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EVERY YEAR, TEAMS FROM AROUND THE U.S. POUR THEIR BLOOD...
THAT'S A NEW WORLD RECORD!
...SWEAT...
...AND TEARS...
OH, GOD.
...INTO COMPETING AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
OF PUNKIN CHUNKIN.
Man: NO, SEE, IT'S BACKWARDS!
Byron: BEHIND EVERY HOMEMADE PUMPKIN-FIRING MACHINE ARE
DEDICATED TEAMS WORKING DAY AND NIGHT
IN THE QUEST FOR GLORY.
FIRE IN THE HOLE.
Belleci: THESE BACKYARD ENGINEERS SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS
PUSHING THE LIMITS OF ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE.
TONIGHT ON "ROAD TO PUNKIN CHUNKIN"...
BACK IT OFF, BUT DON'T SLACK IT.
...TEAM NASAW AIMS TO TAKE DOWN THE TREBUCHET GIANT.
THE PLAN THIS YEAR IS TO TOPPLE THE KING.
ONE!
WHILE SHOODA NOED BETER IS OUT TO PROVE
THEY CAN RUN CIRCLES AROUND THE COMPETITION.
Kenny: THIS IS THE YEAR THAT THE WHEEL WILL SHOW
THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE OF THESE,
DON'T EXPECT TO WIN.
AND IN A TOP-SECRET CORNFIELD,
TEAM PUMPKIN HAMMER
IS HIDING THEIR NEXT BIG THING.
AND ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THEIR JAWS ARE GONNA DROP.
IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT THESE THREE TEAMS KNOW,
IT'S THAT THE ROAD TO PUNKIN CHUNKIN IS NEVER EASY.
Kenny: WAIT A MINUTE. WAIT A MINUTE.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
PUNKIN CHUNKIN IS A UNIQUE, ALL-AMERICAN FESTIVAL
WHERE LARGER-THAN-LIFE CHARACTERS...
[ CROWD CHEERING ]
...INNOVATION...
WOW.
AND ENGINEERING ARE PITCHED TOWARDS ONE GOAL...
...THROWING A PUMPKIN FURTHER THAN ANYONE ELSE.
[ CHEERING ]
TEAMS COMPETE WITH EVERYTHING FROM CATAPULTS TO AIR CANNONS.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHUNKIN MACHINES IS A TREBUCHET.
Man: WHOA!
Imahara: THE UNDISPUTED KING OF THE DIVISION
IS NEW HAMPSHIRE DENTIST STEVE SEIGARS.
DiFrancesco: HE'S WON IT SO MANY TIMES.
HE HAS SIX CONSECUTIVE TITLES WITH YANKEE SIEGE.
HE'S NOW GOT ONE WITH YANKEE SIEGE II.
IT'S TIME FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO WIN.
LAST YEAR, I WATCHED YOUNG GUNS MATT DiFRANCESCO AND NICK WENDEL
NEARLY BRING DOWN A DYNASTY.
WE WERE JUST GOING DOWN THERE WITH THIS NEW MACHINE,
NEW DESIGN, NEW EVERYTHING, BASICALLY UNTESTED.
YEAH!
Imahara: WHOA!
THAT WAS A MONSTER CHUNK!
DESPITE BEING ALMOST THREE TIMES SMALLER
THAN THE COLOSSAL YANKEE SIEGE II,
NASAW WAS JUST 10 FEET SHY OF THE 2,326-FOOT WINNING SHOT.
[ LAUGHTER ]
HE'S RELEASING HIS PUMPKIN ROUGHLY 90 FEET IN THE AIR.
WE'RE RELEASING AT ABOUT 30 FEET IN THE AIR.
HE'S RUNNING 18,000 POUNDS OF COUNTERWEIGHT.
OUR ENTIRE MACHINE IS LESS THAN THAT COUNTERWEIGHT.
WE COME UP 10 FEET SHORT.
THAT CLOSE.
IN YEARS PAST, EVERYBODY THOUGHT YOU HAD TO BE HUMONGOUS TO WIN.
WE'RE THAT SMALLER MACHINE
WORKING MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY TO OUR ADVANTAGE.
