At the boomerang it is a traditional throwing weapon. Nowadays, the boomerang primarily as a sports equipment use. boomerang is available in many different variants. So boomerangs z. B. made of wood, metal, bone or plastic. While modern sports boomers return to the pitcher in most cases with a properly executed pitch, this is not the case with traditional boomerangs that are still used by the Aborigines in Australia today.

Development history of the boomerang

In 1958, the oldest specimen of a boomerang was discovered in the Polish Carpathians, dating back to about 23,000 years using radiocarbon dating. The primitive device was made from the tusk of a mammoth and weighed around 800 grams, which is much more than a wooden boomerang of the same size. Although the history of boomerang goes back many thousand years to the Stone Age and although the boomerang However, in the course of time it was used as a weapon in many ancient civilizations, but it was the Aborigines, the aborigines of Australia, who made the wood weapon known worldwide. Of the boomerang It was originally used as a hunting weapon and in many cases was heavier and larger than sport boomerangs that are used worldwide today. The Aborigines used the boomerang to hunt birds and other smaller animals. According to the latest scientific findings, there were a total of 11 different types of the Australian boomerang. Almost 95 percent of these devices were not intended for the return flight, but could only just reach their destination. boomerang was not only used by the Aborigines of Australia for hunting, but was also often used as a digging stick, musical instrument or impact weapon. Individual variants of the „Australian boomerang“ could be up to 1.30 meters long with a total weight of up to 2 kg.

How is a boomerang structured?

A modern boomerang usually consists of two wings that are similar in appearance to the wing of an aircraft. The bottom side of a boomerang is flat, while the top is slightly rounded. Thanks to this special shape, the air that flows over the upper surface of the boomerang has to travel a longer distance, which accelerates the boomerang. In order to set the boomerang in the typical elliptical flight direction, this is thrown by the launcher with the wings perpendicular to the ground, so that the boomerang is drawn by the air flowing past not upwards, but to the side. The boomerang does not move in a fixed direction, but rather rotates around its own axis. As a result of the rotation, the boomerang gets into a slant and thus also into the typical elliptical trajectory. This can be compared to a motorcycle that puts the driver in a curve by tipping his upper body inwards.

Modern sports boomerangs for amateur throwers and competitions

Today boomerangs are used primarily for sporting purposes. Depending on the shape and profile, modern boomerangs sometimes have very different flight characteristics. Some can bridge long distances before returning to the pitcher while others return immediately. boomerang throwing is now very popular as a sporting activity and is practiced by millions of people worldwide. There are even competitions or tournaments organized where pitchers put their „boomerang skills“ to the test. There are a number of different disciplines, of which the „Australian Round“ is probably the best known. The so-called Australian Round is the supreme discipline. In the Australian round, the boomerang should cover a distance of over 50 meters and be caught in the center circle. Each thrower has five attempts, the winner is determined by distance, throwing and catching accuracy.