History of PunkinChunkin

How did PunkinChunkin get started? It all started in 1986...

Three friends, Bill Thompson, Trey Melson, and John Ellsworth, came up with the concept of PunkinChunkin through a simple bet. Legend has it that Thompson and Melson "threw down the gauntlet" and challenged Ellsworth to build a pumpkin-throwing machine. Whoever built the machine that threw the pumpkins the farthest would win.

So, in November of 1986, the men gathered to test out their creations on Thompson's farm. The machines each had a unigue design - one was made from pulleys and rope, the other from springs. Who came out on top? Thompson and Melson's machine beat out Ellsworth's with a throw of just over 128 feet.

Since then, PunkinChunkin has grown steadily from three men with ropes and springs to over 100 teams with highly sophisticated machines. Rules and categories have been developed, and the whole competition has gotten nationwide recognition.