THERE'S NO NEED TO BE A GIANT TO WIN IN THIS WORLD.
Imahara: NASAW BELIEVES THEIR TEAM'S SUCCESS IS PARTLY DUE
TO A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF TALENTS.
CAPTAIN MATT AND TEAMMATE JASON ARE BOTH ENGINEERS BY TRADE,
WHILE NICK...
[ ROOSTER CROWS ]
...IS A CHICKEN AND PUMPKIN FARMER FROM BUFFALO, NEW YORK.
I AM A FOURTH-GENERATION CHICKEN FARMER.
MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER MOVED OUT HERE IN 1945.
NICK HAS EVOLVED FROM THE PUNKIN FARMING
TO THE PUNKIN CHUNKING.
I SAID, "ARE YOU NUTS? "WE GOT ENOUGH STUFF TO DO HERE.
WE'RE BUSY ENOUGH."
I SAID, "EVERYBODY HAS TO HAVE A HOBBY,"
SO I GUESS THIS IS HIS.
DiFrancesco: JASON AND I, BEING FAIRLY FRESH OUT OF SCHOOL,
STILL HAVE THIS TENDENCY TO WANT TO DO EVERYTHING ON PAPER.
WOW. LOOK AT THAT.
WITH NICK AS A FARMER, YOU GET THAT DIFFERENT APPROACH.
WE CAN BUILD THE MACHINE AND GROW THE PUMPKINS,
AND WE CAN EVEN THROW THEM.
HOW WE DOING, GUYS?
Imahara: TEAM NASAW KNOWS THAT SIZE ISN'T EVERYTHING.
WHAT THEIR MACHINE LACKS IN BRUTE FORCE,
IT MORE THAN MAKES UP FOR IN EFFICIENCY.
DiFrancesco: YOU'VE GOT THE YANKEE SIEGE II
THAT'S IN THE SINGLE DIGITS OF PERCENTAGE EFFICIENCIES.
WE'RE IN THE 50%, 60%, MAYBE MORE EFFICIENT RANGE.
Imahara: TREBUCHETS NORMALLY WORK BY DROPPING A COUNTERWEIGHT
THAT CAUSES A FIXED ARM TO WHIP BACKWARDS AND AROUND,
FIRING THE PUMPKIN.
THE DIFFERENCE WITH NASAW IS THAT THEIR ARM IS ON WHEELS.
THESE WHEELS WILL ACTUALLY BACK UP
TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE TRACK AND THEN COME FLYING DOWN.
BY HAVING THE FLOATING ARM AS OPPOSED TO THE FIXED ARM,
YOU'RE GETTING THAT EXTRA MOMENTUM
INTO THE THROW.
IT'S VERY MUCH LIKE
A BASEBALL PLAYER IN THE OUTFIELD
RUNNING INTO THE THROW TO THROW TO HOME PLATE.
Imahara: THIS YEAR, NASAW BELIEVES THAT TWO ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENTS
WILL SETTLE THE BRAINS vs. BRAWN ARGUMENT FOR GOOD.
NEW COUNTERWEIGHT BOXES WILL
DROP FROM THE TOP OF THE MACHINE,
INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY INTO THE THROWING ARM
BY ALMOST 3%.
Wendel: THE FARTHER WE CAN DROP THE WEIGHT,
THE MORE PERFORMANCE, THE MORE ENERGY IS PRODUCED.
THAT'S REALLY GONNA HELP US OUT.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE DID, ACTUALLY,
THIS YEAR -- WE BUILT WHAT WE CALL SLAP PLATES
TO CLOSE THE GATES.
Imahara: 4-INCH GATES IN THE MACHINE'S RAILS
ARE OPEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE THROW
SO THE COUNTERWEIGHT CAN PASS THROUGH.
LAST YEAR, THESE GATES WERE SHUT
AS THE WHEELS OF THE FLOATING ARM CAME FORWARD,
REDUCING MOMENTUM.
THIS YEAR, NICK HAS FOUND A WAY TO CLOSE THE GATES
BEFORE THE WHEELS SLIDE ALONG THE TRACK.
