Boomerang facts for kids
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A boomerang is a special throwing tool. It is usually made to spin in the air and fly back to the person who threw it. The word "boomerang" comes from an Aboriginal Australian language spoken near Sydney. Originally, it only meant tools that came back. However, people also use the term "non-returning boomerang" for throwing sticks that don't come back.
Many Aboriginal Australian groups traditionally used boomerangs for hunting. These tools had different names in various Aboriginal languages. The oldest known Aboriginal boomerang is about 12,000 years old. It was found in South Australia and is now in the South Australian Museum. Throughout history, people have used boomerangs for hunting, sports, and fun. They come in many shapes and sizes for different uses. Similar ancient throwing tools have also been found in places like Egypt, the Americas, and Europe.
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The Long History of Boomerangs
Boomerangs have a very long history. People used them as hunting tools, musical instruments, and even for starting fires. They also served as toys. Boomerangs come in many sizes. Some are smaller than 10 centimeters, while others can be over 180 centimeters long.
Ancient Discoveries Around the World
Some of the oldest rock art in the world shows boomerangs. These drawings are in Australia's Kimberley region and might be 50,000 years old. A boomerang found in a cave in Poland is about 40,000 years old. This one was made from a mammoth's tusk!
The oldest Australian Aboriginal boomerang was found in South Australia in 1973. It is about 12,000 years old. This ancient tool is now kept at the South Australian Museum.
While many people think of boomerangs as Australian, similar tools were used in ancient Europe, Egypt, and North America. For example, ancient Egyptians and Native Americans used non-returning throwing sticks. Even King Tutankhamun of Egypt had a collection of boomerangs.
No one knows exactly how the returning boomerang was invented. Some experts believe it came from flat throwing sticks. Early hunters might have noticed that some sticks curved back when thrown. This curving flight could have been useful for hunting birds or small animals. The noise of a boomerang might have scared birds into nets set up by hunters.
Most traditional hunting sticks in Australia did not return. These "throwsticks" or "kylies" were powerful. They could hunt animals like kangaroos from about 100 meters away. Some evidence also shows boomerangs were used in battles.
How Boomerangs Were Traditionally Used
Traditionally, boomerangs were used for hunting birds, emus, kangaroos, and smaller animals. These hunting boomerangs were often thin and could fly very fast. Skilled hunters could hit an animal up to 160 meters away. Another hunting trick involved throwing boomerangs over birds. The birds would mistake it for a hawk and dive into nets set up by hunters. The classic returning boomerang was not used in war because it flies in a wide arc.
Heavier, non-returning throwing sticks were sometimes used in close-up fights. Larger ones, up to 2 meters long, served as fighting sticks. These heavy sticks could also be used to catch fish in rock pools or as digging sticks to find roots.
Boomerangs also played a role in dance ceremonies. They were used as musical instruments, like clapsticks, and by dancers. The styles and decorations of boomerangs varied greatly among different Aboriginal groups.
Making traditional boomerangs took a lot of time. A suitable piece of wood was found, dried for weeks, then carefully scraped into shape for days. Today, few boomerangs are made this way, except in some remote areas for hunting. Others are made for tourists.
Boomerangs Today: Sport and Art
In recent times, many unique art boomerangs have been created. These often look very different from traditional ones. Modern materials like thin plywood and plastics help make these new designs possible. They can be shaped like animals, funny figures, or abstract art. Some art boomerangs are not even designed to return.
Most boomerangs today are used for fun and sport. Sport boomerangs are made from materials like Finnish birch plywood, hardwood, or plastics. They usually weigh less than 100 grams. Special boomerangs for "maximum time aloft" events can weigh less than 25 grams.
Boomerangs have even been suggested as targets for shotgun sports, like clay pigeons. Their flight path is more like a bird's, making them a harder target. Modern boomerangs are often designed with computers for precise flight. Some have more than two wings for better lift. There are even round boomerangs, which are safer to catch.
The Science of How Boomerangs Fly
A returning boomerang is like a spinning wing. It has two or more arms, or wings, joined at an angle. Each wing is shaped like an airfoil, which helps it fly. Boomerangs can be made for right-handed or left-handed throwers. A right-handed boomerang flies in a counter-clockwise circle to the left. A left-handed one flies clockwise to the right. Most sport boomerangs weigh between 70 and 110 grams. They have a wingspan of 25 to 30 centimeters and can fly 20 to 40 meters.
When a boomerang is thrown with a lot of spin, it flies in a curve, not a straight line. If thrown correctly, it returns to where it started. As the boomerang spins and moves through the air, the air flowing over its wings creates lift. One side of the boomerang's spin moves faster through the air than the other. This creates more lift on the faster side. Because the boomerang is spinning, this extra lift makes it turn in a curve.
