The Leader & State Register
BRIDGEVILLE — Thousands of gourds met their smashing fate last weekend as tens of thousands of people experienced the 2008 World Championship Punkin Chunkin highlighted by Friday night southern rock/country concert entertainment, Saturday night fireworks and a world record on Sunday.
When the sun had set Sunday, Young Glory III, an air cannon entry from Lewes, was the new record holder with a distance of 4,483.51 feet. That distance eclipsed the mark of 4,434.28 set by Michigan entry 2nd Amendment in 2003.
While not placing in the air cannon division top three, "Y Ask Y?" and "Cuz We Can" — a twin-tandem team from Georgetown — gave it their best shot. Co-captain John Penuel said team has been launching gourds at Punkin Chunkin for more than 20 years.
"It is pretty much a mad obsession," said Mr. Penuel, co-captain on the "Y Ask Y?/Cuz We Can" entries with Mike Clark, "Frog" Morgan and Cliff Cronic.
"Our wives will tell you that we are consumed by it for the final two months leading to the Chunk. That’s all we do at night. Every night we’re working on it, prepping, tweaking it — trying to find that missing piece. It is a constant search. There are a lot of variables with it."
Friday night, The Charlie Daniels Band and country soloist Randy Owen, a former lead singer with Alabama, shared the stage in a concert.
Hooked on the Chunk, Scott Bradrick and five other students from Connecticut played hooky from school last Friday and — with parental supervision — booked area hotel accommodations to enjoy a weekend of chunkin.
"I came with my dad seven years ago and I’ve been going ever since," said Scott, a senior at Stafford High School in Connecticut.
"And I am hooked now," said fellow Stafford senior Tom Sludzik, who had a birds-eye view from a makeshift scaffolding in the back of a truck.
Dan and Jill Stevenson of Hebron, Md., and their two little children made their Chunkin debut — part of a 2008 attendance Punkin Chunkin organizers anticipated would reach 60,000 or more.
"I guess it is the oddity of it; the coolness of it," said Mr. Stevenson. "I have lived here for 12 years and I’ve always and I have wanted to come every year but it never worked out. This year we just made it work. It is neat to see. Anybody that can throw a four-pound pumpkin 4,000 feet is impressive."
"I always wanted to check it out," said Mrs. Stevenson. "We finally got the time to do it."
Josh Mazer of Annapolis, Md., took in the event with his two sons and longtime Punkin Chunkin fan Neal Carter.
"We would say anything involving ballistics and mechanics is of interest to us. We’re fascinated by mechanics and engineering."
"It keeps getting more and more competitive, and a little more commercial. But that’s all right — the money goes to charity," said Mr. Carter. "It started here and has just grown. It’s kind of a rowdy biker event with a lot of plumbing contractors misbehaving."
Among the competitors was Billy Ward, a member of two place-winning youth catapult entries from New Jersey.
At 2007 Punkin Chunkin, Billy, a member of a youth team, gained notoriety when as a spectator he was plunked in the head by a gourd in a launch that went afoul. He sustained a concussion and went to the hospital.
This year he was on the runner-up Curcurbita Peop Pitcher 10-and-under youth catapult and the third-place Gourd Sword in 11-17 youth catapult.
"We did pretty well," Billy said.
Dave Guido, a stationary engineer at Temple University who hasn’t missed Punkin Chunkin since its inception, was back on the firing line with Soldier Too, an adult air cannon entry that made the transition from the youth division. His kids are now grown up.
"We just wanted to see if we could compete with big boys," Mr. Guido said. "We’re knocking on the door.
Camaraderie and hospitality are among Punkin Chunkin’s drawing cards, Mr. Guido said.
"They talk about southern hospitality; it starts here in Sussex County. I can go down this line and they’ll treat me like a brother, a son, a cousin. I’ve known these people for 30 years," Mr. Guido said. "Also, it is the machinery and the competitiveness — the ‘I can build a better machine than you.’ It is human nature."
