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While Americans are recovering from Thanksgiving dinner, they can tune in to see little Delaware in the spotlight on the Discovery and Science channels. The annual special on Punkin Chunkin will air at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving. Getting ready for the big, orange weekend is Frank Shade, director of media and promotions. Shade, a “chunker” himself, talked to us about the atmosphere on the field, what first-timers should pack, and how Punkin Chunkin gained its recent popularity.
Q What do you attribute its recent popularity?
A I think the biggest thing that happened was about 12 or 13 years ago the event was really, really declining in attendance. A couple of us got together and said, “What can we do to make it better?” We started getting the word out that there’s things to do at the Chunk. We took a machine to the David Letterman show, we took a machine into New York City and threw a pumpkin on the side of the Ed Sullivan Theater. Letterman never stepped foot outside and saw us, but people outside of Sussex County saw it. Then some boys in Morton, Ill., got to know about it and that’s the pumpkin capital of the world, where they can all the pumpkin for Libby’s. Some of the guys in a mechanical shop built one of the first major air cannons and brought it here to compete and promptly kicked our butts. They were having an event out there and in the pumpkin capital it was only drawing 100 people or so. We took five of our machines out there and turned their event into a two-day event and brought thousands. Then they came back and brought busloads.
Then ESPN said they heard about some lunatics out there in Delaware and brought out a news crew. The more people heard about it, it just grew exponentially. We saw crowds going from 3,000 to 4,000 people to last year we had over 100,000 people at the event. And we’re anticipating a 15 to 20 percent increase this year.
Q What’s your favorite part?
A Monday. When it’s over. Actually the most enjoyable part of this is the camaraderie. Every time the machine rolls onto the field they’re instant friends. It’s like “Hey, welcome back,” or “Great to meet you.”
They’re not truly competing against one another, they’re competing against the distance. If we have a machine break the people around them pitch in to get it up and running so they can compete. We want you to compete, we want to beat you fair and square.
It’s probably one of the few events even the spectators come and you’re standing on the field with your newest, best friends for one thing: You want to see pumpkins fly.
While Americans are recovering from Thanksgiving dinner, they can tune in to see little Delaware in the spotlight on the Discovery and Science channels. The annual special on Punkin Chunkin will air at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving. Getting ready for the big, orange weekend is Frank Shade, director of media and promotions. Shade, a “chunker” himself, talked to us about the atmosphere on the field, what first-timers should pack, and how Punkin Chunkin gained its recent popularity.
Q What do you attribute its recent popularity?
A I think the biggest thing that happened was about 12 or 13 years ago the event was really, really declining in attendance. A couple of us got together and said, “What can we do to make it better?” We started getting the word out that there’s things to do at the Chunk. We took a machine to the David Letterman show, we took a machine into New York City and threw a pumpkin on the side of the Ed Sullivan Theater. Letterman never stepped foot outside and saw us, but people outside of Sussex County saw it. Then some boys in Morton, Ill., got to know about it and that’s the pumpkin capital of the world, where they can all the pumpkin for Libby’s. Some of the guys in a mechanical shop built one of the first major air cannons and brought it here to compete and promptly kicked our butts. They were having an event out there and in the pumpkin capital it was only drawing 100 people or so. We took five of our machines out there and turned their event into a two-day event and brought thousands. Then they came back and brought busloads.
Then ESPN said they heard about some lunatics out there in Delaware and brought out a news crew. The more people heard about it, it just grew exponentially. We saw crowds going from 3,000 to 4,000 people to last year we had over 100,000 people at the event. And we’re anticipating a 15 to 20 percent increase this year.
Q What’s your favorite part?
A Monday. When it’s over. Actually the most enjoyable part of this is the camaraderie. Every time the machine rolls onto the field they’re instant friends. It’s like “Hey, welcome back,” or “Great to meet you.”
They’re not truly competing against one another, they’re competing against the distance. If we have a machine break the people around them pitch in to get it up and running so they can compete. We want you to compete, we want to beat you fair and square.
It’s probably one of the few events even the spectators come and you’re standing on the field with your newest, best friends for one thing: You want to see pumpkins fly.
Q Do you build machines?
A I am on a team, on the 16-time undefeated centrifugal machine Bad to the Bone, it’s the best. We float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
Q Is there a certain type of person or profession that makes for a good chunker?
A Probably someone on the insanity side. It takes all types. The engineer helps the physical aspect of it but we also need the welders and the pipe fitters. One of the teams, the captain is a town councilman in New Jersey. His brother is a teacher. Another team member is a physiatrist in North Carolina. Team Yankee Siege, the gentleman who designed and built the machine is a dentist in Connecticut. The gentleman who owns the farm has a machine. We need all those folks.
Q What charities benefit from this year’s Chunk?
A All of them. Some of the primary ones are Autism Delaware, Bless Our Children, they come out and works with us, the Bridgeville Fire Department, Child Help, Home of the Brave in Milford, because we’re real big on this great country we live in, St. Baldrick’s, and the one that’s near and dear to my heart is St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Then we have the local groups like churches, Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts. They help us with cleanup or parking, or whatever jobs might be.
It just goes on and on. The bigger we get the more we can do.
Q What should first-timers bring to the Chunk?
A A good attitude, and a open mind to have fun. Then they should layer clothing, they should bring boots if they think it might rain, bring a raincoat, a heavy coat, a short-sleeved shirt, and a long-sleeved shirt. And after that you need a chair to sit in if you want to sit down, and then you can have anything that you want. There are vendors there so you can spend if you want to, or you don’t have to. You should bring some sunblock and some Chapstick. Chances are it’s going to be windy.
And this year bring some canned food for food banks.
