FARGO’S FIRST “AX-CEPTIONAL” ENTERTAINMENT What they thought was a simple anniversary trip turned out to be life-changing. Marcel Baumgartner and her boyfriend, Erik Kalberg came back to Fargo with an “ax-ceptional” idea. To open Fargo’s first ax-throwing range. “It kinda came out of nowhere,” said Marcel Baumgartner, coowner of Triple Ax. Ax throwing came up after Googling ideas on what to do in Minneapolis, they decided to try it out – and they fell in love. The owners of the business were not looking to expand to Fargo, so Baumgartner and Kalberg agreed to take it into their hands.
“On the drive home, we were like, we could do it. Let’s do it,” said
Baumgartner with a smile. “This seems like something we would be able to do on our own. We jumped in.” To both Baumgartner and Kalberg, ax throwing is more than just a business – for them it’s a place to build community. When they were digging into how to start up an axthrowing business, they sought out the help of other business owners and found a community behind the ax. “They were really helpful to us and trying to get the sport to grow,” said Baumgartner with a smile. Before opening the doors, the couple first brainstormed some ideal customers they wanted to attract. “We were like well lumberjacks, guys, big beards – that’s it!” said Baumgartner as she began to laugh. Let’s just say their guess was a little off. They soon
4 Highline Notes September 2019
realized Triple Ax was a welcoming place for all types of people. Everyone from children, women, and big guys with beards flooded the doors of Triple Ax. “It really made me realize how well this (Triple Ax) fit in with Fargo,” Baumgartner said. Triple Ax opened its doors on March 15, 2019, and since their grand opening they’ve had a substantial surge of ax-throwing flannel-wearing participants, Cass County Electric included. We traded our work attire for some flannel to see first-hand what axthrowing was all about. Most of the Cass County Electric employees were intimidated by throwing an ax because it’s not a normal activity in this area – at least not yet. As we arrived, Baumgartner coached us through how to throw
www.casscountyelectric.com
