Students chuck pumpkins

High school students got a chance to let go of some anger at the “Angry Pumpkin’ Chuckin’ Contest” in Blackfoot on Saturday.

From corn stalks to pumpkins, eastern Idaho welcomes the new season, but maze organizer Richard Johnson said it wouldn’t be fall without a corn maze.

“It takes us months to plan this and put this together. We run for seven weeks really hard, but when its all said and done we come out on the good end,” said Johnson.

Johnson and his family put on the corn maze every year. They say it wouldn’t be a fun time without the Angry Chunkin’ Pumpkin’ Contest, where high school students come to show off their mean pumpkin machines.

“They go ahead and design them themselves. They do the research and put things together. They find out what works for them,” said Johnson.

Students are encouraged to use physics and other research to build the best catapult. Johnson said it’s a learning experience that doesn’t go without its mistakes.

“We had one group over here. For the first three launches they couldn’t get the pumpkin to go, so they made some slight adjustments. Finally, on their fourth, shot they got it to go and actually got first place in distance,” he said.

Johnson said the event is an invitation for educational fun, one that goes beyond the Blackfoot community.

“We throw a wide net out there and encourage people from all over the region to come out and have fun,” he said.