Pumpkin chunking celebrates fall in Indiana

Competitors hurl pumpkins through the sky with trebuchets. 

Photo: Scott Utterback/ CJ

Cheers erupted from a crowd of pink shirts as the Chunkin' Chicks launched their first pumpkin high into the air.

"It's pretty awesome," said Bonnie Jennings, a Chunkin' Chicks team member and civil engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers. "We're the only blue-collar team. Not only that, but we're all chicks."

Jennings was part of the first all-female team to participate in Tuesday night's Purdue Pumpkin Chunking Competition, in which teams build a trebuchet to launch five- to seven-pound pumpkins in hopes of hitting a balloon target 100 yards away. The event, hosted at the Purdue College of Technology in New Albany, is in its third year and has quickly become a favorite during the Harvest Homecoming Festival, which continues through Sunday.

As an engineer, Jennings was in charge of building the team's trebuchet, a gravity-powered launching device with a sling. In Medieval times, trebuchets were war engines used to hurl missiles. The Chunkin' Chicks were one of five teams in the adult division.

"A lot of us are moms...I didn't know any of the women until we got together," said Jennings of the 12-person team. "Everybody was in control of something different."

While the Chunkin' Chicks won the efficiency award for their design, a trebuchet named Excaliber owned by Ed Carlisle clinched the adult division launching a pumpkin 97 yards, three yards away from this year's target. Carlisle is also the owner of two-time pumpkin chunking champion trebuchet the Black Widow.

"The best part is building it and seeing where it goes," said Carlisle, who worked six months on building Excaliber for last year's competition. "But like anyone else, I like to win."

Jeff Cummins, past Harvest Homecoming president and this year's pumpkin chunking competition organizer, said teams from New Albany and Silver Creek high schools competed in the high school division with New Albany came out the winner. The team launched its pumpkin 10 yards short of the 70-yard target.

"Working together was amazing. We're like family now," said Teri Dearbord, a freshman and sole girl on New Albany High School's pumpkin chunking team. "I'm going to be doing it next year for sure."

Cummins also the Purdue College of Technology cut out trebuchet kits for both the high school and middle school divisions, which were organized to encourage a younger group to become involved in the event and interested in engineering.

The winner of the middle school division was Girl Scout Troop 383 from North Harrison Middle School. Lacy Wright, the troop's leader, said six girls, most of them sixth graders, were on the team.

"It's important for the girls to get involved with engineering at a young age," she said. "We try to get them more involved in STEM (science, engineering, technology and medicine) activities."

Harvest Homecoming events continue through the weekend with a Business Luncheon and Harvest Idol on Friday and Children's Tractor Pull and Baby Crawl on Saturday. Food stands and local vendors will set up booths in downtown New Albany along Bank, Market and Pearl Streets starting Thursday.