Jim Mayfield became interested in boomerangs in the mid 1980s. He used to travel to boomerang tournaments to compete and collect boomerangs. Jim learned how to make his own rather quickly. He began manufacturing his own boomerangs at his Gunnison Colorado home in the early 1990s. A few years after forming Colorado Boomerangs, Jim sold his company to Richard Pollock-Nelson. Jim worked with Richard after the sale to make sure that the quality of Colorado Boomerang products remained high after his departure. Jim Mayfield was critically injured in a motorcycle accident on 11 October 1999. He died of his injuries on 24 October at the age of 48, leaving a wife and four young children. Today, Jim's business is still running strong, even though Colorado Boomerangs is on its third owner.

This is the original design of the " Phoenix ". it was a gift to Ben Ruhe from Francis Rogallo in 1992 and it is stated as such on the underside. Jim Mayfield's signature and the date of manufacture (1992) was written in blue ink on the underside. If you compare this Phoenix with newer production versions of this model, you will see that the planform is identical and the weighting (a single lead weight in left arm tip) is also identical. However, there are differences in the airfoiling and this is key as to why the Mayfield manufactured hooks were in such high demand in the early 1990s and why they are such good collectables today. This boomerang is in mint condition. I did test throw it several times and it is an excellent flyer. This may be one of the few remaining Mayfield manufactured boomerangs in mint condition. It is quite a collectable.