Anyone ever successfully thrown a boomerang?

[Obliviax]

trying to lighten it up a bit, I saw a young boy carrying a boomerang at the airport yesterday. This brought back lots of memories. Aside from this being a sign of my toxic masculinity, I recall buying a couple in my childhood. I'd throw those darn things again and again. I'd run them down and try again. I never once was able to use one successfully. Are these things just urban myth?

 

[Carl Spackler]

A cousin sent me one when on leave in Australia during his stint in Vietnam in the 60's. It takes some time to learn the angle to release it on but when you do it does come back, sometimes.

 

[LionDeNittany]

trying to lighten it up a bit, I saw a young boy carrying a boomerang at the airport yesterday. This brought back lots of memories. Aside from this being a sign of my toxic masculinity, I recall buying a couple in my childhood. I'd throw those darn things again and again. I'd run them down and try again. I never once was able to use one successfully. Are these things just urban myth?

You must have been a privileged white male with plenty of time to just do nothing in your youth.

In response to your question, yes we had one at one point. Neither my brother nor I could get that to loop back around. And on that topic, the Aerobee (sp?) which was a super long throw frisbee was extremely difficult to get on point. So one could throw it far, but it would evenutally tilt and end up far away from the target.

LdN

 

[Woodpecker]

Here you go

I assume that you still have the ones that you had in your childhood

 

[MJG-90]

By successful, do you mean throw it, stand still and it returns to the spot you are standing? I've thrown them and have had them return within 10-20 feet to my left. I don't think I'd want to try to catch it anyway. So that was just fine.

 

[palmettolion]

The only success I've had with a boomerang was a Nerf one like this


I have had a few relationships boomerang but that's a different topic entirely.

 

[NittPicker]

A cousin sent me one when on leave in Australia during his stint in Vietnam in the 60's. It takes some time to learn the angle to release it on but when you do it does come back, sometimes.

I had one when I was a kid and you're right, you have to find the correct arm angle and release point. And you really need to snap the wrist to maximize the rotation. As MJG noted above, getting it back within 10-20 feet is good but I did a lot of chasing before I got to that point. Even at that I couldn't do it consistently. As a kid, it seemed like fun to chase around a piece of wood on a sunny summer day.

 

[Nitt1300]

 

[tboyer]

It definitely works, even the old wood ones. It takes a little technique like throwing a frisbee - semi-flexible wrist. Just like frisbee, the quality of the flight depends on a good spin when you release it. I think the difficulty is it's kind of counterintuitive, you're throwing it downward -- and hard - in order to get it to grip the air and soar.

In my experience a boomerang will totally fail when someone throws it tentatively. You have to have confidence and really just let loose.

I don't really love them, they are definitely dangerous. You need a very big space and no people or objects around that you can hit. But if you're working with someone who can teach you, you should be able to get the hang of it in half an hour.

For beginners they used to make 3-pronged plastic one that were lighter weight and more flexible (and not going to injure anybody if they hit someone). I assume they would still be available.

 

[Obliviax]

Here you go

View embedded media

I assume that you still have the ones that you had in your childhood

no, i thought I wasn't throwing it hard enough. So I threw the piss out of it, it never came back, and I couldn't find it.

 

[PSU87]

If you hit what you were throwing it at, it's not supposed to come back

 

[Nitt1300]

 

[BBrown]

trying to lighten it up a bit, I saw a young boy carrying a boomerang at the airport yesterday. This brought back lots of memories. Aside from this being a sign of my toxic masculinity, I recall buying a couple in my childhood. I'd throw those darn things again and again. I'd run them down and try again. I never once was able to use one successfully. Are these things just urban myth?

Nope I gave up and taught my dog how to fetch.

 

[Obliviax]

Nope I gave up and taught my dog how to fetch.

Lemonade!

 

[Zenophile]

It's all in the technique.

 

[BBrown]

Lemonade!

And he could snag a frisbee out of the air like no ones business.
German Shepherds are great, I miss that dog.

 

[Cabinpenn]

Nope. I waived that thing all over the place and practiced until I got blue in the face but my boomerang won't come back. I'm a bug disgrace to the Aberiginie race.

 

[john4psu]

I tried repeatedly, for days without end, to try get rid of mine. The darned thing kept coming back!

 

[Osprey Lion]

trying to lighten it up a bit, I saw a young boy carrying a boomerang at the airport yesterday. This brought back lots of memories. Aside from this being a sign of my toxic masculinity, I recall buying a couple in my childhood. I'd throw those darn things again and again. I'd run them down and try again. I never once was able to use one successfully. Are these things just urban myth?

You might be lucky. I had one as a kid and learned that they come back just as hard and fast
as they went out. I was agile enough then to jump out of the way or the result could have been
some serious pain.

 

[Woodpecker]

no, i thought I wasn't throwing it hard enough. So I threw the piss out of it, it never came back, and I couldn't find it.

Yeah, I was just referring to the old joke that every time someone tries to throw one away, it keeps coming back.

 

[PSU-Knocker]

Sure, it's done regularly on this site. Sometimes it takes a long time for it to come back though.

