Every year since 1986, near Millsboro (Delaware), the Punkin Chunkin has been held. This month, 100 teams vied to see whose supergun could toss an 8-10lb (3.6-4.6kg) pumpkin farthest. There are several categories (air cannons, trebuchets, pedal-powered doohickeys) and no explosives are allowed. The biggest air cannons, with barrels up to 150 feet (46 metres) long, can shoot their fruit projectiles most of a mile.

After each pumpkin lands, eager men on quad bikes zoom around looking for the crater and then measure the distance.

All in all, Punkin Chunkin is a symbol of what makes America great. Only in the richest country on earth could regular guys spend tens of thousands of dollars building a pumpkin gun. Only in a nation with such a fine tradition of inventiveness, not to mention martial prowess, would so many choose to. And only in a land of wide open spaces would they be able to practise their chunkin without killing their neighbours.

Via Digitaler Lumpensammler The Economist and the sect of rama.