Punkin’ Chuckin’
Enthusiasts will be happy to hear that the annual Morton Punkin' Chuckin' contest went on as scheduled this year. It had been announced that it would be canceled last July, but a group of local businesses and civic groups pulled together to get it organized. Which gave the guys from the Acme Catapult, LLC and the Aludium Q-36 pumpkin modulator a chance to show off.
The Morton Chamber of Commerce announced in July it was canceling the event, citing financial and logistical concerns and the pressure of putting on back-to-back extravaganzas. The chamber also sponsored September's Pumpkin Festival.
A coalition of business and civic groups picked up the pieces to help save the event in August. Morton, which pumps out 85 percent of the world's canned pumpkin, proclaims itself the Pumpkin Capital of the World.
Susan Pyles, the town's tourism director, said she thinks the publicity generated by Punkin' Chuckin's brief demise helped Saturday's attendance, when the crowd was estimated at 4,000.
"This was one of our biggest one-day crowds in years," she said. "It was extraordinary. There were a lot of people at Punkin' Chuckin' for the first time. Many first-timers told me they always meant to go to Punkin' Chuckin', then decided to take a look after Punkin' Chuckin' was almost canceled."
The event was also held Sunday, amid spring-like weather, at the Uhlman family farm, its home since 2001.
Punkin' Chuckin' competitive divisions include hand-tossed, two categories for youths, and adult human-powered. The open division was divided into trebuchet (gravity propulsion), catapult, centrifugal and air cannon. No explosives can be used, and a pumpkin must leave a machine intact.
The Aludium Q-36 air cannon and Acme Catapult machines were crowd favorites Saturday.
Mind you, the Acme catapult is not just for pumpkins. No, sirree Bob. It can also be used to get rid of unwanted appliances.
I can't find any 2007 video posted yet, but here's some from 2004.
Isn't technology wonderful?
Weird Stuff | Gaius Monday, 22 October , 2007
By dianainsa, Monday, 22 October , 2007 @ 11:50 pm
I love the inherent American creativity and humour in this stuff. I am so glad that I live in this great country!