AS THE WEIGHT COMES DOWN, IT'LL HIT THE PLATE LIKE THIS,
AND THEN IT'LL FOLD UP AS THEY SHUT.
BY CREATING A SEAMLESS RAIL, THESE SMALL ALUMINUM SLAP PLATES
ALLOW THE FLOATING ARM TO REACH FULL SPEED,
INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY BY APPROXIMATELY 4%.
DiFrancesco: SO, ALL OF THESE LITTLE EFFICIENCY TWEAKS ADD UP.
IF YOU WOULD SAY IT'S 5% MORE EFFICIENT,
ON A 2,000-FOOT THROW,
THAT'S AN EXTRA 100 FEET OF DISTANCE.
BACK IT OFF, BUT DON'T SLACK IT.
I WANT TO SET IT ON THE TRIGGER!
Imahara: BUT ALL THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE AS YET UNTESTED.
THIS FIRST FIRE OF THE YEAR IS A "MAKE IT OR BREAK IT" MOMENT.
BIG MACHINE. A LOT CAN HAPPEN.
Wendel: IT'S QUITE NERVE-RACKING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE, REALLY,
I DID MOST OF THE WORK.
IF IT DOESN'T WORK, IT'S MY FAULT.
HO, HO, HO!
GATES ARE OPEN!
Wendel: GATES ARE OPEN.
SHOULD SOMETHING GO WRONG,
THE NEXT MONTH WILL BE A LITTLE INSANE. [ CHUCKLES ]
ALL RIGHT! I THINK WE'RE GOOD!
Imahara: CAN THREE ENGINEERS AND A CHICKEN FARMER PROVE
THAT SMALL AND EFFICIENT CAN WIN THE RACE?
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
THREE...TWO...ONE!
Imahara: 25-YEAR-OLDS MATT DiFRANCESCO AND NICK WENDEL OF TEAM NASAW
BELIEVE THAT THEIR SMALL-BUT-EFFICIENT TREBUCHET
CAN OUTTHROW THE COLOSSAL YANKEE SIEGE II
AND END THE REIGN OF TREBUCHET KING STEVE SEIGARS.
I GUESS IT'S THE BASIC DAVID vs. GOLIATH TYPE OF THING.
LAST YEAR, STEVE SEIGARS MADE THE COMMENT
THAT HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO LOSE.
WELL, WE'RE GONNA MAKE HIM EAT HIS WORDS.
I THINK WE CAN LIFT IT ALL THE WAY NOW!
Imahara: BUT THE MODIFICATIONS THAT COULD GIVE THEM THE EDGE OVER STEVE
HAVE NEVER BEEN TESTED.
IT'S QUITE NERVE-RACKING RIGHT NOW.
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
THREE...TWO...ONE!
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
OH, YEAH!
I LOST IT NEAR THE TOP OF THE HILL.
YOUR GATES CLOSED BEAUTIFULLY.
VERY NICE.
Imahara: THE NASAW DESIGN HAS PASSED ITS FIRST TEST.
NICK'S SLAP PLATES HAVE WORKED PERFECTLY,
REDUCING THE RECOIL OF THE MACHINE
AND INCREASING THE SPEED OF THE ARM AS IT WHIPS AROUND.
I'M GUESSING 1,800 FEET.
1,700, 1,800 PROBABLY. GOOD GUESS.
FOR NO COUNTERWEIGHT, THAT'S REALLY GOOD.
[ CHUCKLES ]
WE'RE IN THAT COMPETITIVE RANGE ALREADY WITH NO COUNTERWEIGHT.
SO, THERE'S A LOT MORE WE CAN PUT INTO IT.
Imahara: 1,500 POUNDS OF COUNTERWEIGHT
SHOULD INCREASE THE LENGTH OF THE THROW
BUT COULD PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE INTO THE PUMPKIN,
CAUSING IT TO BREAK APART IN THE AIR, OR PIE.
THREE...TWO...ONE!
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
WOW.
OH, LORD! IT'S STILL GOING!
WOW!
THAT REAL SLOW END-OVER-END TUMBLE.
THAT WAS AWESOME.
