PunkinChunkin for Beginners

PunkinChunkin is a bizarre sport invented by bored Delaware natives Bill Thompson, Trey Melson, and John Ellsworth. The object is to build a device to fling a pumpkin as far as possible. The current record for a "chunk" is just under a mile, which is a pretty astounding figure.

The annual PunkinChunkin Competition in Delaware pits teams of "chunkers" against each other. The competition is accompanied by a cook-off and a fair, so people of all ages have events to enjoy.

One of the most steadfast rules in PunkinChunkin is that pumpkins that break mid-launch (before they've hit the ground) are disqualfied. Ingenious chunkers have found a way around this problem, however. Incredibly enough, some of the more hardcore teams grow their own specific type of pumpkins for the competition. This type of pumpkin is white and rounder than the typical orange pumpkins we common folk carve up on Halloween.

PunkinChunkin, though hardly a well-known activity, has a very loyal and somewhat eccentric fan base. Annually, the competition attracts about 100 teams and around 30,000 spectators. Not bad for what started out as a simple pumpkin-throwing contest.