It’s Punkin’ Chunkin’ Time: A New Sport for You to Try This Fall

Punkin’ Chunkin’ season: a time dedicated to hillbillies trying to figure out how to chuck a pumpkin farther than their neighbor. In all seriousness, however, punkin’ chunkin’ is a very real and competitive sport held each year where contestants battle it out to see who can throw a pumpkin the farthest. This event is centered around having a good time, good food, good company and good chuckin’. 

Strangely enough, there is more than one way to chuck a pumpkin. Some of the strategies include air-powered cannons, trebuchet, catapult, human powered and centrifugal. Air-powered cannons are long metal tubes filled with high amounts of compressed air that release all at once, causing an enormous amount of pressure to shoot the pumpkin up to distances of 4,600 feet. A trebuchet chucker uses a massive counterweight to launch the pumpkin as if it were a boulder in medieval times. Catapults, similar to trebuchets, use springs or bands and a swinging arm to launch the pumpkin .

Torsion is another strategy for chuckin’ a punkin’. Torsion uses a twisted rope to create torque to hurl the pumpkin. Centrifugal chuckers spin the pumpkin around and around until it reaches an optimal trajectory before releasing the pumpkin. With the exception of the air cannon, all of these approaches can be human-powered, and depend only on one person and their ability to sling the pumpkin. This fall event is popular enough that there is even a youth category.  

Although the championship this year was officially cancelled due to coronavirus concerns, the board of directors is working on an alternative individual championship. This would involve sending out officials to gauge distances and record attempts from participants, rather than everyone communing in one place. Although it may not be the most recognized championship, Punkin’ Chunkin’ is a fall classic in the world of sports.

Joel Shetler is a Junior

Science Ed Major from

Ruckersville, Virginia