IT'S JUST AMAZING TO SEE A PUMPKIN FLY THAT FAR.
I MEAN, I'M USED TO SEEING PUMPKINS FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS
SITTING ON THE GROUND AND GETTING CARVED OUT.
TO SEE ONE FLY LIKE A BIRD OR EVEN FASTER THAN A BIRD,
TO MORE LOOK LIKE A JET GOING THROUGH THE AIR,
THAT, TO ME, IS THE BEST PART OF IT.
Imahara: AT NOWHERE NEAR FULL COUNTERWEIGHT CAPACITY,
THE TEAM ESTIMATES
THAT THE PUMPKIN HAS FLOWN 2,000 FEET,
JUST 300 FEET SHY OF STEVE'S WORLD RECORD.
LAST YEAR, I THINK WE SERVED NOTICE TO YANKEE SIEGE
THAT THEY WEREN'T GONNA RUN AWAY WITH IT.
WE'RE COMING FOR THEM.
IT JUST SHOWS YOU
WHAT THREE KIDS FROM ENGINEERING SCHOOL
AND A FARMER CAN COME UP WITH.
TEAMWORK TO PUT IT TOGETHER.
NICK WILL DEFINITELY WIN.
WE DON'T GO TO LOSE, YOU KNOW?
WE GO TO WIN. [ LAUGHS ]
Imahara: NOW ONLY DELAWARE CAN DECIDE
IF THESE UNDERDOGS WILL BECOME CHAMPIONS.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
FOR YEARS, PUNKIN CHUNKIN'S HUMAN POWER DIVISION
HAS BEEN DOMINATED
BY BIKE AND ROWER-MACHINE-POWERED CATAPULTS.
BUT LAST YEAR, A MACHINE TOOK TO THE FIELD
UNLIKE ANY WE'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE AT THE CHUNK --
A RADICAL, NEW DESIGN
WITH AMBITIONS OF CRUSHING THE COMPETITION.
A CATAPULT POWERED BY A GIANT HAMSTER WHEEL.
WE'RE SETTING UP, AND THERE'S JUST A LOT OF BUZZ
ABOUT, "YOU GOT TO SEE THIS MACHINE."
THE WHEEL'S BEING POWERED BY MY NUMBER-FOUR SON, CHAD.
AND THEY WERE YELLING OUT, "GO, HAMSTER, GO."
SO, WE'VE SORT OF EMBRACED THAT.
Imahara: THE HAMSTER WHEEL IS THE BRAIN CHILD OF KENNY KITE,
A MACHINIST FROM ELKTON, VIRGINIA.
BEING 58 YEARS OLD,
I REALIZED I'D NEVER REALLY BEEN GOOD AT ANYTHING,
HADN'T BEEN ATHLETIC.
AND I THOUGHT, "THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK I CAN DO."
WE'RE GONNA PUSH IT WITH THAT ONE FIRST,
AND THAT'LL SET THE ANGLE.
IT IS BEYOND A PASSION WITH ME. IT'S AN OBSESSION.
MY OLDEST BOY GOT MARRIED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
I'M SITTING AT THE WEDDING.
I'M THINKING ABOUT PUNKIN CHUNKIN.
Imahara: KENNY'S CATAPULT IS POWERED
BY CLIMBING THE OUTSIDE OF THE WHEEL
TO INCREASE THE TENSION IN 5-FOOT-LONG RUBBER BANDS.
THESE BANDS ARE THEN RELEASED, PROPELLING THE ARM FORWARD.
Kenny: WE START BUILDING THE WHEEL
AGAINST THE ADVICE OF EVERY ENGINEER WE TALK TO.
THEY WOULD SAY,
"YOU'LL NEVER GET MORE POWER OUT OF A HUMAN
WITH ANY MACHINE OTHER THAN A BICYCLE."
BUT WE JUST BEG TO DIFFER.
Imahara: SHOODA NOED BETER BELIEVES THE WHEEL HAS TWO ADVANTAGES
OVER OTHER HUMAN-POWERED MACHINES.
FIRST, AS CHAD CLIMBS, PULLING THE WHEEL DOWN,
HE HAS GRAVITY ON HIS SIDE.
