By David Heitz / NewsBreak Denver
(Aurora, Colo.) Greg Wolf wants to put Aurora on the map for something wholesome – punkin’ chunkin.
Wolf is part of the group that invented a sport that requires engineering expertise. Punkin chunkin is short for pumpkin chucking. Teams make devices using their best physics know-how to chuck the pumpkins as far as possible.
The “holy grail” in punkin chunkin is to hurl your pumpkin a whole mile – 5,280 feet, according to the league’s website. It takes on a whole dimension in the mile-high city.
Wolf told the Aurora City Council on Monday that the Punkin Chunkin front office desperately needs a site for holding the championships this year. Wolf said everything already is in place for Aurora to host the event.
Event iconic in Aurora for decades
Punkin Chunkin was big in Aurora for almost two decades, most recently in 2019. The event was held in October and attracted about 10,000 people. But in 2020 and 2021 the pandemic canceled the event, and in 2022 it didn’t happen either.
“This is a huge opportunity for the city of Aurora,” Wolf said. He noted the event in the past had been held at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds.
“Our main goal is to take this backwoods competition and bring it into the 20th century,” Wolf told the council. He said Aurora is a natural choice to host the event since it already has some of the best STEM programs in the country.
The Discovery Channel made Punkin Chunkin quasi-famous and plans to televise the championships in the future, Wolf said. “Simply say the word,” he told the council. “This would put Aurora in a beautiful light.”
All of the council members wanted Wolf's contact information after he gave his presentation. The council likely will discuss Punkin Chunkin at an upcoming meeting.
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