A8 FRIDAY November 19, 2021 Fall Sports SeasideSignal.com Scout Northwest Trading Co. brings unique family activity to Seaside By KATHERINE LACAZE Coast Weekend As store manager Natosha Adams demon- strates how to throw a small hatchet and hit a wooden target in the stall at Scout Northwest Trading Co. in the Seaside Outlets mall, she shares several tips on aim, force and arm position. “It’s a lot harder than it looks,” she explained, gathering the hatchets from where they struck inside the large red circle on the wall. “There’s a science behind it.” And yet, that’s an integral part of the fun: the challenge. The right touch Jerome Black remembers trying hatchet and axe-throwing at a county fair in Geor- gia, before he co-founded the original Scout location in Lincoln City with his wife, Gitl, in 2017. “I was kind of like a kid at a carnival,” Jerome said, adding he was immediately hooked and spent upward of $50 to play for hours. As the couple developed their new brand, Black began envisioning how to incorporate the activity into their establishment. That’s how they wound up with three indoor cages that accommodate knives, axes and hatch- ets at their Lincoln City headquarters. The stalls at the Scout location in Sea- side are a relatively new addition to the store, which itself was created in 2019. Black and his son, Daniel, 17, built them earlier this summer. Even now, Adams said, many customers aren’t aware of the hatchet-throwing com- ponent until they get into the store. On the other hand, some people come looking for it because they are familiar with the Lin- coln City store and have tried out the sport down there. Scout has one stall with two lanes and only offers hatchets, but according to Adams there are plans to eventually expand the stalls, install benches and add the other throwing instruments. They started with hatchets, Black said, because they are lighter than axes and require less precision than knives, creating a slightly shorter learning curve. “It’s relatively easy to get to a place where you’re having fun,” he said. Scout’s hatchet-throwing stall itself has become an eye-catching feature, with the signatures of past patrons covering the wood walls and spilling onto the floor. However, it is a suitable companion to Scout’s overall brand, which encom- passes a distinctly Pacific Northwest flair. Their inventory includes stickers, patches, apparel, reusable water bottles and flasks, pocket knives, lip balms and soaps, home goods and other outdoor and adventure gear. More than 90% of the store’s products are made by the Scout brand at their head- quarters in Lincoln City. They also carry other well-known outdoor lifestyle brands, like Hydro Flask and Grundens and items made by other regional purveyors. The walls are decorated with artwork from local artists, augmenting the distinctly community centric flavor of the store. Those qualities are “all Jerome and Gitl,” Adams said. Katherine Lacaze ABOVE: Natosha Adams, manager of Scout Northwest Trading Co. in the Seaside Outlets mall, demonstrates how to throw a hatchet at the wooden stall inside the store. BELOW: Adams demonstrates how to properly grip a hatchet before throwing. IF YOU GO Scout Northwest Trading Co. 1111 N Roosevelt Drive, Seaside 503-717-5759 Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day A wide-reaching appeal Both have a background as graphic designers, and Black has done retail instal- lation construction in the past. Using that accumulated experience, they opened Scout to have more control of their products and ideas. “It’s been working really well,” Black said. Although their team has expanded expo- nentially — particularly with the two loca- tions — the couple is still highly involved in the business, as are their young adult children. They’ve also brought some local artists and craftspeople directly onto the team to support them in creating the quality and quantity of goods necessary to keep the stores stocked. Expanding to Seaside was a logical choice, although they’ve received an abun- dance of feedback asking for an additional store in Bend. “It fit our brand,” Black said, adding their original vision was for a coastal vibe. “Everything seemed to make sense.” Scout is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week, with the hatchet-throw- ing stall open concurrently. The cost to play is three throws for $5 or 10 throws for $10. Patrons also can reserve or rent the facility for $45 for a half-hour session of $80 per hour for parties or family get-togethers. There is no age restriction, but Adams said they gauge whether a child can partic- ipate in the activity safely and also have a positive and fun experience. Before paying the full price, she said, they let young kids throw a test or practice one to ensure they’ll receive the full value of the activity. The employees implement several safety practices to mitigate the risk of harm, such as not allowing spectators to be in the stall and having players remove hatchets from the tar- get before collecting ones on the floor. They also opted for wood handles, rather than rub- ber, to prevent the hatchets from bouncing back, and Black developed a wood handle that is more durable. Each component, he added, is designed to ensure the activity is as safe and family ori- ented as possible, appealing to a wide range of demographics. “The people that do it are all ages, guys, girls, all styles,” he said. “It is very well-received.” Beaches and Breakers results Seaside Signal Beaches and Breakers Pickleball Tour- nament took place Nov. 11-14 at the Sun- set Recreation Center. Players participated in skill level and age categories, with a shootout of the top teams for gold, silver and bronze medals. Gold medal winners at the women’s dou- bles 3.5 level are Kerstin Starr from Seaside and Ginny Hamer, from Gearhart. Gold medal winners at the men’s dou- bles 3.5 level were Jerrod Kunde of Seaside and Wally Hamer, from Gearhart. Carlos Felan of Seaside and Stephen Rothwell of Olympia, Washington, were men’s double winners 3.5 over 50. Richard Marshall and Randy Frank, both of Seaside, won the men’s doubles 4.0 sil- ver medal. Ginny Hamer and Wally Hamer, both from Gearhart, were mixed doubles winners. The tournament is managed in partner- ship with Pickleball is Great, an organiza- tion dedicated to the sport of pickleball. LEFT: Pickleball at the Beaches and Breakers Tournament at the Sunset Recreation Center. RIGHT: Carlos Felan and Steve Rothwell took gold in the final round.