Some boomerangs have small bumps or pits called turbulators. These help increase lift by making the airflow smoother.
Scientists have even tested boomerangs in space! In 1992, German astronaut Ulf Merbold showed that boomerangs work in zero gravity. Japanese astronaut Takao Doi repeated this experiment on the International Space Station in 2008.
Learning to Throw a Boomerang
Boomerangs should always be thrown in wide, open spaces. The boomerang's design determines if it flies left or right, not the thrower. You can throw a right-handed boomerang with either hand, but it feels more natural with the matching hand.
To throw a right-handed boomerang, hold it between your finger and thumb. The curved side should face you, and the flat side should face outwards. Tilt it slightly outwards, almost vertical, or up to 20-30 degrees. The stronger the wind, the more vertical it should be.
Aim the boomerang to the right of the wind. The exact angle depends on the wind and the boomerang. Left-handed boomerangs are thrown to the left of the wind. The boomerang should fly parallel to the ground or slightly upwards. Even a very light wind can affect its flight. Little or no wind is best for an accurate throw. Strong, gusty winds make it very challenging.
A well-thrown boomerang will fly out, gently climb, make a smooth anti-clockwise circle, then flatten out. It will return hovering, either from the left or spiraling from behind. Ideally, it will hover so you can catch it easily between your hands.
Boomerang Competitions and World Records
Aerodynamic returning boomerang
|
|
| First played | Ancient |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | No |
| Mixed-sex | No |
| Type | Throwing sport |
| Equipment | Boomerang |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Australia |
| Olympic | No |
| World Games | 1989 (invitational) |
Boomerang throwing is a competitive sport with world championships. A world cup is held every two years. As of 2017, teams from Germany and the United States were very strong in international competitions. Manuel Schütz from Switzerland has won the individual World Champion title multiple times.
Exciting Competition Events
Modern boomerang tournaments have several events. In all events, the boomerang must fly at least 20 meters from the thrower. Throwers stand in the center of marked circles on an open field.
- Aussie Round: This is a big test of skill. The boomerang should cross a 50-meter circle and return to the center. Points are given for distance, accuracy, and the catch.
- Accuracy: Points are given based on how close the boomerang lands to the center. The thrower cannot touch it after throwing.
- Endurance: This event counts how many catches a thrower can make in 5 minutes.
- Fast Catch: This measures the time it takes to throw and catch the boomerang five times.
- Trick Catch/Doubling: Throwers earn points for special catches, like behind the back. In Doubling, two boomerangs are thrown and caught in a specific order.
- Consecutive Catch: Points are given for how many catches are made before dropping the boomerang.
- MTA 100 (Maximal Time Aloft, 100 meters): This event measures how long the boomerang stays in the air. The field is a 100-meter circle.
- Long Distance: The boomerang is thrown from a baseline. The furthest distance it travels away from the baseline is measured. It must cross the baseline again when returning.
Amazing World Records
| Discipline | Result | Name | Year | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accuracy 100 | 99 points |  Alex Opri |
2007 |  Viareggio |
| Aussie Round | 99 points | Fridolin Frost |
2007 | Viareggio |
| Endurance | 81 catches |  Manuel Schütz |
2005 | Milan |
| Fast Catch | 14.07 s | Manuel Schütz |
2017 |  Besançon |
| Trick Catch/Doubling | 533 points | Manuel Schütz |
2009 | Bordeaux |
| Consecutive Catch | 2251 catches |  Haruki Taketomi |
2009 | Japan |
| MTA 100 | 139.10 s |  Nick Citoli |
2010 | Rome |
| MTA unlimited | 380.59 s | Billy Brazelton |
2010 | Rome |
| Long Distance | 238 m | Manuel Schütz |
1999 | Kloten |
Guinness World Records
- Smallest Returning Boomerang: Sadir Kattan of Australia set a record in 1997 with a boomerang only 48 mm long and 46 mm wide. It flew the required 20 meters and returned!
- Longest Throw of Any Object by a Human: David Schummy set a Guinness World Record on March 15, 2005. He threw a boomerang 427.2 meters in Australia.
Other Throwing Tools: The Kylie
In the Noongar language, a kylie is a flat, curved piece of wood. It looks like a boomerang but is thrown for hunting birds and animals. Kylies fly in straight lines and do not return. They are usually much larger than boomerangs and can travel very far. Because of their size and shape, they could seriously injure an animal or person. The word "kylie" might come from an Aboriginal word for a hunting stick.
See also
In Spanish: Búmeran para niños
- List of premodern combat weapons
- List of martial arts weapons
- Australian Aboriginal artefacts
- Cateia, an ancient Egyptian throwing weapon
- Chakram, an Indian throwing weapon
- Throwing stick, used in Australia
- Valari, an Indian throwing weapon
