To understand Punkin Chunk, you have to understand Sussex County, Delaware’s southernmost county. Covering 946 square miles, Sussex is a combination of many various lifestyles. The saltwater side of Sussex has a unique breed that is made up of individuals raised on the ocean, bays and marshlands of the area, where machines are modified to meet the needs of those individuals. Out of the boredom of either too much time at sea, or on land, whichever suits, came an event that has grown to be possibly the second largest two day event in Delaware. Second only to the yearly NASCAR races at Dover Downs, 39 miles to the north. The history of Punkin Chunkin was written down in song in 1989.. A segment of the ballad states, "So the challenge was made and the gauntlet was laid, to build a machine to power a punkin through the air..... John said “springs are the way to go”!... Trey said “I don’t believe so”!"

Thus became Punkin Chunkin, Bill Thompson and Trey Melson brought the gauntlet down on John Ellsworth challenging him to a dual to see who could design a machine that would throw their pumpkin the farthest. On the first weekend in November of 1986, Thompson, Melson, Ellsworth and the Burton brothers, Chuck & Darryl, met on Thompson’s farm, outside Milton, Delaware, with their inventions. Ellsworth’s chunker was a combination of ropes, tubes and pulleys, while Melson and Thompson’s chunker was various garage doors springs connected to a car frame. The Burtons machine was a wooden pole mounted on a trailer, powered by auto springs. One of the spectators, Larry McLaughlin, maintenance supervisor in a local town, was seen hanging from one of the poles that day and local punkin chunkin rumors were that he was caught up in the action and was attempting to throw a pumpkin by hand. By the end of the day, Thompson and Melson were the victors with a throw of 128’ 2”. Over the past 17 years, Punkin Chunkin has grown from three teams and small handful of friends competing against each other to 60 teams with 30,000 spectators. McLaughlin, Past President of the Punkin Chunkin Association, calls it “The Worlds Largest Tailgate Party”. In the third year of the chunk, measurements for distance were impossible to obtain, since the pumpkins were all landing in the woods, so the sight of the event was moved nearby to Joe Hudson’s Eagle Crest Aerodrome, where it was held until this year. Because the chunkers have once again out distanced the field, another move has been made. There are only four rules to punkin chunk, which are; [1] all pumpkins must weigh between 8 to 10 pounds, [2] pumpkins shall leave intact, [3] no part of the machine shall cross the starting line and [4] no explosives allowed. Chunkers can compete in five classes of chunkers;2 youth division [10 and under, 11-17], human powered, 2 unlimited class [youth and adult], centrifugal, and pneumatic. Team memberships ranged from two members to over 30 members. The various types of machines used are as diverse as those who use them. Just to give you an idea of the ingenuity of Punkin Chunkers, brief bio’s on some of the teams follow.

This years event was held on November 1st and 2nd, 2003, and as always, it's rain or shine..

You'd be lucky if you can get a complete set of rules, as you saw on the Discovery Channel, rules are amended as needed. Some of the same problems keep occurring and if there is no written rule to cover it, then chances are somebodies going to be upset. In the past, punkins that did make it into the woods, the teams shots were given 30 minutes to find what was left of the punkin so a measurement could be made. This has always been a part of the punkin chunk controversy. Anyhow... if'n your the mind to, you can visit other sites by clicking on...

Yahoo's Punkin Chunkers Club. , where chunkers are able to post their own views and concerns. Because Punkin Chunk was started with only a few teams and a handful of spectators, the rules were kept simple... now, unfortunately, with over 60-70 teams expected, more rules needed to be implemented. There has been some positive steps taken to keep past concerns from being brought back. Unfortunately, not all chunkers are going to be happy with the changes, but it's all that we have for now, and it is a step in the right direction I hoped to be able to have the rules and safety information available prior to the years event, but usually didn't get them all, so here's what I do have...

1. BASE MOUNTS
2. WELDS
3. RIGGING
4. SPRINGS
5. POWER BANDS
6. THROWING ARMS
7. FLANGES AND BOLTS
8. HYDROLIC LINES
9. CHEMICALS only compressed air
10. DANGEROUSE RUPURE MATERIALS
11. PIT AREAS
12. HIGH PRESSURE BOTTLE STORAGE AND HANDLEING
13 GENERAL SAFTY IN AND AROUND MACHINES
14 First Aid Kit
15 Hard Hats
16 Fire Ext. A.B.C. TYPE

All UNSAFE items become the responsibility of team captains and should be REPAIRED, REPLACED or REDISIGNED This report will be carried over to the next year and any UNSAFE items not changed may be grounds of DISQALIFICATION and at the sole discretion of the SAFETY COMMITTEE. This is only to make a safe chunk, and the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PUNKIN CHUNKIN ASSOCIATION along with SAFETY COMMITTEE will not be responsible for accidents or injuries due to human error or faulty equipment.

