Pumpkins Away!

October 18, 2007

Fall brings many wonderful things in its wake. From the leaves tinged with color, to the cool, crisp feeling in the air, fall is an enchanting season for all. It is all capped off, of course, with the Halloween festivities at the end of October as little goblins and ghosts roam around in search of candy, only to later collapse in a sugar crash of epic proportions. The next day they carefully document the haul and report it to their friends at school. The most fruitful among them are given a certain measure of jealous respect.

For many, the greatest memories of Halloween are not the candy or absurd costumes, but the traditional carving of the pumpkin. The carving of the pumpkin is a timeless and storied tradition. I still remember my first pumpkin, a big, lumpy, garish specimen. I scooped seemingly forever and then awkwardly and clumsily carved something that vaguely looked like a face on the front.

But I was always confused where all of the left over pumpkins would go. Every October, the grocery stores would be filled to the brim with pumpkins. Most were bought for carving. Some were bought to make pumpkin pie or to roast the seeds. But what could have been done with all of the extras?

In certain parts of the world, they are, literally chucked. A brief visit to the website of the official group who organizes these types of things (www.punkinchunkin.com) reveals a world that for most, myself included, never even seemed possible, but is indeed very, very real and taken quite seriously.

It is known affectionately as ‘Punkin Chunkin’ and it may very well be happening in a large, deserted field near you. The official event happens every year in Delaware. It started in 1986 after an argument arose as to who could throw a pumpkin the farthest. From that innocent little speculation, a legend and an institution was born.

The contest is divided into various age groups and along mechanical lines. Sling shot types of devices are grouped with other like devices. There is a human powered class, a trebuchet class, catapult class, centrifugal class and an air class. In the 21 years of competition, there has only been one fatality– a duck, no doubts pulverized, by a flying pumpkin. That would be a very rough way to go.

The machines involved are truly incredible, though. The labor and ingenuity that goes into them would make nearly anyone sit up and take notice. And all for such ridiculous ends, too…

To date, the most ’successful’ class has been the air class. The world record for Punkin’ Chunkin’ was a pumpkin fired from a pneumatic air cannon that traveled 4300 feet– just under one mile. I know for a fact that I would pay quite a bit of money to watch a pumpkin get shot almost out of this atmosphere. But the greatest thing about it is that admission is a mere $7! Movies aren’t even that cheap anymore.

Granted, you have to follow the obvious safety instructions as to where and when one may watch such an event, but with the devices that are brought up against each other and the sheer spectacle of watching a pumpkin fly thousands and thousands of feet, it is well worth it.

If anyone lives near, or has the inclination to go to Delaware for the event, I would love to know how it turns out. Will the massive hurl be broken this year? Could we actually see a full mile of distance? Questions and hype abound as this year’s festival, which kicks off November 2nd in Millsboro, DE, fast approaches.