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USBA Update

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Billy Brazelton, Editor

1073 Ticonderoga Trail

Eagan, Minnesota 55123

651-905-9550

update@usba.org

 

 

USBA UPDATE
June 10, 2000

This is an electronic supplement to Many Happy Returns being sent to
all USBA members who have submitted their email addresses. If you would
like to be removed from this list, or if you know anybody would like to be
added to this list, please contact Billy Brazelton at update@usba.org.

This news update is intended to inform USBA members of all
boomerang-related events in a more timely and efficient manner than is
possible with MHR. It will be sent at least once a month, plus special
announcements that are too important to wait. Possible news items may
include but are not limited to: USBA board activities, competition
announcements and results, and general discussion about running the USBA.
If you have a news item, please send it to update@usba.org.

These news updates will be most useful if they stimulate you to
contribute your own thoughts and ideas to the USBA cause. Please send all
complaints, suggestions, ideas, and proposals to usba@usba.org. Contact
info for individual board members can be found at the end of this message.
Please write us!

 

Now for the news:

TAA: If you haven't already done so, submit your Toss Across America
stories to MHR and the website! Contact Ted Bailey, editor@usba.org, or Tony
Brazelton, MHREditor@usba.org, to tell the world about your awesome
experiences!

 

STICKERS: As announced before, the USBA store now has boomerang bumper
stickers for sale. The "Boomerangs are Coming Back!" stickers are $1 each,
and the official USBA logo red balloons are $0.50. Place an order of $25 or
more and get them for half price. This is a great way to expose the public
to boomerangs, as conversation-starters or advertising. Contact Pat
Steigman to place an order.

 

MEMBERSHIPS: The competition season is now in full swing, and updates can
be read at www.usba.org. Remember, only dues-paying members can compete in
USBA-sactioned events. Make sure your subscription is up to date! Contact
Treasurer Steve Cook if you have questions.

 

DESIGN CONTEST: A Boomerang Design Contest will be held at the US Open in
August, so come out to Canton and show off those flying pieces of art
you've been working on! The Board has approved the following guidelines for
the contest:

 

Artistic - this category can contain non-boomerang items; however, they
must in some way be related to boomerangs. The major quality to be
judged in this category would be the "artistic interpretation", although
the "novelty" or "newness of concept" should also be considered.

 

Technology - this category can contain non-boomerang items also, but
once again, the items must be somehow related to boomerangs. The major
quality to be judged in this category is "scientific importance", while
"novelty", "newness of concept", and "future applications" should be
considered as features, also.

 

The remaining categories are boomerang-only categories, and each of
these major two categories will be sub-divided into four sub-categories.

Aesthetics - the artistic impact of a boomerang. This includes the
two-dimensional shape of the boomerang, the choice of finish, the
appropriateness of the finish, and the overall artistic impression
achieved with the boomerang. In each of the sub-categories, this
"artistic impression achieved" will be considered to be the most
important feature to be judged. However, in cases where there is any
conflict as to which boom is the better artistic boom, the craftsmanship
of the boom will be the deciding factor in determining which is the
better artistic boom. That is, given two boomerangs that are determined
to have nearly equal artistic merit, the one that has paid the most
attention to fit, detail, and accuracy in craftsmanship will be deemed
to be the better artistic boomerang.

 

Aesthetics, natural elbow - artistic impression most important.
Attempts to follow natural grain lines secondary only to artistic
impression, and even then should approximate these lines. Choice of
finish appropriate to artistic impression also important. Craftsmanship
details follow in importance.

 

Aesthetics, strip-laminate - again, artistic impression paramount.
Evenness of glue lines secondary, as is choice of appropriate finish.
Craftsmanship details follow in importance.

 

Aesthetics, lap-joint - artistic interpretation most important. Choice
of appropriate finish and then craftsmanship concerns are secondary.

 

Aesthetics, plywood or other cut-out construction - artistic
interpretation absolutely critical here, as there is more free reign to
alter the two-dimensional shape. Choice of appropriate finish is also
important here; finally, craftsmanship details will used to
differentiate any booms judged equal to this point.

 

Craftsmanship - the attention to detail in the building and finishing of
a boomerang. Tightness in fit in glue lines, edges sanded to a
consistent level, lack of scratches in the wood or other material used,
and quality of the final finish are all important features of this
category.

 

Craftsmanship, natural elbow - since there will be no glue lines here,
the quality of the edges, the evenness of the edges, and the quality of
the final finish must be judged. All other things equal, booms will be
judged on their artistic interpretation.

