2008 Woodie Awards
Eastfield's booming with USBA competition
Duncan McClain
Issue date: 9/25/08 Section: The Games
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The USBA was created in the early eighties and holds a national tournament every year. It is also involved in the International Federation of Boomerang Associations bi-yearly international competition. Seattle hosted the 2008 competition.
This years' national event consists of seven competitions and is free to the public. About 70 total competitors are expected to attend.
The United States has the most members of the IFBA, other areas where "booming" is popular are Switzerland, Brazil, Italy and Japan.
"It's much more widespread than people think," USBA board member and Eastfield alum David Hirsch said. "People always think Australia when they see the boomerang, but it's all around the world."
The boomerang is indigenous to many places in the world. The southwest Hopi Indians used what they called "rabbit sticks" to hunt small game. Most places with large open desert areas have a counterpart to the boomerang. King tut was even discovered with a gold and ivory boomerang in his tomb.
The overhand release that the boomerang requires resembles a baseball pitch, and can strain the arm easily. To be competitive, these athletes train regularly and stay in shape.
"We're trying to lose the image of the dog and pony show - or being geeky," Hirsch said. "This is very athletic; just think of it as throwing fast-pitch with a strike-zone one tenth the normal size."
Today's sport boomerangs vary in size and shape, from the familiar v-shape that children love to the question mark shape used for long distance. Either way boomerang enthusiast's emphasize that the two-ounce boom is not the hunting weapon it developed from.
"What we are using are not the hunting boomerangs, which are called throw-sticks and don't return," Hirsch said. "What we throw are very lightweight - It's funny, people always ask me, 'could you kill something with that?' Well, no, unless it was huge."
The seven competitions in the event vary greatly and show how many different skills can be used with these tools.
The fast catch event monitors how quickly a boomer can throw five throws at least 20 meters long and catch them. The thrower remains in a 2-meter circle while doing so.
The endurance competition monitors how many throws and catches a boomer can make in five minutes, and is said to be the most demanding of the event.
The max time aloft event monitors how long a boomer can keep his boomerang in the air. Times usually range from 1:00 to 1:30 minutes but have been reported as long as 15 minutes.
The Aussie round is a combination of how far and accurate a boomer can throw and catch his boomerang.
The long distance competition will be first, in which competitors throw for maximum distance. The world record is 206 yards, but 100-120 yards is common in competition.
Hirsch was making 100 yards look effortless while he practiced on Sept. 22.
"Us long distance guys are kind of a separate thing," Hirsch said. " The boomerangs we use are very persnickety."
Stewart Jones, who will be competing this year, won the accuracy category during the world competition in 1998. He spoke about the satisfaction that comes from the individuality of the sport.
"What's appealing is that it's an independent thing," he said. "Its not like you have to have someone to play catch with and that's what makes it enjoyable - and it's unusual that you can do so many different things with different boomerangs."
As far as expanding the sport, Jones thinks news coverage is a good first step.
"Getting in the news media, that's something that can spark someone's interest, and not only older people, college students or kids," he said. "We're hoping to inspire them. That's why the demonstrations at elementary schools are really popular, because they're just overwhelmed."
Eastfield student Chase Laughlin is excited about attending the competition. He was on the track and field team at Lakeview Centennial High School and sees a connection between shock-put and boomerang.
"If they had had boomerang as an event in track and field at my high school, I would have flipped," he joked. " How cool is a little shock put that comes back?"
duncan_mcclain@yahoo.com
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