Why are men with trebuchets, catapults, and cannons shooting pumpkins at this airplane?
Because today was the final day of the nineteenth annual World Championship Punkin Chunkin.
Memo to pilots: for obvious reasons (like huge pumpkins being hurled into the air at ridiculous speeds), there is a low-flying aircraft ban in effect during the festival.
Anyway, Scott—Mr. Blankbaby himself—and I took another cross-blog fieldtrip and trekked to Millsboro, Delaware to witness the spectacle of teams competing for the honor of the longest pumpkin throw. The prize? Trophies and bragging rights: all profits from the festival are donated to charity.
These Chunkers don’t mess around—some of the pumpkins reached distances of over 4,000 feet. To help you understand the results, I’ve compiled a list of helpful chunkin lingo:
- Woods: If a pumpkin lands in the woods, the firing team is allowed to take another shot. Alternately, the team can choose to search for the pumpkin; if they find it in three hours, it counts as an official throw.
- Pie: A pumpkin that explodes prior to landing is pie and doesn’t count as an official throw.
In addition to watching the pumpkins fly, spectators can shop for Harley Davidson apparel, ride a mechanical bull, and eat junk food. Pumpkin funnel cake, anyone? More pictures are below; also, the Discovery Channel website has some short video clips of the 2002 competition.
UPDATE 11/9/04: Scott has completed his Punkin Chunkin writeup, complete with movies! In addition, he posted a photo album. I made a movie too, but it sucked and was also sideways.
People-powered pumpkin trebuchet:
The "world’s most dangerous catapult:"
Are these the same people that run the Christmas fruitcake hurl (unlikely to disentegrate at high flying speeds)? The catapult looks exactly the same. I’d like to orchestrate a Bush hurl (catapult or otherwise). Do you think Monty Python is a major influence here? (catapulted cows)
I hurled when Bush won…is that the same thing?
Yo! This is a post about a strange yet charming piece of local color. Focus, people–enough with the politics! Be uniters, not dividers! Hurl ‘em all, I say.
I’m intrigued by the fruitcake hurl. “Fruitcake hurl” is a phrase that works on many levels.
Hey, just an idea — add a potato gun, and you’ve got all-food skeet shooting.
Wow. They have ridiculous events like this in the NorthEast too?
I am not sure if this saying is common around here…but it will prolly fit the general mood of the commenters to this post:
Cheater! Cheater! Pumpkin eater!
Or
Cheater! Cheater! Punkin eater!
When I was young, a punkin eating individual must have been a bad thing.
What a great weekend event. Blue sky with orange flying objects. I really could not make out the color in the photo…maybe it was the “antiquated” camera (good one Scott).
PS. If you are going to malign and hurl “Fruit cakes” please aim them West of Phillie toward the Amish Country. This person needs some consolation after last Tuesday when we were all “Bush-Wacked”
I must say, Dave, that’s kind of a genius idea. Even better would be to pair the chunkin event with the Food Network expo–to see what kind of smashed pumpkin dishes the celebs could come up with.
Jen, judging by the number of confederate flags flying from the pumpkin cannons, I’d say the South was, er, well-represented.
Sam, are you suggesting that people should put their wives in pumpkin shells?
Moon Pappy, you are the only person I know who actually likes fruitcake.
You people are crazy. Crazy!
Oh great. I’m so proud. NOT!
While the range of the pumpkins is greater, I stick with my trusty potato gun, thank you.
“Bush-Wacked”
good one Moon Pappy.
Clair, you’re such a creature of habit. Potato guns are fine, but maybe you should consider taking it to the next level.
Re: Moon Pappy and “Bush-wacking”…he literally did get bushwacked. On election night, someone snuck into his front yard and covered the lawn with Bush signs, leaving his Kerry sign barely visible. I should post the picture he sent. It’s tough to be a Democrat in Lancaster County, PA.
Moon Pappy, I am so sorry you were bush-wacked. Small consolation that PA went Kerry, while the nation went Bush. I’m sorry, Becky, maybe I can find some maturity to be united by next year.
However, I do think the merits of fruitcake are reflected in the need to toss them in a self constructed catapult, which from a cursory search takes place in Colorado, Georgia, and Wisconsin—and I’m sure many other places (but not Lancaster County). Road trip, Becky? Moon Pappy might want to volunteer to be a target.
I’ve always wanted to see that in person. Dang. Next year.
Did you ever see that Northern Exposure episode where Chris chucked a piano? I really liked the sound it made. But orange spatter goo is good, too.
I’m with Dave and Clair, I found my potato gun while packing for my move.
It is now waiting in the trunk of my car, itching to be fired..
“Why are men with trebuchets, catapults, and cannons shooting pumpkins at this airplane?”
The secret lies with the photoshop zoom tool. That’s not an aeroplane but a UFO. What’s more it says CIA on the rim and there’s an image of satan in the slipstream.
/conspiracy sites notified.
If a pumpkin lands in the woods, and no one is there, does it make a sound?
Hey, thanks for posting the Loaded Boing!
What a great weekend the 2005 Punkin Chunkin turned out to be! Too bad team Boing Rotation couldn’t get their machine to cooperate and chunk ‘em punkins! Bummer…
There’s always next year!!!