World Boomerang Championships
Published 7:00 am Wednesday, August 13, 2008
When he steps up to throw at the World Boomerang Championships (which runs Aug. 18-27), Steve Kavanaugh will have some new tricks up his sleeve. Hes the defending world champion in the GLORP competition, in which boom-meisters perform freestyle tricks following rules similar to that old basketball standby, HORSE. He plans to throw his boomerang, wait for it to return, kick it like you would a hacky sack, do a hand plant, and catch his falling boomerang with his free hand. While Kavanaughs amazing stunts havent earned the sport a spot in the Olympics (which still includes racewalking), the Boom Worlds will have some Beijing-like intensity. Teams from 12 countries will compete, and the good old U.S.A. will go for the gold against the defending German champs. (Australia, surprisingly, isnt all that good, says Kavanaugh.) Plus these athletes are a little more approachable than your Olympic, roid-raging Marion Jones types: Free throwing lessons will be offered. Why sit at home watching tape-delays of the action in China? University of Washington campus, seattle2008.ifba-online.com. 9:30 a.m.5 p.m. JOSHUA LYNCH
Mon., Aug. 18, 9:30 a.m., 2008
