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World Championship in Knife- and Axe Throwing, July 21-24 2016, Maniago, Italy

27.04.2016

Big Throwers Meeting / World Championship and European Championship in Knife Throwing and Axe Throwing

promoted by Knifethrowing.info and (external link / new window)Axtwerfen.de and (external link / new window)Eurothrowers.org
 

To promote the exchange between axe- and knife throwers, already in 2001 the European Throwing Club Flying Blades ((external link / new window)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.

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.

In 2014 we met in Callac, France, for the first World Championship, and in 2015 in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, England, for the second World Championship.

Have a look at our calendar of important knife thrower meetings worldwide.


World Championship in Knife- and Axe Throwing / 16th Big Throwers Meeting, July 21-24 2016, Maniago, Italy

The central Piazza in Maniago. Photo provided by the tourist office.

The EuroThrowers World Championship 2016 will be organised by the (external link / new window)SILCA club (president: Stefano Cristini). It is held in the famous (external link / new window)knife town of Maniago, in conjunction with the knife festival.

As usual, the most important goal is to get together knife and axe throwers from all over the World for some days of throwing in a relaxed atmosphere. Meeting old friends and finding new ones, learning some new throwing tricks. Having fun with wacky targets and throwing games. And, of course, we'll have a competition: The World Championship!

Maniago is a small, calm town in the foothills of the Alps. It's situated only 90 minutes (by car) from the beaches of either Venice, Trieste or Bibione - so an extended holiday sounds like a very good idea!

Registration

(external link / new window)Online Registration here

An online registration is obligatory, and must be completed by the 30th of June. The number of participants is restricted by the size of the competition grounds.
Upon registration, you are requested to transfer a non-refundable down-payment of 50% (30€).

Location

Area La Centa dei ContiThe competition will take place at:

La Centa Dei Conti
Via Castello
33085 Maniago (Pordenone )
Italy

GPS (latitude/longitude): 46.1650862, 12.7065671
GPS (time): 46°09'54.31"N, 12°42'23.641"E 

(external link / new window)See the competition area on a map 

(From the big Piazza Italia, into the Via Castello, the competition area is the big parking space and green field on the right.)

How to get there

Laws: Read about the Italian knife laws and restrictions below.
When travelling to Italy, make sure you do not do so via Switzerland. In Switzerland, throwing knives as such are illegal, and you will face serious persecution and be fined several thousand Euros/Dollars if they are found in your luggage.

  • By car: The competition area is in the centre of the town of Maniago (see details at the address above).

    Streets to follow from the various directions: Villach A23-E55-SR464; Innsbruck A22-E66-SR251; Trieste E70-A23-SP60-SR464; Venice A27- A28-SR251-SP19;

    If there are seats available in your car, please have a look in the (external link / new window)facebook group if a thrower on your way needs a lift. 
     
  • By public transport: The closest train stations with bus connections to Maniago are Sacile, Pordenone and Udine. The tickets are available 92 days before the travel at the earliest, from your local train office or directly from (external link / new window)Trenitalia. The train and bus schedules of your journey can be consulted at (external link / new window)Trenitalia (in English) or, very comfortably, at the (external link / new window)Deutsche Bahn(English, trans-national connections included).

    For an overview of the buses running to Maniago, use the (external link / new window)Italian station information service.

    The phone numbers of local taxi companies: Maniago - Vajont Taxi, 0039 335 215818; Sacile - Taxi Sacile, 0039 368 294733;

  • By plane: The closest airports are Venice (VCE, 100km) and Trieste (TRS, 88km).

The law

In Italy, it is forbidden to carry any knife with you, even not a small pocket knife. You can only do so in a locked briefcase! The police has some room for judgement, so please be sure to carry a printout of the Championship invitation (that is, this page) with you, and your EuroThrowers membership-card (if available).

The following knives are completely illegal in Italy: Butterfly knives, flick / switchblade knives, and any knife whose blade is sharpened on both sides!

Accommodation

Each participant is responsible for booking his own accommodation.

Please consult this list of Hotels, Bed&Breakfasts and Farm-Rooms (Agriturismo) to find your accommodation. The distance to the town of Maniago is given.

For more hotels in the greater area see (external link / new window)HRS - the service usually offers a free last-minute cancellation option and good prices.

There are not many holiday homes for rent in Maniago itself, 20 car minutes to the west near Largo di Barcis you'll have more choice.

If you are camping in a camping caravan, you will find an official (and free) (external link / new window)parking area ("area attrezzata") in Maniago, in the Via Colvera. A list of camping sites in the surrounding villages is included on an extra tab of the hotel list.

Practicalities: Most hotels will speak Italian, and German, and not necessarily English. If the phone number is given in local format (e.g. 0427 12345) you have to add the international prefix 0039, and keep the leading zero if there is one (Italian speciality; e.g. 0039 0427 12345).

The local tourist office can assist you in enquiries, they speak English and German. Phone: 0039 0427 707063

Schedule

The organiser reserves the right to adapt the program in the course of the championship.

