Punkin' Chunkin'

December 10, 2006 10:10 AM

Here’s the scenario. Halloween’s over. The kids have their loot. But you, the grownups, are stuck with pumpkin upon pumpkin upon pumpkin . . . what are you to do? You could just leave them out for the garbage collection but that’s not very inspired. A more creative option would be to head out to a field in rural Delaware, build a big-ass catapult or a big air cannon and let the fun begin. (A longer video can be found here.) The World Championship Punkin Chunkin contest has been hurling ripe holiday vegetables through the autumn air for two decades now and attracts a crowd in the tens of thousands. (Previously on MetaFilter).
posted by jason's_planet (13 comments total)

Shouldn't it be the World Championship Pumpkin Chucking contest? Who named that thing? I get that they have the rhyming in there, but chunkin isn't even a word.
posted by banished at 10:14 AM on December 10, 2006 [1 favorite]

They don't fire cut up used pumpkins. In fact, they don't even shoot normal pumpkins but these hard, white pumpkins that can withstand a lot more force.
posted by delmoi at 10:21 AM on December 10, 2006

Anyone who watches "Little People, Big World" will remember that two people where injured while firing a pumpkin trebuchet. Tangibly related.
posted by bob sarabia at 10:43 AM on December 10, 2006

When will we see this technology used to launch pumpkins?
posted by Tube at 11:31 AM on December 10, 2006

But you, the grownups, are stuck with pumpkin upon pumpkin upon pumpkin . . . what are you to do?
Well, if you must know, we're carving Christmas pumpkins. Nothing is as cheery as a Christmas tree carved into a pumpkin, lit by candals, on the solstice. Everybody should have Christmas Pumpkins.
posted by lekvar at 11:43 AM on December 10, 2006

I agree: what the hell is "chunkin'"?


"Punkin' chuckin' makes sense.

They're Americans, so I am wagering they are all afraid "chuckin'" sounds too much like "fuckin'".
posted by wfc123 at 12:02 PM on December 10, 2006

"Chunk" = regional variant of "chuck."
posted by FelliniBlank at 12:17 PM on December 10, 2006

"Chunk" = regional variant of "chuck."

Hey! Don't interrupt a good argument about meaningless minutiae with your precious "logic"! This is MetaFilter!
posted by The Deej at 12:44 PM on December 10, 2006

Playing with FOOD SUX
posted by zouhair at 1:12 PM on December 10, 2006

They don't fire cut up used pumpkins. In fact, they don't even shoot normal pumpkins but these hard, white pumpkins that can withstand a lot more force.

Huh! I didn't know that. It didn't seem to work very well in that one video; the damn thing disintegrated into a bazillion pieces.


"Chunk" = regional variant of "chuck."
posted by FelliniBlank at 3:17 PM EST on December 10


"Chunk" = regional variant of "chuck."

Hey! Don't interrupt a good argument about meaningless minutiae with your precious "logic"! This is MetaFilter!
posted by The Deej at 3:44 PM EST on December 10


Thank you, gentlemen.
posted by jason's_planet at 3:19 PM on December 10, 2006

We took our pumpkins to the zoo. Elephants love pumpkins. If they're uncarved whole pumpkins, any zoo would be thrilled to take them off your hands, just FYI. If you take them on a slow day, you can often stick around to watch the keepers give them to the Ellies, and that's just kind of a cool feeling.

(Although, granted, nothing blows up. One hopes.)
posted by dejah420 at 4:29 PM on December 10, 2006

It is at once amazing and completely logical that Delaware will forever only be known for two things:

1.)Punkin Chunkin

and

2.) Wayne's World

I'm sorry Delaware, we have all failed you.
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 4:56 PM on December 10, 2006

...catapulting pumkins is kind of cool, though.
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 4:58 PM on December 10, 2006