Maximum Time Aloft (MTA) is an event where the object is to have your boomerang stay in the air as long as possible. In the MTA 100 event, the boomerang must be thrown and caught within the 50 meter ring providing a maximum of 100 meters of space. In the unlimited version of the event, there is no distance restriction on how far the boomerang travels once thrown. MTA 100 is the event most commonly thrown at tournaments and allows for five throws, of which the best three catches times are added together for your score. This event uses a very special boomerang and can be harder to throw.

Tips & Tricks: MTA 100

Records:
MTA 100
USA
Men: Nick Citoli, 2 minutes 19.10 seconds
Women: Betsylew Miale-Gix, 50.37 seconds

World
Men: David Hesse (Switzerland), 1 minute 37.78 seconds
Women: Sonia Appriou (France), 1 minute 11.49 seconds

MTA Unlimited
USA
Men: Billy Brazelton, 6 minutes 20.59 seconds
Women: Betsylew Miale-Gix, 3 minutes 49.82 seconds

World
Men: Arnaud Tribillon (France), 3 minutes 10.21 seconds
Women: Betsylew Miale-Gix (USA), 3 minutes 49.82 seconds

MTA 100 Rules

Timed Event

  • Best: Longest time for total of three best throws

Circles

  • Contested on circles of 50m radius.
  • Minimum of 5 throwers in a group and maximum of 5 groups per circle.  Throwers from multiple groups may throw simultaneously.

Required for score

  • No minimum range requirement.
  • Legal throw from anywhere within the 50m circle.
  • Legal catch within the 50m circle

Scoring

  • Official score is the thrower’s longest time that ends with a legal catch.
  • The sum of the throwers three (3) longest throws with a legal catch is the Official Score.

Round

  • The event includes 1 round of 5 turns for each thrower.
  • Flight is timed from the moment of release until the boomerang is first touched.  Time is recorded only is a legal catch is made.
  • Each turn is completed by all throwers in the group in rotation before the next turn is started.

Warm Up

  • No practice throws once the warm up is over.
  • All throwers have a 15 minute general warm up anywhere on the competition field before the start of the event.

Re-throws

  • Re-throws are made at the end of the event for the thrower’s group.

Officials per circle

  • May be competitors.
    • 1 circle judge.
    • 3 official timers (may be center judge or range stewards).  More timers may be used but are alternates and official only in the event of a timing error by one of the 3 official timers.

Notes:
If a contestant is not completely inside the 50m circle, he must be touching the 50m circle or the area within it whenever he touches the boomerang during the catch until he completes the catch.  If he is not touching the ground when he makes the catch, the first point of contact with the ground after the catch must be on or within the 50m circle.

A throw in MTA 100 ending with a catch outside the 50m circle may be recorded in the MTA Unlimited event if allowed by the tournament guidelines.

Official Rules