WE'RE USING OUR WEIGHT.
WE'RE LETTING GRAVITY DO THE WORK FOR US,
AND I THINK GRAVITY WINS
JUST ABOUT EVERY BATTLE IT EVER FIGHTS.
Imahara: SECOND, BY CLIMBING INSTEAD OF CYCLING,
CHAD IS ABLE TO USE MORE THAN JUST HIS LEGS
TO TRANSFER ENERGY INTO THE MACHINE.
WITH A BICYCLE, YOU DON'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE
QUITE AS MUCH OF YOUR BACK AND YOUR CORE AND YOUR ARMS
AS WE'RE USING.
Imahara: COMING IN AT A DISAPPOINTING EIGHTH PLACE
IN LAST YEAR'S CHAMPIONSHIP...
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SECOND ONE DOWN.
SECOND ONE DOWN.
...HAS ONLY MADE KENNY AND CHAD
MORE DETERMINED TO PROVE THEIR POINT.
Kenny: I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE YEAR
THAT THE WHEEL WILL SHOW
THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE OF THESE,
YOU KNOW, DON'T EXPECT TO WIN.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE WORLD RECORD.
WE WANT IT. WE DON'T HAVE IT.
AND WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO BUT JUST WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK?
Imahara: TO BREAK THE WORLD RECORD,
THEY HAVE TO THROW OVER 1,984 FEET,
THE EQUIVALENT OF 12 OLYMPIC-SIZE SWIMMING POOLS
AND 800 FEET ABOVE THEIR PERSONAL BEST.
Chad: WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO IS ENLIST A SPORT-PERFORMANCE SPECIALIST
TO MEASURE THE DIFFERENT WAYS TO PRODUCE POWER.
Imahara: DR. BILL JOHNSON WILL COMPARE
THE POWER CHAD CAN PRODUCE ON A BIKE AND A ROWING MACHINE
WITH THE CLIMBING ACTION CHAD USES ON THE HAMSTER WHEEL.
SO NOW WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA GO AHEAD
AND GET SOME ELECTRODES FOR YOUR ABDOMINALS.
Chad: IF THE RESULTS SAY
THAT CLIMBING'S NOT THE MOST EFFICIENT,
THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOT OF WORK
FOR THE GUYS AT THE MACHINE SHOP.
AND GET SITUATED ON THE BIKE.
Imahara: DR. JOHNSON WILL USE AN EMG MACHINE
TO MONITOR MUSCLE ACTIVITY
AND A HEART MONITOR TO GAUGE
HOW MANY CALORIES CHAD BURNS IN EACH 30-SECOND TEST PERIOD.
CALORIES GOES INTO ENERGY, WHICH IS CALLED JOULES,
AND THAT CONVERTS TO WATTS,
AND THROUGH A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA,
WE CAN DETERMINE HOW MUCH HORSEPOWER HE'S GONNA PRODUCE.
AND SO, THE MORE HORSEPOWER HE CAN PRODUCE,
WE'D EXPECT THAT HE'S GONNA BE ABLE
TO THROW THIS PUMPKIN FURTHER.
CALORIES BURNED.
Johnson: YOU GOT IT. KEEP IT GOING.
AND...STOP.
Imahara: WHEN DR. JOHNSON DOES THE HORSEPOWER CONVERSION,
THE RESULTS ARE CONCLUSIVE.
Johnson: SO, YOU WENT FROM 4.6 HORSEPOWER ON THE ROWER,
5.6 ON THE BIKE, 6.5 HORSEPOWER ON THE CLIMBER.
WHAT IT MEANS TO ME FROM A SCIENTIFIC REALM IS
YOU'RE GONNA PRODUCE
A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF HORSEPOWER
THAT SHOULD BLOW AWAY
ANY OTHER HUMAN-POWERED COMPETITION OUT THERE.
SO, IF WE'RE USING OUR ENERGY CORRECTLY
AND STORING IT CORRECTLY,
WE SHOULD BE GENERATING THE MOST AMOUNT OF POWER?
ABSOLUTELY.
