For some people, throwing food is just for amateurs. However, launching food into the sky, let’s say, big orange round circles commonly known as pumpkins with cannons across a huge field is for champions! For those that compete in the World Championship Punkin Chunkin (WCPC) contest each year, the farther she goes… the better!
Established in 1986, the WCPC contest tests one’s ability to hurl a pumpkin as far as it can go through the air without the use of electricity or explosives. According to the website howstuffworks.com, “pumpkins rocket into the sky from three different types of launchers, or ‘chunkers’: catapults, trebuchets and air cannons.” Prior to 2019, the contest was held in Bridgeville, Delaware, however was relocated to Rantoul, Illinois. According to their official 2020 press release, the WCPC was hoping to move it back to the East Coast in 2020, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans are still uncertain for a 2020 competition.
Interested in giving it a whirl when the time comes?
Here are some basic rules from WPCA to get started!
- All pumpkins fired must remain intact until they impact the ground to obtain an official measurement.
- No part of the machine shall cross the firing line.
- No wadding can be used in the machines (including bean chaff, straw, foam, metal or any other object).
- No explosives are allowed.
- Pumpkins are not to be altered in any way, excluding WCPCA marker paints.
- Machines can have either springs, rubber cords, counterweights, compressed air or any other device that uses the stored power of one human being.
Want to participate? Visit punkinchunkin.com for more information.
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