Sponsorship of U.S. Boomerang Team Sends CIB Name Out and Back Again 

The U.S. Boomerang team recently returned from Asahikawa, Japan where it competed against six other international teams at the World Boomerang Cup 2006.  Returning triumphantly with a 2nd place win behind Germany's 1st was sweet satisfaction after having been dealt a severe blow at the 2004 World Cup in Charleville-Mezieres, France.  In that World Cup the U.S. team threw hard and well but couldn't come home with higher than 5th place.

Competition in Japan was exciting.  The U.S. throwers are proud of their rise to 2nd place.  This photograph is of the team on the World Cup field in Japan wearing CIB t-shirts and baseball caps.

Below are U.S. team member Betsylew Miale-Gix and Leonie Metzakis, a member of the Australian boomerang community, co-head judge of the team tournament and winner of the iPod Shuffle donated by CIB to the WBC 2006 auction.

Next is a photo of American Gregg Snouffer and Aussie legend Rob Croll announcing for the Japanese crowd during a Gel Public Day event.

The sport's upcoming National Championship and Expo will be over Labor Day weekend in Conyers, GA.  The field is located inside the Georgia International Horse Park (GIHP).  The event will feature boomerang throwers and crafters from around the country and world - from novice throwers to U.S. Boomerang team members.  Public exhibitions and training sessions will be mixed in with the National Championship events.  For more information go to www.usba.org.   

The modern sport of boomerangs as we know it today began in the 1960s. Today, there are 25 countries with national boomerang organizations and a World Cup held every two years. There are Individual tournaments (with Novice, Intermediate and Advanced divisions), Team Tournaments and informal games.

The USA Boomerang Team, selected by the United States Boomerang Association (USBA), has represented the United States in fifteen World Boomerang Championships; starting Down Under in 1981 with the first Australia vs. USA Boomerang Championship, and most recently in Charleville-Mézières, France in July 2004. A US Team has won 10 out of 15 Championships.