 

Craftsmanship, strip-laminate - as stated above: glue lines, edges, no
scratches, final finish are all important. Use artistic interpretation
as final choice in similar booms.

 

Craftsmanship, lap-joint - as stated above: glue lines, edges, no
scratches, final finish are all important. Artistic interpretation is
used as a final factor in two otherwise equal booms.

 

Craftsmanship, plywood or other cut-out construction - since no glue
lines that apply, only edges, no scratches, and final finish are
evaluated. Artistic interpretation is used as a final deciding factor.

 

After the four winners in each of the two categories are determined,
then an overall aesthetics and an overall craftsmanship award are
judged. This may be difficult, but the category must be remembered when
judging. That is to say, the artisitic interpretation achieved in a
plywood model should be considerably higher than that of a natural
elbow. The judges should be judging, is this natural elbow a better
artistic interpretation among all possible natural elbows than this
plywood model is among all possible plywood models? The sub-category
must be remembered in this final judging.

 

A quick explanation of how this will work - there will be four
sub-category sections on tables at the Nationals. A person will enter a
boom as a plywood model, a lap-joint, etc. The judges will come around
and judge ALL booms in the given category as potential aesthetics
boomerangs and as potential craftsmanship boomerangs. Each boomerang,
then, has two chances to win an award in its own sub-category, and also
up to two chances out of eight to win the overall in the two categories.
The Board has allocated $250 towards awards for the design contest, so the
stakes are high! (As if you boomsmiths need any motivation.) :-)

 

 

LIBRARY SUBSCRIPTIONS: The Board also approved lowering MHR subscriptions for libraries to $10 per year. We are hoping to reach a lot of people by
having MHR present in libraries, so make sure your local library knows
about this great deal!

 

TOURNAMENT RESULTS: How did the Atlanta and St. Louis tournaments go? Most USBA members can only find out tournament results via anecdotes on
rang-list or months later in MHR. We want the public to know how fun and
exciting boomerang tournaments are, so send your stories, statistics,
results, and everything else to Tony at MHREditor@usba.org so he can put
it on the website. Please submit any stories or articles to Ted Bailey for
publication in MHR as well. All USBA members need to do their own small
part to spread the word about boomerangs. Helping out with the website or
MHR is the best and easiest way to publicize the sport. Please contact any
or all of the names at the end of this message if you can participate in
any way; no contribution is too small.

 

NEED MATERIALS FOR NEXT MHR: The latest issue of Many Happy Returns should be hitting mailboxes very soon if you don't have it already. Tell us what you think; that's the only way it can improve! Also, please submit all
materials, articles, and letters NOW for inclusion in the next MHR, which
will hopefully be mailed before Nationals.

 

 

TOURNAMENTS
June 24-25: Twin Peaks Tournament, North Bend, WA, Will Herlan,
blugar@gte.net, 425-883-3231

 

July 1-3: 6th Annual Indiana Open, Indianapolis, IN, Tony Brazelton,
brazelami@yahoo.com,317-883-2334

 

July 9: 13th Annual Western Oregon Boomerang Roundup, Salem, OR, Dean
Kelly,Dean.A.Kelly@state.or.us, 503-581-8050

 

July 15: National Team Boom Fest, Amherst, MA, Larry Ruhf,
ruhfhouse@the-spa.com, 413-323-4340

 

July 29: Burlington, VT, Paul Gustafson, FatElvis@together.net, 802-859-3430

August 5-6: 21st Annual Free Throwers Tournament, Delaware, OH, Chet
Snouffer, Leadingedgechet@columbus.rr.com, 740-363-8332

 

August 11-13: US Open, Canton, OH, Gary Broadbent, Broadboom@juno.com,
330-492-RANG

 

September 9-10 : 4th Annual Outer Banks Boomerang Tournament, Kill Devil
Hills, North Carolina, Amy Thompson, 1-877-FLY-THIS (359-8447) ext. 18,
events@kittyhawk.com, www.kittyhawk.com.

 

mid September: central CT, Keith Mullinar, C_K_Mullinar@fleet.com

 

USBA BOARD CONTACT INFO
President Chet Snouffer - usba@usba.org
Vice-President Fred Malmberg - usba@usba.org
Treasurer Steve Cook - membership@usba.org
Secretary Betsylew Miale-Gix - betwil@wa.freei.net
Billy Brazelton - update@usba.org
Eric Darnell - tpi@together.net
Keith Mullinar - C_K_Mullinar@fleet.com
Larry Ruhf - RUHFHOUSE@aol.com
Pat Steigman - psteigman@tyler.net

 

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact any one
of us.