Thursday 21    
10:00 The training targets are available (under the responsibility of the throwers, with surveillance by an organiser-appointed Range Marshall).
14:00 Registration, meet and greet time, information.
Before 19:00  All competitors must be registered, signed in and have their info packs before 19:00.
19:00 Opening ceremony.
Friday 22    
8:30 Briefing
9:15 Start of the Precision Throwing events Knives on the distances of 3m, 5m and 7m (women and men).
10:30 In parallel to the precision events: The experimental event Instinctive Throwing starts.
13:00 - 14:30  Lunch break (all competitions are on hold during that time).
14:30 Start of the Precision Throwing events Axes on the distances of 4m, 5m and 7m (women and men).
15:30 Continuation of the morning's experimental event.
18:30 Award Ceremony
Announcement of the winners of the Precision events.
Announcement of the winners of the Instinctive Throwing event.
Saturday 23    
9:00 Announcement of the participants qualified for the World Championship in Precision Throwing (walk back).
9:30 World Championship in Precision Knife Throwing (walk back, women and men).
In parallel, the experimental events Hunter and Speed Throwing start.
13:00 - 14:30  Lunch break (all competitions are on hold during that time).
14:30 World Championship in Precision Axe Throwing (walk back, women and men).
In parallel, the experimental events Hunter and Speed Throwing do continue.
18:30 Award Ceremony
Announcement of the World Champions in Precision Throwing (Knives and Axes).
Announcement of the winners of the experimental events of Speed Throwing and Hunter.
Sunday 24    
9:00 Start of the experimental event Slanted Target.
10:00 Start of the event Long Distance Knives (women and men).
11:30 Start of the event Long Distance Axes (women and men; estimated time).
13:00 - 14:30  Lunch break (all competitions are on hold during that time).
14:30 Continuation of the morning's events.
18:00 Award Ceremony
Announcement of the World Champions in Long Distance Throwing (Knives and Axes).
Announcement of the winner of the Slanted Target event.
Announcement of the winning Country Teams in Precision Throwing.

Rules

We always employ the (external link / new window)European Knife and Axe Throwing Rules (version 2010, (external link / new window)available in 7 languages), which means we will do the following events:

  • Knife 3m, 5m, 7m
  • Axe 4m, 7m
  • Knife and Axe: Long distance
As a novelty addition, we will include:
  • Axe 5m "Handle Up" (Only for this single-distance event, it is mandated that the axe must be sticking with its handle pointing upward.)

For each event, the thrower has to show up with three throwing tools (knives/axes). Exceptions only for throwing tools damaged during the meeting.

If ties need to be resolved, the following additional ranking factor will be used: The number of times a participant scored a 5-point stick (further using 4-3-2 sticks if necessary).

Combined Rankings

For the precision events, there will be four combined virtual rankings (without titles to win): For women, men, knives and axes separately. Knives combine the 3m, 5m and 7m events, axes combine the 4m, 5m and 7m events.

The points achieved in each event will first be normalised, and then summed up. Normalisation here means that in each event, the best thrower will receive 100 normalised points. This ensures that a point in a more demanding event (like 7m knives) also carries more weight in the combined ranking.

The combined precision rankings are the basis for the qualifications for World Championship Precision, and the ranking of countries. There are no other rankings that combine several events.

World Championship and Experimental Events

Titles to win in the long distance event: World Champion in Long Distance Knife/Axe Throwing

World Championship Precision

For the title of World Champion in Knife/Axe Precision Throwing, we will use the walk-back-mode.

Only the 20% best throwers from the standard precision events (including axe 5m) are qualified for this event. Minimal number of participants per title: men 20, women 5.

The event will be held at the following marked distances: Knife 3, 4, 5, 6, 7m, axe 4, 5, 7, 8, 10m.

The thrower will throw at 4 target groups (we say he makes 4 “runs”). At each target group (consisting of three targets), he will throw one round of three throws per distance mark - starting behind the closest distance mark and moving back behind the next distance mark after completing the previous round. He will thus throw at all distance marks in one run. The number of throws in one run at a target group is thus: 5 distances x 3 throws per round = 15 throws.
The thrower does not have to stand at the distance mark, but can move back a maximum of 100cm minus the length of his foot.

Ranking of Countries

The three countries with the best throwers will be recognised.

The country ranking will be based on the normalised cumulative precision scores of the 5 best throwers of each country (male and female combined). The score is thus based on the results of the six knife and axe precision events. Countries with less than five participants who have thrown the full six precision events will not be included in the ranking.

Speed

Put as many knives in the target as you can in 20 seconds. Distance minimum 3m. (Same rules as last year.)
Detailed speed throwing rules: PDF / OpenOffice

Hunter

This event will require to evaluate the position of the target and its distance.
Detailed Hunter rules: PDF / OpenOffice

Slanted Target

Knives have to be thrown into a slanted plank. Target areas further away are worth more points.
Detailed Slanted Target rules: PDF / OpenOffice

Instinctive Throwing

The rotation of the knife is mandated: none, or a half. Can be chosen freely for each throw of the event. (Based on the rules employed in 2014 in Callac, small changes.)

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