Hi all,
Here are the corrected results, sorry about the confusion.
The 7th annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin festival is over and here are the results of the trebuchet and chili contests. We had a record 26 teams in the trebuchet contest and 4 in the chili cookoff. The distances for the lightweight and middleweight divisions are scaled up to what they would throw if they were 10 feet tall. Trophies awards to the top three in each division. Winner of each division get $50 prize. The winners of each division compete directly against each other for grand best overall design prize and gets an extra $50.
An observation on this year’s chuckin winner; this is the 1st time a Heavyweight won the overall contest since the Middleweight Open category was created. This proves that it is possible to win with a big machine, even thought it requires a lot more effort.
Another observation, this is the first time we’ve seen a Merlin type trebuchet. The merlin is unique in that it has 5 links creating a cam which the weight pulls a wire around. This allows it to be much more efficient in using nearly all of the available energy stored in the counterweight into throwing the projectile. It also has a very clever way of throwing where the arm is tilted way back beyond vertical and the pumpkin is actually sitting on the arm before it fires and it loops thru the frame without the pumpkin hitting the ground, giving the machine an extremely long (almost 320 degree) throwing motion. This reduces the stress on the arm and frame, allowing more weight to be devoted to the counterweight.
And lastly, a two brand-new clever tripod trebuchets appeared in the Middleweight Open and Lightweight Divisions; a father daughter combo I believe. The daughter dominated the Lightweight Division, winning by almost 200 feet and almost beating dad. I tried to see a similar trebuchet on the internet and couldn’t find anything. Great invention!
- Grand prize winner, Overall Best Design: Hammer of the Gourds
- Winner of Heavyweight Division: Hammer of the Gourds
- Winner of Middleweight Open Division: Queen Christine 2.5
- Winner of Middleweight Junior Division: Chuck Fillet
- Winner of Lightweight Division: Montana Christmas
Lightweight Division: age limit 10 and under, trebuchet limited to 20 pounds and 41 inches, pumpkin (projectile must weight at least 3 ounces)
Distances adjusted up by 2.92 (120/41)
- 1st place: $50 prize, Montana Christmas, Captain Emerson Stapleton, adjusted distance 441.54 feet
- 2nd place: Dante’s Little Torch, Captain Kenneth Brown, adjusted distance 266.63 feet
- 3rd place: TPS Chuckers, Captain Theresa Tipper, adjusted distance 153.86 feet
- 4th place: TPS Chuckers Two, Captain Theresa Tipper, adjusted distance 129.07 feet
Middleweight Junior Division: age limit 17 and under, trebuchet limited to 100 pounds and 70 inches, pumpkin must weight at least 1 pound
Distances adjusted up by 1.71 (120/70)
- 1st place: $50 prize, Chuck Fillet, Captain Jacob, adjusted distance 355.53 feet
- 2nd place: Phoenix Rising Two, Captain Keegan McNamara, adjusted distance 201.42
- 3rd place: Team Hogan, Captain Nolan Hogan, adjusted distance 134.56
- 4th place:Webelos Whippers, Captain Fisher Irwin, adjusted distance 124 feet
- 5th place: Scouts Mayhem, Captain Max Low, adjusted distance 93 feet
Middleweight Open Division: no age limit, trebuchet limited to 100 pounds and 70 inches, pumpkin must weight at least 1 pound
Distances adjusted up by 1.71 (120/70)
- 1st place: $50 prize, Queen Christine 2.5, Captain Ray Chamberlin, adjusted distance 501.07
- 2nd place: Controlled Chaos, Captain Jonathan Stapleton, adjusted distance 496.26 feet
- 3rd place:Red Neck Wreckers, Captain Ryan Brown, adjusted distance 439.18 feet
- 4th place: Team Jordan, Captain Don Jordan, adjusted distance 427.52 feet
- 5th place: Mooselauke Hurlers, Ed Chamberlin, adjusted distance 425.07 feet
- 6th place: Green Monster, Captain Emmitt McGuire, adjusted distance 418.44 feet
- 7th place: Rolling Thunder, Captain Ray Chamberlin, adjusted distance 410.35 feet
- 8th place: Rotary Two, Captain Bill Kernan, adjusted distance 332.93 feet
- 9th place: Merlin, Captain Bob Olesen, adjusted distance 311.3 feet
- 10th place: Dead Weight, Captain Brad Gustafson, adjusted distance 219.93 feet
- 11th place: One Sheet of Plywood and a 2x4, Captain Justin Blackman, adjusted distance 214.99 feet
- 12th place: FAKA Crazy, Captain John Raffensberger, adjusted distance 71.14 feet
Heavyweight Division: no age limit, trebuchet limited to 500 pounds and 10 feet, pumpkin must weight at least 5 pounds
No distance adjustment since the trebuchets are already 10 feet tall
- 1st place and best overall design award: $100 prize, Hammer of the Gourds, Captain Chris McGrody, distance 520.7 feet
- 2nd place: Weapons of Medieval Destruction, Captain Nick Helms, distance 474.36
- 3rd place: Unconventional Farmers, Captain Robert Hoopes, distance 194.0 feet
- 4th place: Team Edge, Captain Kyle Lamell, distance 76 feet
- 5th place: Bad Boomer, Captain Dave Jordan, distance 0 feet
Chili Cookoff:
- 1st prize and $100 cash, Edelweiss Country Store
- 2nd prize and $50 cash, Edna and Ken Elwood
- 3rd prize and $25 cash, Brian Roberts
Dave Jordan
Festival organizer
161 Henway Road
Morrisville, VT 05661