BUT ALL THE HORSEPOWER IN THE WORLD
DOESN'T MEAN A THING
IF YOU CAN'T TRANSFER IT EFFICIENTLY INTO THE MACHINE.
AND LAST YEAR,
THAT WAS SHOODA NOED BETER'S BIGGEST PROBLEM.
HE'S SUPPOSED TO GET ON THAT WHEEL
AND CLIMB IT JUST LIKE A LADDER.
LAST YEAR, EVERY TIME WE GEARED THE WHEEL
TO WHERE SOMEBODY COULD STAND ON THE WHEEL, IT BROKE.
Imahara: THIS YEAR, KENNY AND HIS TEAM HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY
TO OPTIMIZE THE DESIGN,
FINALLY COMING UP WITH AN INGENIOUS SOLUTION.
Pavlik: WE'RE GONNA INCORPORATE WHAT I LIKE TO CALL THE CLICKER IN THERE,
SO THAT AS SOON AS HE LETS GO OF THE WHEEL, IT STAYS PUT.
IT DOESN'T ROTATE BACK.
Imahara: THE CLICKER ACTS LIKE A WIND-UP TOY,
STOPPING THE TENSION BUILT UP FROM BEING RELEASED
UNTIL THE RIGHT MOMENT.
ALONG WITH A NEW, LIGHTER THROWING ARM
AND RUBBER BANDS THAT CAN HOLD UP TO 10,000 POUNDS OF TENSION,
THIS SHOULD HELP TO MAXIMIZE THE TRANSFER OF ENERGY
FROM CHAD INTO THE MACHINE.
Man: JUST KEEP HIM ON THE WHEEL.
Imahara: IS THIS THE MOMENT WHEN A HAMSTER-WHEEL-POWERED CATAPULT
FINALLY BREAKS THE WORLD RECORD?
Kenny: TODAY'S VERY CRITICAL,
ESPECIALLY IF WE'D HAVE A FAILURE.
I MEAN, WE'RE SO CLOSE TO DELAWARE.
WE NEED THINGS TO GO RIGHT.
Man: ...SET, GO.
Imahara: HUMAN-POWERED-CATAPULT TEAM SHOODA NOED BETER BELIEVES
THAT THEIR UNIQUE HAMSTER-WHEEL DESIGN CAN BREAK
THE CURRENT WORLD RECORD OF 1,984 FEET.
BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO PUT WORDS INTO ACTION.
Kenny: WE'RE SO CLOSE TO DELAWARE. WE NEED THINGS TO GO RIGHT.
WE THINK THEY WILL.
BUT YOU'RE NEVER REALLY SURE UNTIL, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE TEST.
I'M READY WHEN Y'ALL ARE.
Man: READY, SET, GO.
Imahara: ACCORDING TO PUNKIN CHUNKIN RULES,
CHAD HAS TWO MINUTES
TO CRANK THE WHEEL AND TIGHTEN THE RUBBER BANDS
THAT WILL UNLEASH THE THROWING ARM.
30 SECONDS.
BEFORE CHAD HAS EVEN FINISHED,
IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS.
OH.
JUST LIKE LAST YEAR,
THERE'S TOO LITTLE TENSION FOR HIM TO STAY ON THE WHEEL.
ONE MORE OF THOSE. ONE MORE. RIGHT THERE. GOOD.
SAFETY'S OFF.
[ AIR HORN BLOWS ]
EVERYBODY, HEADS UP.
THREE...TWO...ONE.
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
THE MEASUREMENT OF THE THROW CONFIRMS THAT CHAD ISN'T ABLE
TO GET ENOUGH ENERGY INTO THE MACHINE.
THEY ARE 750 FEET SHORT OF THEIR GOAL.
WELL, TODAY DURING OUR TEST, WE ONLY THREW 1,250 FEET.
WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE WORK TO DO.
Imahara: IF KENNY AND CHAD HAVE ANY HOPE OF BREAKING THE WORLD RECORD,
THEY FACE AN UPHILL BATTLE.
Chad: THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET DONE BEFORE THE CHUNK
OR WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IT.
GONNA ADD MORE BANDS AND UP THE RESISTANCE,
AND HOPEFULLY UP THE POWER WE STORE.
