qualify — and won. At the same event, Dan Brynildsen, then 35, and Josselyn Allen, then 14, placed in the top 40 and the top 50 in the world, respectively.

Brynildsen also brought home an award championship's wrap-up gala for Best New Tournament 2022 for the Riverbend Open, held for the first time last year.

Teets met Brynildsen in competition in early 2021.

"We competed against each other," Teets recalled. "At first he won everything. Then I started winning. Now we're evenly matched and push each other to get better."

Visit www.riverbendaxethrowing.com for more information. Visit www.axethrowing.org for full details and results of the 2022 World Axe Throwing Championship.