The Pumpkin Putter returns from retirement to defend its previously unofficial title as champion human-powered centripetal. Don Young was instrumental in getting this new division together.

The putter is laid out on the field of battle prior to assembly. We were in a bit of a hurry since rain was forecast to come down for most of the day.

In about an hour, it is fully assembled except for the delicate bits we didn't want to have rain on.

Friday morning the machine is barely completed in time for our first shot around 8:30 am. Kevin gets on and starts pedaling. It's going pretty fast when the lower chain ring derails. The trigger is pulled, and the pumkin makes it about 13 ft.

We set to work, and add a lower chain guide (the bits of wood clamped onto the frame behind the bike.) That solved the problem once and for all.

On Saturday, our launch went without a hitch, and flew 132 feet, putting us in the lead by only 4 feet!

On Sunday, we stole one of Mista Ballista's Australian Blue Pumpkins. This pumpkin had an ideal shape being flat and wide on one side, and small on the other. This reduced the wind drag at the tip of the arm. We also swapped in Roger, our bike racer. With this combination, and a lower gear Roger rode into history taking a new record in this class of 176.84.

We opted to retrieve this pumpkin from the field so that we might grow a few more of these outstanding throwing, and particularly ugly pumpkins.

And then the 1st place trophy was ours! Huzzah!

Video

Google Video Service Pumpkin Putter 2004

Information: Pumpkin Putter at the 2004 Punkin Chunk in Deleware 41 sec - Jun 26, 2006

Additional Pages
Punkin Chunk 2004: Mista Ballista's Story	Mista Ballista returned to Delaware to compete in the Torsion division once again. It was a competition fraught with challenges.
Punkin Chunk 2004: The Torsion Division	The torsion division returned for more adventures this year. While the outcome as the same as last year, the adventures were all different.
Punkin Chunk 2004: Pumpkin Putter's Story (This Page)	The Pumpkin Putter returns from retirement to defend its previously unofficial title as champion human-powered centripetal. Don Young was instrumental in getting this new division together.
Punkin Chunk 2004: The Human Powered Centripetal Division	The Centripetal division was very tightly matched. While the other machines had trigger problems, when they did work, they all sent the pumpkin out past 100 feet.
Punkin Chunk 2004: Other catapult divisions	Battles raged in the youth and trebuchet divisions, and a new record was set in the unlimited catapult division.