 

[UncleLar]

trying to lighten it up a bit, I saw a young boy carrying a boomerang at the airport yesterday. This brought back lots of memories. Aside from this being a sign of my toxic masculinity, I recall buying a couple in my childhood. I'd throw those darn things again and again. I'd run them down and try again. I never once was able to use one successfully. Are these things just urban myth?

I've got a couple of them. You can definitely throw them and have a catch with yourself so no urban myth.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Nope I gave up and taught my dog how to fetch.

Yep.....I throw it, Fonzie tracks it down. SOMETIMES he even brings it back!

 

[UncleLar]

You might be lucky. I had one as a kid and learned that they come back just as hard and fast
as they went out. I was agile enough then to jump out of the way or the result could have been
some serious pain.

Thrown correctly they will return behind you in an every tightening loop. You can get them to almost hover near you but to catch them, you want to sandwich them between your hands. Even if it is hovering the rotation of the tips will hurt if you try to catch it with one hand.

 

[The Song Remains the Same]

trying to lighten it up a bit, I saw a young boy carrying a boomerang at the airport yesterday. This brought back lots of memories. Aside from this being a sign of my toxic masculinity, I recall buying a couple in my childhood. I'd throw those darn things again and again. I'd run them down and try again. I never once was able to use one successfully. Are these things just urban myth?

When I was younger I think I did. But I'm not sure if my memory is correct. I'll let you know if it comes back to me...

 

[PSU87]

When I was younger I think I did. But I'm not sure if my memory is correct. I'll let you know if it comes back to me...

That's some well played, subtle, quality snark right there.

 

[BBrown]

Yep.....I throw it, Fonzie tracks it down. SOMETIMES he even brings it back!

LOL, well mine brought it back but he thought an even more fun game was for me to try and get it out of his mouth.

 

[Obliviax]

When I was younger I think I did. But I'm not sure if my memory is correct. I'll let you know if it comes back to me...

marco.......marco......Marco!.....MARCO.....MARCO!!!....

 

[Aardvark86]

trying to lighten it up a bit, I saw a young boy carrying a boomerang at the airport yesterday. This brought back lots of memories. Aside from this being a sign of my toxic masculinity, I recall buying a couple in my childhood. I'd throw those darn things again and again. I'd run them down and try again. I never once was able to use one successfully. Are these things just urban myth?

Actually I think the question is whether anyone has successfully caught one.

 

[Howie'81]

trying to lighten it up a bit, I saw a young boy carrying a boomerang at the airport yesterday. This brought back lots of memories. Aside from this being a sign of my toxic masculinity, I recall buying a couple in my childhood. I'd throw those darn things again and again. I'd run them down and try again. I never once was able to use one successfully. Are these things just urban myth?

I have successfully thrown one many times. You have to throw it properly. The one I threw I bought on a business trip in Australia. Worked quite well. In fact it went quite far and did quite a loop.

 

[Howie'81]

I had one when I was a kid and you're right, you have to find the correct arm angle and release point. And you really need to snap the wrist to maximize the rotation. As MJG noted above, getting it back within 10-20 feet is good but I did a lot of chasing before I got to that point. Even at that I couldn't do it consistently. As a kid, it seemed like fun to chase around a piece of wood on a sunny summer day.

Hmmm. When I did it, it really wasn't that difficult.

 

[UncleLar]

Hmmm. When I did it, it really wasn't that difficult.

I agree. Once you get the hang of it, it's like riding a bike. You can get it to return pretty much every time.

 

[step.eng69]

Peetz, she successfully threw it and two years later it came back and hit her in the
A$$.

 

[spydersabich]

When I was younger I think I did. But I'm not sure if my memory is correct. I'll let you know if it comes back to me...

I remember you being more into bottle rockets and late nights excursions towards Grantville.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

marco.......marco......Marco!.....MARCO.....MARCO!!!....

polo.....polo.....Polo!.....POLO.....POLO!!!

 

[Psychedelic_MackDaddy]

trying to lighten it up a bit, I saw a young boy carrying a boomerang at the airport yesterday. This brought back lots of memories. Aside from this being a sign of my toxic masculinity, I recall buying a couple in my childhood. I'd throw those darn things again and again. I'd run them down and try again. I never once was able to use one successfully. Are these things just urban myth?

No. But, I hope to throw a baby boomer before too long.

 

[john4psu]

Actually I think the question is whether anyone has successfully caught one.

I was able to learn the finer points of javelin catching.

 

[Howie'81]

I was able to learn the finer points of javelin catching.

 

[NittPicker]

Hmmm. When I did it, it really wasn't that difficult.

Congrats. Looks like you win the gold medal.

 

[TheBumble]

trying to lighten it up a bit, I saw a young boy carrying a boomerang at the airport yesterday. This brought back lots of memories. Aside from this being a sign of my toxic masculinity, I recall buying a couple in my childhood. I'd throw those darn things again and again. I'd run them down and try again. I never once was able to use one successfully. Are these things just urban myth?

You thought cultural appropriation like this would be a good way to lighten things up? All of you should be ashamed.