Eau Claire – Nearly 100 boomerangers from around the country will converge on Eau Claire this week for the 2010 National Boomerang Tournament & Expo.  The four day tournament begins Thursday, August 5 and runs through Sunday, August 8.  All competition takes place at the Eau Claire Soccer Park, located at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Craig Road in Eau Claire.

The National Championship will include competition in six different individual events: accuracy, Aussie round, fast catch, trick catch, endurance, and maximum time aloft (MTA).  Competition runs from 10am-6pm daily.

Included in the field of competitors will be the 2010 US Boomerang Team, fresh off their win at the World Boomerang Championships in Rome, Italy.  One member of the team, Dan Johnson, is an Eau Claire native and 2001 Eau Claire North High School graduate.  Johnson began throwing boomerangs during middle school and has been competing in the sport for 5 years. 

In addition to the world-class competition, the US Boomerang Association uses their annual tournament to raise awareness of the boomerang sport.  The week’s event will be spectator friendly and includes a small expo with boomerang vendors including many hand-made boomerangs available.  Admission is free.

This event is sponsored locally by Festival Foods.

The Eau Claire Area Sports Commission participated in a competitive bid process to secure this event and won the right to host the tournament in Eau Claire.  This event was last here in 2007.  The Eau Claire Area Sports Commission was established in 1999 to facilitate sporting events in the Eau Claire area for public participation and spectatorship.  Since its inception, the Commission has brought 33 events to the area resulting in an economic impact in excess of $29.9 million. 

The estimated economic impact of hosting this event in Eau Claire is $47,250.

For more information contact Don Monroe at (520) 975.7371.