Punkin Chunkin

Every November, more than 100 teams of amateur scientists and inventive engineers from across the United States travel to Delaware with enormous homemade catapults, air cannons, torsion-powered launchers, and trebuchets. They gather to compete in the World Championship of Punkin Chunkin, a unique competition combining engineering, creativity, and pumpkin launching. The event follows participants through every stage of preparation, from designing and constructing their powerful machines to conducting their first test launches. As competition day approaches, teams push their inventions to the limit, overcoming technical challenges and refining their equipment in pursuit of maximum distance. With determination, ingenuity, and plenty of excitement, each crew hopes to launch a pumpkin farther than its rivals, break records, and claim the prestigious title of the world's greatest pumpkin launcher.