
	GOURDS IN SPACE In the crisp fall October 2000 air, the first Punkin Chunkin Event was held at Fort Missoula. Twenty teams entered machines from hand powered truck leaf springs to crude air cannons. The local rock and roll station Z100 sponsored the event. Garrett Grothen and I being the gadgetiers that we are, decided to build a contraption. We started work on a, well, not really sure what to call it. We began with a 16’ long piece of thick wall PVC pipe. We cut slits in the side and made a plunger that fit inside the pipe. At first we used 5/8” bungee cord, then added large garage springs as the power source. It took a 2 ½ ton come-along to winch back the piston. Thus the first “Gourds in Space” was built. Scott Kuehn, being an inventor and an avid Muppets fan, thought this contraption was something Professor Honeydew and his assistant Beaker would have thought up named and built.

GOURDS IN SPACE

Gourds in Space Punkin Chunkin In the crisp fall October 2000 air, the first Punkin Chunkin Event was held at Fort Missoula. Twenty teams entered machines from hand powered truck leaf springs to crude air cannons. The local rock and roll station Z100 sponsored the event.

Garrett Grothen and I being the gadgetiers that we are, decided to build a contraption. We started work on a, well, not really sure what to call it. We began with a 16’ long piece of thick wall PVC pipe. We cut slits in the side and made a plunger that fit inside the pipe. At first we used 5/8” bungee cord, then added large garage springs as the power source. Gourds in Space Punkin Chunkin It took a 2 ½ ton come-along to winch back the piston. Thus the first “Gourds in Space” was built. Scott Kuehn, being an inventor and an avid Muppets fan, thought this contraption was something Professor Honeydew and his assistant Beaker would have thought up named and built.