Rusty Harding is one of America's best known boomerang manufacturers. I first met Rusty in 1979 when Rusty and I lived in Florida only 30 miles apart. Rusty was already an experienced boomerang thrower and manufacturer. I had been throwing longer than Rusty, but Rusty put a lot more effort into making premium boomerang products. The quality products that I made and sold in the 1980s and 1990s was highly influenced by my association with Rusty. Rusty was left handed and his lefty booms were exceptional. He made a large number of sporting and competition boomerang models. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Rusty made boomerangs from his home in Vero Beach, Florida. In the early 1980s, Rusty moved to Lebanon, Tennessee where he continued to make boomerangs until the late 1990s. Rusty's old classics, especially those from Vero Beach, have become valuable collectables. The boomerangs that have the highest collectable value are the Concept models that were made out of lapped hardwood boards and with angles of 70 or 90 degrees. These were sometimes weighted. His Hurricane Hook and Contender [omega] designs are the most popular sporting models. Rusty died in November 2010 after a lengthy battle with coronary disease, so his models continue to grow in demand.

This sport omega is a very early example of Rusty Harding's well known model called the Contender (or Contendor). This boomerang was supplied to Michael Hanson in Scotland in the 1970s for Michael's boomerang marketing business. Michael sold this Contender to Max Hoeben and it was part of Max's personal throwkit for more than 20 years. This Contender has green tips and a white tape band. There is a Michael Hanson address sticker on the underside as well as one of Max Hoeben's collection tags. There is light wear and some scratches on the surface, but this boomerang is still in marvellous condition. A great collectable!