Big Chill Surf Cantina to host Sling N’ Squash Nov. 13

The 4th Annual Sling N’ Squash Competition will take place from 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 13, at Big Chill Surf Cantina in Rehoboth Beach.

Formerly known as Big Chill’s Pumpkin Chuckin’, the event features competitors who will use nothing but pure strength and technique to see how far they can throw a pumpkin.

“We’re so stoked to be able to host Sling N’ Squash this year,” said Matt Garbutt, director of marketing for La Vida Hospitality. “Due to COVID-19, we didn’t have the competition in 2020, so we can’t wait to make up for lost time and keep the pumpkins flying in Sussex County in 2021.”

Big Chill Surf Cantina started the event in 2017 as a tribute to the Punkin Chunkin festival made famous by the Discovery Channel, and turned it into a community event to raise money for local charities. Rather than using cannons and catapults, contestants in the Sling N’ Squash competition must use only their physical bodies to see who can throw their pumpkin the farthest. 

The contest will be free to attend for the public and is a must-see spectator event. Spectators can enjoy a wide variety of beer and cocktails as well as activities including cornhole, pumpkin pong, squash toss and live music provided by DJ Magellan. Big Chill Surf Cantina recommends spectators be age 21 or older.

For those looking to compete in this year’s competition, preregistration is required and contestants must be 21 or older to participate. Registration is $30 per contestant and includes a limited edition T-shirt. Big Chill Surf Cantina will donate $15 from each registration as well as a portion of sales during the event to the Rehoboth Community Resource Center. 

The center, located on Oyster House Road in Rehoboth Beach, has a mission to help individuals and families get to the next step of their journey toward self-sufficiency and stability. Big Chill Surf Cantina will also host a canned food drive to benefit the center from Monday, Nov. 8, through Sunday, Nov. 14. Cans can be dropped off from noon to 9 p.m. at Big Chill Surf Cantina. 

For more information about the event and to sign up to compete, visit bigchillsurfcantina.com/event.