Well, the 6th annual SlingFest is over and all the pumpkins have been slung. This year’s gathering of trebuchets, engineering enthusiasts and spectators was the event’s biggest year yet. Compared with an estimated attendance in 2015 of roughly 300 people, this year was a smashing (pun intended) success with an estimated 1,000 in attendance. Not bad for an event that just started out as a group of friends getting together for a friendly competition.
Organizer Tommy Falgout said of this year’s SlingFest, “I’m really excited to have such great support from all the volunteers and am very glad that everyone was safe. The event was a successful and effective fundraiser for TheLab.ms which will help the Plano makerspace grow.”
Attendance wasn’t the only record broken this year. The SlingFest distance record was broken by Texas Trebuchet’s “Not So Little Monster” with a toss of 840 ft. Projectiles in this year’s Funky Fling contest included a custom concrete ballistic, the broken arm of another trebuchet, a scarecrow, two squids wrapped around a pumpkin, a stuffed bald eagle, a frozen dolphin (what??), foam dice and a dozen raw eggs.
This year’s participants (trebuchet name, team name):
“Mecha-Trebzilla” Old School
“Not So Little Monster” Texas Trebuchet
“Iron Cross” Lavaca Fire and Rescue
“The Deuce” TheLab.ms
“The Kraken” Salty Squid Slingers
“Eagle America” Captains
“Pegasus” Dallas Makerspace
“Tiny” Castle Crackers
“Acme Roadrunner” Wile W. Coyote
SlingFest 2016 was presented by Plano Magazine and TheLab.ms, and sponsors included Highlands Residential Mortgage, Elite Care 24 Hour Emergency Room and Nations Roof. Amazeballz, Gandolfo’s New York Delicatessen and Oh My Kabob! provided food. Art is Life Studio sponsored a free pumpkin painting area for kids.
Photos from this year’s SlingFest by Jennifer Shertzer // Click to enlarge:
