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Day 3: Punkin Chunkin
Local Punkin Chunkin legend Dawn Thompson, whose husband, Bill, is one of the founders of the event, blows her trumpet before firing a shot from her catapult Bust-O-Matic. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
November 7, 2016
Petra Schlueter works a rowing machine to crank up the human-powered machine Pumpkin Slayer, just making it within the time deadline. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
The human hamster Solomon Hannon trains hard for his time on the Shooda Node Better team human-powered catapult wheel. The team won the 2013 world championship. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
As pit boss Charlie Joseph keeps time, Ken Boerman rides a bike to crank the human-powered Team Athena catapult. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Michael Meadows of the Never Forget team cranks up his team’s machine during the third day of competition. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Big 10 Inch team captain Ralph Eschbom doses a pumpkin in Victory Brewing beer as a good-luck charm. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Local team Spikey prepares for a shot in the youth division competition. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Team Spikey is a group of local pumpkin shooters. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
The 1/2 A Bubble Off team comes more for the fun of the event than getting off a winning shot. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Fat Jimmy is a crowd thriller at every Punkin Chunkin. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Fat Jimmy cheers to the crowd as he gets atop his team’s bus, Half A Bubble Off. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Portraying a scene for the Science Channel production, Fat Jimmy gets away by sleeping atop his bus. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Team Chunka From Down Under came from Australia to compete in Punkin Chunkin. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Steve Papelian does some final adjustments to his team’s Spun Lucky machine. It didn’t work because the third and final shot of the competition failed to get airborne. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Cal Foote of Australia’s Chunka From Down Under team prepares to fire a shot. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Dan Rossi fires up the crowd as Team Chucky 3, a torsion machine, fires its third and final shot. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
American Chunker II headed into the final round in first place in the air-cannon division. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Tim Smith of the TV show “Moonshiners” makes an appearance at Punkin Chunkin. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Climbing on the Chuck Norris catapult is Arlo Dixon as the team prepares for its third shot of the event on Sunday. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
John Stanley of Florida is making a bid to become yet another Punkin Chunkin character. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Yankee Doodle team captain Steven Seigars is interviewed for the Science Channel during a break in the action in the pits. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
New Hampshire-based air cannon team American Chunker II had the longest shot in the 2016 competition that was cut short by an accident during the final round on Sunday. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
American Chunker II captain Brian Labrie is interviewed following his team’s 4,305-foot shot. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
The pits are crowded as firing takes place early Sunday morning. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Michael Christian is ready to pedal the human-powered Half A Bubble Off machine. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
A film crew with Science Channel co-host Kyle Hill centers in the Shooda Noed Better team following their third shot in the event on Sunday. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Chuck Norris team captain Mike Powers prepares to fire his catapult. The team set a world record of 2,947 feet during a 2015 event in New Hampshire. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
Science Channel host Tory Belleci surveys the action during Punkin Chunkin weekend. RON MACARTHUR PHOTO
The third day of the World Championship Punkin Chunkin was marred by an accident late in the day during the final round of the air-cannon competition. Prior to the explosion that injured two people, competition took place for nearly six hours in several divisions.
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Two injured following
Punkin Chunkin explosion