Directions from Washington, D.C.
Take Route 50 East to 404 to Georgetown, go around the circle to route 9 & 404 East, go to Crossroads of Route 5, go South approx 5 miles you will see Hollyville Road (305), Turn West and go approx 2 miles you will come to a fork in the road, go Straight ahead on Hollyville Road, 1 mile, you will come to Harmony Cemetery Road (306), Turn Left and you are there!

Directions from Millsboro
Take Route 24 East through town about 1 mile out of town you will come to Hollyville Road (305), Turn North (left) and go approx. 3 miles you will come to a stop sign, go straight accross about 3 miles you will come to Harmony Cemetery Road (306), Turn Right and you are there!

Directions from Lewes
Take Route 9 & 404 West to Route 5 Crossroads (Harbeson), Turn South go approx 5 miles you will see Hollyville Road(305), Turn West and go Approx. 2 miles you will come to a fork in the road go straight ahead on Hollyville Road, 1 mile you will come to Harmony Cemetery Road (306), Turn Left and you are there!

Directions from Rehoboth Beach
Take Highway 1 North to Road 24 light, Turn West to Route 5 (LongNeck) Crossroads, Turn North and go approx. 4 miles you will come to Hollyville Road (305), Turn West and go Approx. 2 miles you will come to a fork in the road, go straight ahead on Hollyville Road, 1 mile you will come to Harmony Cemetery Road (306), Turn Left and you are there!

Because of problems in the past, the county had asked that there was no camping at the Punkin Chunkin Grounds; however, there are many campgrounds, motels and hotels nearby.

Punkin Chunk still amazes people world round and the media is always ready to jump on a good story. The most recent was the Discovery Channel show, but it's also been aired on "Ripley's Believe it or Not", Fox's New Show, "Action TV", The Learning Channel, The Arts & Entertainment Network, The Regis and Kathy Lee Show, The BBC's television show Record Breakers. Inside Edition and several other shows . Some magazines that have run articles include, Extremz Magazine, Hightlights for Children, Sports Illistrated and Marlboro's Adventures Magazine. The October 1998 edition of Sports Afield had an excellant article on the 1997 event. Trey Melsons Universal Soldier was also featured in the Von Hoffman Brothers Book, Big Book of Sheer Damn Manliness. Because of the coverage that we have received in the past couple of years, Punkin Chunkin is as well known in England and Austrailia as it is in other parts of the United States. Mein Schoener Garten Magazine from Munich, Germany ran a photo and short article on the chunk in their February 99 edition. Stern Magazine, #1 Magazine in Europe, has also present at the event. Most recently, a Dutch Magazine called Kijk, ran an excellant four page color article on the chunk in their July 2000 edition.

Many of these articles can be viewed in Yahoo's Punkin Chunkers Club. Hopefully ya'll will have some of your own pics to share with this club. I am the founder of the club and monitor what is placed there to ensure that all pictures will be kept "G" rated.

Punkin Chunk was the topic of conversation on National Television in 1998, when during the NASCAR race at Charolette Motor Speedway, due to a 45 minute race delay, they discussed events that could be used by NASCAR to occupy the crowd during delays. This started the Punkin Chunk mania in North Carolina with Onager, a long time chunker, taking first place at Raleigh's first punkin chunk.

The growing popularity of Punkin Chunk has now spilled into schools around the world. In the past,we had school teams,from DelCastle High, Canfield High School from Canfield, Ohio, Edison High Schools Physic Class from Alexandria, Virginia and three teams from Unionville,PA, competing in the World Championship. We were also contacted by Jenny Burgoyne, a 6th grader at the Sykesville Middle School in Sykesville, Maryland regarding their Punkin Chunk..... Now, other schools are planning to hold events and challange each other to competition. And as if this isn't enough, Punkin Chunk is now being taught in the high schools of The Netherlands. Photographs from the 1997 event have recently been published in one of their multimedia textbooks. Two more schools entered the 1999 World Championship Punkin Chunk. These teams were, Perpetual Velocity, from the Tower Hill High School in Tower Hill, Illinois, who placed 2nd in the Youth Division and first place in the 1999 Chuckin contest in Morton, Illinois. and the Pumpkin Eater ll, from the Polaris Career Center in Middlesburg, Ohio, who placed second in the Youth Division Unlimited, after finishing in 2nd in Illinois.

Other Sites Featuring Punkin Chunk Pics

Atlantic Breezes.. an excellant site.. Includes the 1998 Toilet Toss
At The Beach, Results of the 1997 Chunk
Onager Online, Team Carbo's Contribution
Loaded Boing Homepage - The Worlds Deadliest Slingshot
Big 10"
Pumpkin Hammer
Team Punkin Air
Seige~Engine.Com

Other Punkin Chunk Events across the Nation.

Busti Fire Department, Busti, New York
Raleigh, North Carolina
Morton, Illinois.
York, Pennsylvania

Our thanks to those supporters who maintain their individual sites to promote Punkin Chunkin, especially Team Carbo whos site has been linked several times for my site...

If you have any questions or comments, e-mail me