Yellow Pages
Accuracy was more important than distance at the 2009 Burlington Pumpkin Pitch, held Saturday, Sept. 26, at Skagit River Park.
Six competing teams used trebuchets — an ancient siege weapon dating back to the fifth century, B.C. — to launch pumpkins weighing as much as 10 pounds at targets ranging from 100 to 1,300 feet away. The most accurate teams — and the best sportsmen — won awards.
Burlington Recreation Coordinator Christi Kinney said teams competed in two divisions — based on the weight of the pumpkins they pitched — and had five chances to hit their mark.
Scores were based on a calculation of the distance to the target and just how close the projectile came to hitting it. Each team’s five launches were averaged to come up with a final “accuracy” score.
Five teams competed in Division B, with pumpkins weighing eight to 10 pounds.
Team “Spring It ON,” from Langley, British Columbia, won the Machine Engineering Award and first place by firing on a target 172.93 feet away with 92.04 percent accuracy.
Rookie of the Year award and second place went to first-time competitor Skagit Hurlers of Sedro-Woolley for achieving 88.59 percent accuracy while launching yellow orbs at a target 509.31 feet away.
Sedro-Woolley’s team Gourdinator set themselves the most ambitious challenge of any of the top teams, firing at a target 985.83 feet away. They scored 83.84 percent accuracy to finish in third place.
Team Trebasaurus of Burlington hurled their circular missiles at a mark 324.25 feet away, to earn fourth place with a score of 80.98 percent.
What the We Barbaric team of Sedro-Woolley lacked in accuracy and distance, they more than made up in “style,” winning the hearts of spectators and other teams with both the People’s Choice and Captain’s Choice awards.
The People’s Choice Award winner is selected by the spectators, who vote for the team they think is the most “put together,” including costumes, theme, color and style and the best group presentation.
The Captain’s Award is voted by the team captains for the most “creatively-designed” structure — the most interesting, contemporary, historical, elegant, ugly or eccentric pumpkin hurling machine.
Kinney said the disappointed fifth-place finishers scored 76.20 percent with a target set at only 59.35 feet.
Only one team competed in Division A, with pumpkins weighing less than eight pounds. Team Dragon Strike, also from Langley, was awarded first place for achieving 84.86 percent accuracy while firing a mini-pumpkin at a target 169.11 feet away. The team also won the division Machine Engineering Award.
Bob Peterson of Everett, formerly of the NERDS and MiXeD NuTS teams, won the Sportsmanship Award, given by the event organizers to the best all-around sport. “He didn’t have any team members, but he came anyway,” Kinney said. For his efforts at keeping children entertained, he deserved the award, she said.
Kinney said the park where the Pumpkin Pitch is held can accommodate distances up to 1,500 feet. She’s hopeful that next year they can bring back a distance competition, along with the accuracy awards.
