Pumpkin chunking
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Punkin chunkin (also called Pumpkin Chunkin' and pumpkin chucking) is the action of hurling a pumpkin in a competition by mechanical means over distances greater than those of other competitors.
Pumpkin chucking competitions, formal and informal, exist throughout the United States in the autumn, and often occur when pumpkins are harvested.[1] Also, a European Championship is held in Bikschote, Belgium each year, and has been held there each year since 2004.
In order of increasing effectiveness, the devices include compound slingshots, catapults, trebuchets, and pneumatic air cannons. A pneumatic air cannon named Young Glory III holds the current world record by firing a pumpkin a record 4483.51 feet (1,351 meters) during the annual 2008 competition in Delaware.
The range achieved by devices greatly depends on their mass, shape, and size; the yield limits, stiffnesses, pitch, and elevation of the hurler; and the wind speed.
Some pumpkin chunkers grow special firm pumpkins for use as a projectile, since sabots are often prohibited in competitions. These special pumpkins are often not good for eating.
A usual rule is that the pumpkin must remain whole after leaving the device for the chunking to count. Pumpkins that burst after leaving the barrel intact are referred to as "pumpkin pie in the sky".
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[edit] World Championship Punkin' Chunkin'
The World Championship Punkin' Chunkin' is name of an annual championship pumpkin-throwing contest held the first weekend after Halloween in Sussex County, Delaware. Competing teams construct and fire a variety of pumpkin-launching devices, including catapults, trebuchets, centrifugal machines, and pneumatic cannons. Contestants compete in divisions against machines of the same type. The world record is currently held by a domineering force in the Pumpkin Chucking community; a man by the name of Steven "Quiggley" Mikelson.
It started in 1986 in Millsboro. Due to the increasing space required as the machines are upgraded to fire the pumpkins farther, the event has moved several times from where it began. About 75 teams competed in the 2007 event, held outside Bridgeville near Coverdale, Delaware. That year the event drew more than 20,000 people and grossed more than $100,000 in ticket sales and associated revenues. More than 70% of that money will be donated to a variety of community organizations.[2]
Each type of machine competes in different categories, including height, fan favorite, straightness, and most importantly, range. Each launcher counts the best of three shots, one taken on each of three consecutive days. Launchers typically hurl white pumpkins (specifically the white lumina breed) because they have thicker rinds and can better withstand the forces of launch than the regular orange ones. Each chunk is then marked with a small, color coded flag by officials in the chunking zone on ATVs. The sole fatality of the contest has been a duck hit by a pumpkin that had been shot out of a state of the art pneumatic cannon. The duck was killed on impact.
There is also a carnival for spectators with amusement rides, food vendors and pumpkin recipes in a cooking contest.
Science Channel currently owns the television broadcast rights to the World Championship Punkin' Chunkin' contest, and airs it on tape delay on Thanksgiving Day. Brad Sherwood hosts the one-hour program. The previous year's contest is shown around Halloween.
[edit] World Championship Punkin' Chunkin' Current Records
The World Championship Punkin' Chunkin' Current Records as of the 2009 Championship. 2009 Records have been officially evaluated by the World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association.[3]
| Machine Class | Team Name | Distance (feet) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Air | Young Glory III | 4483.51 | 2008 |
| Adult Centrifugal | Bad To The Bone | 2770.74 | 2004 |
| Adult Catapult | Fibonacci Unlimited II | 2862.28 | 2005 |
| Adult Trebuchet | Yankee Siege | 2034.21 | 2009 |
| Adult Human Powered | Pumpkin Slayer | 1984.37 | 2009 |
| Adult Torsion | Chucky II | 3091.58 | 2008 |
| Adult Centrifugal Human Powered | M2S2 Spinumpkin | 229.59 | 2005 |
| Youth Air | Young Glory III | 3945.28 | 2003 |
| Youth Catapult | Little Feats | 1232.94 | 2005 |
| Youth Trebuchet | Sanford Slinger | 852.34 | 2009 |
| Youth Human Powered | Failed Negotiations | 853.46 | 2006 |
| Youth 10 and Under | Little Blaster | 1939.81 | 2002 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Associated Press (2007-10-25). "How far will a pumpkin fly?". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21197135/. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Punkin Chunkin Founders Honored at Ceremony". World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association. http://www.punkinchunkin.com/founders.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "World Championship Punkin Chunkin". World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association. http://www.punkinchunkin.com/records.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
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