Aim Games - K21 Caverns of Mars

Time for another challenge in the form of Aim Games' "K21 - The Caverns of Mars". Those of you who aren't into the knife-throwing might be wondering what the heck I'm talking about. Some who are may have the same thoughts.

But to make a long story short, a pandemic raged some time ago as everyone remembers. During it, of course, you could not hold competitions in various sports, including knife throwing. That got a household name and enthusiast named Rick "The Rocket" Lemberg thinking about how it could be solved, and he created a concept for online knife and ax competitions that he named Aim Games. 

Aim Games

They were such a success that he is now at "K21" where the k stands for "Knife" and the number is of course how many competitions have passed. Then it can be mentioned that there were a number of ax competitions as well.

Unfortunately, I could not participate in the previous challenge due to the weather. This is despite the fact that the competitions last a full three months, during which the participants can submit videos of their efforts. They must be designed according to a specific set of regulations and reviewed, after which a point calculation takes place.

Unfortunately for me, the window was from January to March this year and the snow was deep here. The last time I participated was in "Aim Games K19 - The River". However, it had to be canceled due to external, extremely sad, and unfortunate circumstances.

K21 Caverns of Mars, the target as usual painted by my better half Catrin

New for this year is, among other things, that they will use advanced software delivered by the same company that makes programs for the FBI to search through films for manipulation in the form of, for example, editing or AI manipulation. Of course, nothing like that is allowed.

Such technology has never been relevant before. But new for this time is that there is prize money in the pot. We're talking a LOT of money too, around $43,000! That and the fact that I heard about someone who tried to cheat is probably the reason for that change.

Rick has always been kind and, for example, raffled off prizes donated by companies to all participants. But now a major sponsor has come in and suddenly there is money at stake in addition to knives and other things that can be won. How the sponsorship story came about is almost worth a text in itself. But it is quite spectacular.

Most notably, however, it's still FREE to join. Mr. Lemberg does this and puts in all the effort just because he wants to spread the sport and loves knife throwing. That's what I call a true enthusiast!

Now all that remained was to paint the fairly advanced target required to participate. Each sub-competition has its own target which illustrates a story. This time it's about exploring the planet Mars. Luckily I have my better half who is better at painting than I am. 

 The first thing to be hit is four "airlocks". It is the four areas in the corners that measure 4x4 cm. How you succeed in that moment determines how the rest of the throw proceeds by deciding how many throws you have for the rest of the round. This means a round has a minimum of four throws and a maximum of twelve. I don't think anyone will actually achieve the latter.

My choice of knife, WL Custom Blade Spinning Butcher by Throwingzone

Now I will try to get some results myself. The first partial goal is just to get in with some points so you are in the raffles. Sub-goal two is, of course, to improve the result. But unlike everyone who has the opportunity to throw indoors, I am extremely dependent on the weather. Now it's pouring rain, for example, and then it must not be too dark, which is a problem this year when you work until four and can't possibly be on the throwing range before five thirty. By that time it's often dark. 

Wish me luck, both with the throw and the autumn weather!

/ J - looking for aliens