Kenny: UNTIL WE ACTUALLY THROW THE DISTANCE WE WANT TO,
WE JUST GOT TO KEEP DRIVING AND JUST KEEP STRIVING
TO GET IT DONE.
WE'RE GONNA SUCCEED OR FAIL WITH THAT WHEEL.
YOU WILL NEVER SEE
SHOODA NOED BETER WITH A BICYCLE.
IN THE MIDDLE
OF AN ORDINARY-LOOKING CORNFIELD IN DELAWARE,
A COVERT OPERATION IS UNDERWAY.
Riley: WELL, WE'RE HERE.
THIS IS AREA 52.
THIS IS WHERE THE WORLD'S LARGEST WHIPPER TREBUCHET
IS BEING BUILT.
THE REASON WE CALL IT AREA 52 IS
BECAUSE AREA 51 WAS ALREADY TAKEN.
Imahara: AREA 52 IS THE TOP-SECRET WORKSHOP
WHERE CHUNKIN VETERANS RICH FOLEY, JIM RILEY,
AND THEIR TEAM ARE BUILDING
A TREBUCHET UNLIKE ANY OTHER AT THE CHUNK.
Foley: WE WANT TO KEEP EVERYTHING SECRET.
WE DON'T TELL ANYBODY ANYTHING.
WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT.
Shh.
RICH AND JIM FELT QUITE DIFFERENTLY
ABOUT THEIR OLD MACHINE.
THE TRADITIONAL SWINGING-COUNTERWEIGHT DESIGN
WAS FAMOUS FOR ONE THING -- BREAKING.
THERE IS THE CURSE OF PUMPKIN HAMMER.
NO MATTER HOW, NO MATTER WHAT, WE WOULD ALWAYS BREAK SOMETHING.
WE SUFFERED SEVERAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURES
BECAUSE IT WOULD HIT SO HARD, IT WOULD BREAK OR BEND.
AND IT WASN'T LIMITED TO THE MACHINE.
WE'VE HAD HURT BACKS. WE'VE CUT FINGERS.
THESE GUYS LET GO OF A TOWER, AND IT FELL INTO MY HAND.
WE HAVE SET UP IN AT LEAST THREE HURRICANES.
WE'VE BEEN ARRESTED.
AND EVERY YEAR, IT JUST BRINGS US BACK.
BUT AFTER NINE YEARS OF PERSEVERANCE,
THE CURSE FINALLY WON OUT.
AW.
2011, WE BROKE THE MACHINE IN THE VERY FIRST THROW.
AND THAT MACHINE HAD REACHED ITS LIMIT.
Riley: THERE WAS A POINT THAT AFTER THE MACHINE BROKE
THAT WE WERE GIVING UP.
WE WERE DONE. IT WAS TIME TO END.
AND WE WERE ALL SITTING IN THE CAMP,
AND WE'RE ALL DEPRESSED.
WE HAD BASICALLY TWO CHOICES.
DO WE JUST QUIT AND GO HOME AND RETIRE,
OR DO WE COME BACK STRONG AND TRY TO WIN AGAIN
AND BUILD A WHOLE NEW MACHINE?
WE SAID, "YEAH, WE'RE GONNA GO FOR IT."
BUT EMBARKING ON A NEW DESIGN HAS ITS PITFALLS,
AND THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS
THAT THE PUMPKIN HAMMER CURSE IS DONE WITH RICH AND JIM YET.
[BLEEP]
Imahara: TEAM PUMPKIN HAMMER HAS BEEN FIGHTING
AGAINST A PUNKIN CHUNKIN CURSE FOR NINE YEARS.
NO MATTER WHAT, WE WOULD ALWAYS BREAK SOMETHING.
NOW THEY'RE HOPING
THEIR BRAND-NEW, CUTTING-EDGE DESIGN WILL
PUT THE DAYS OF CATASTROPHE BEHIND THEM.
Riley: THIS DESIGN IS A COMBINATION OF MANY THINGS
OUT IN THAT FIELD.
IF EVERYONE'S BEST IDEA IS OUT THERE,
IT'S COMING INTO ONE MACHINE NOW.
