STOWE – Picture a towering wooden frame, its counterweight suspended in the air. A leather sling cradles its cargo. Someone pulls a rope. The counterweight drops. The arm whips forward with a crack. The payload sails through the sky.

Centuries ago, that payload would have been a boulder aimed at castle walls. But last Sunday at Stowe Events Field, it was a pumpkin flying nearly 900 feet.

The 16th annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival drew teams and spectators from across the country to witness custom-built trebuchets compete for distance.

For organizer Dave Jordan, it all started with a teenage fascination.

"I built a trebuchet when I was about 14 years old, and when I fired it, the counterweight pulled right through the wood," Jordan said.

Years later, he spotted a massive trebuch

See Full Page