Boomerangs

[Boomfiziks]

I'm a high school science teacher and professor and a lifetime member of the USBA (Unitied States Boomerang Association). I saw your Vlog #66 and it made me cringe watching you throw that boomerang. I've been making, teaching my students, and throwing boomerangs (I used to throw competitively) for over 20 years. I'm also using the FliteTest STEM curriculum at my school in Ashland, OH. I hate to say it, but the "authentic Aboriginal boomerang" is "touristy" gimmick. The aerodynamics of those "boomerangs" are completely wrong. Plus, never throw a boomerang side-armed. The hunting sticks, called kylies, were thrown side-armed, but the returning boomerangs (despite stories and Hollywood, were never used for hunting) are always thrown vertically or nearly vertically. You may not realize it, but some of the world's best boomerang throwers are located in Ohio...a couple of them in the Canton area. I highly recommend contacting Gary and Logan Broadbent (father and son throwers). Gary has been giving motivational talks all over the country using boomerangs and holds several world records with boomerangs. Gary and I used to travel all over together giving demos at places such as schools, camps, Science conferences, NASA, etc. I did more of the glider demonstrations and Gary would do the boomerang demos. His son, Logan, now lives in Cleveland is now one of the top boomerang throwers in the world, has been on the Cleveland news several times, and was on the last season of the American Ninja competition. They refer to Logan as the "Boomerang Ninja": https://www.facebook.com/boomerangninja/ Believe me, it would be worth the time (and may make a really neat FT episode) to contact them and have them come out and give a demo. Also, look up the USBA website: http://usba.org/ for more information and it'll be a good place to find boomerangs that would actually work. Many Happy Returns!

Dwight

 

[Grifflyer]

is the "spirit of fire" boomerang any good?

 

[Hai-Lee]

You are correct in that the returning boomerangs were not made or designed to return but do follow a pattern based upon a boomerang used to bring down birds from a large flock. Ideally the boomerang when thrown would cause the flock of birds to rise into the air and then the boomerang would rise up into the flock of birds from below where they could not see it coming.

The other boomerang to which you refer was a weapon used against other tribes in battles and was designed to keep a low flat trajectory over a long distance. It is also of considerably larger size and has greater mass.

It was Europeans that noticed the aerial antics of the boomerang could be manipulated and hence the modern returning boomerangs were born.

 

[William A]

I'm thinking a POWERED Boomerang ! Heck ya

Anybody else ?

 

[Hai-Lee]

A war boomerang also made a great, Ax or Mace like, skull crushing implement when the enemy got too close

 

[earthsciteach]

I had no idea there was such a thing as boomerang competitions! Sounds like fun. I had a fiberglass boomerang when I was middle school aged, back in the '80s. I had a lot of fun with it and it performed quite well. Cool stuff!

 

[Boomfiziks]

For those wanting to learn how to throw a boomerang and the various events in the Boomerang competitions, Logan Broadbent (from Cleveland, Ohio...formerly from North Canton, OH), also made a tutorial video: https://www.facebook.com/unitedstatesboomerangteam/videos/1317837124906484/?pnref=story