IT IS THE ULTIMATE PUMPKIN CHUCKIN' HYBRID.
Imahara: THE NEW HYBRID DESIGN RELIES ON THREE KEY FEATURES.
FIRST, LIKE NASAW,
THE COUNTERWEIGHT DROPS STRAIGHT DOWN
FROM THE TOP OF THE MACHINE.
SECOND, THE 60-FOOT ROTATING ARM IS
FABRICATED FROM LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM
INSTEAD OF STEEL
SO IT CAN SPIN AT A HIGHER SPEED.
AND THE PIèCE DE RéSISTANCE -- A FIBONACCI SPIRAL CAM.
THIS IS THE HEART OF THE NEW MACHINE.
THIS IS WHAT THE NEW MACHINE IS ALL ABOUT.
Imahara: THE SPIRAL-CAM SYSTEM IS A KIND OF WHEEL
THAT ACCELERATES THE ARM AS IT SPINS,
REACHING TOP SPEED JUST AS THE PUMPKIN RELEASES.
AS IT PULLS AROUND,
THE RADIUS GETS SMALLER AND SMALLER AND SMALLER,
SO BY THE END, THE RPM IS VERY FAST
TO DO THAT SNAPPING, WHIPPING ACROSS THE TOP.
IT'S THE ONLY ONE LIKE IT CURRENTLY IN THE WORLD.
WE'RE THINKING THAT THIS THING MAY BE THROWING 3,000 FEET.
Imahara: IF THE MACHINE CAN HIT THE 3,000-FOOT MARKER,
IT WILL SMASH THE CURRENT TREBUCHET WORLD RECORD
BY A STAGGERING 650 FEET.
THAT'S THE DESIGN GOAL. WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY DO IT.
TODAY, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH HAS ARRIVED.
TODAY IS A REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT DAY.
TODAY, WE THROW A PUMPKIN.
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
ALL THIS TIME, ALL THE MONEY, ALL THE EFFORT,
NOW WE GET TO SEE WHAT IT'S DONE.
AS LONG AS THE CURSE STAYS AWAY, WE SHOULD BE GOOD.
[ CHUCKLES ]
Riley: HOW FAR WE THROW IT?
Foley: 3,000 FEET.
YOU GOT IT.
NO QUESTION. 3,000.
THE INAUGURAL THROW OF PUMPKIN HAMMER!
[BLEEP]
WELL, WE SEE WHERE THE LANDING OF THE PUMPKIN WAS.
PUMPKIN HIT DIRECTLY INTO THE GROUND.
Imahara: PUMPKIN HAMMER'S DREAM OF A CURSE-FREE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
IS LOOKING LESS AND LESS CERTAIN.
CAN THESE VETERANS PULL IT OUT OF THE BAG
IN TIME FOR THE CHUNK?
Riley: THIS TEAM LIVES ON CATASTROPHIC FAILURES,
BUT WE COME BACK.
WE ARE NEVER GONNA QUIT.
WE WANT TO BE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS
AND BE NUMBER ONE.
ONE THING IS FOR SURE --
THIS YEAR, THE FIGHT FOR THE TREBUCHET TROPHY
WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST CLOSELY FOUGHT,
AMBITIOUS BATTLES IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHUNK.
WHOO!
NEXT TIME ON "ROAD TO PUNKIN CHUNKIN"...
ROMAN REVENGE IS A PURE CATAPULT.
Imahara: ...TORSION TEAM ROMAN REVENGE
BELIEVES A SECRET WEAPON WILL FINALLY EARN THEM FIRST PLACE.
A NEW TEAM IN TOWN IS DETERMINED
TO RUFFLE SOME TREBUCHET FEATHERS.
AT THIS POINT, 2,500 LOOKS LIKE JUST A PIECE OF CAKE.
AND TEEN TEAM WHOMPING WILLOW HAS THEIR SIGHTS SET
ON THE ADULT DIVISION.
THAT FLYING WEIGHT'S GONNA BE PANTS-POOPINGLY TERRIFYING.
[ LAUGHTER ]
THREE...TWO...ONE!