After a scenic hike around a 220 000-year old meteorite impact crater, why would you want to spend the afternoon resting when you can have fun shooting stuff instead? Wouldn't you prefer to end the day with a bang (literally!) rather than a whimper? So let's have a competition and see who can build the biggest, baddest spudzooka this side of the Limpopo! Bring your potato cannon along and enter the third annual Tswaing Potato Cannon Challenge.
Ever since the first PVC spud gun emerged from the plumbing section of the local hardware shop, spud gunners across the globe have been honing their artillery skills. This is your chance to design and build your very own potato cannon. Let that inner child out and allow yourself to be the bombardier you always wanted to be. You'll find loads of inspiration, useful information, plans and videos on the internet to help you. The US Air Force has even conducted some very interesting research into the humble spud gun. So check it out and start constructing! Once construction is complete, a test run prior to the event, aside from being really good fun, is highly recommended to calibrate your cannon and fine tune your fuel.
No previous experience is required so feel free to participate or simply come along and see what it's all about and cheer for this year's contestants. You do not have to have a potato cannon to attend this event - all geocachers are welcome. We will gather at the listed coordinates in the open field area near Kgotla.
Saturday, 16 July 2016
Registration: 14h00
Start time: 14h30
Finish time: 16h30
Registration
We need to make sure that everyone will be safe so all competitors will be required to register with the judges and complete a test fire of their cannons before they will be allowed to participate in this year's Tswaing Potato Cannon Challenge.
Registration will commence at 2pm.
Each potato cannon that you wish to enter in the competition must be test fired in front of the judges and approved by them prior to the commencement of the Tswaing Potato Cannon Challenge.
If a potato cannon has not been approved by the judges, it may not be entered in the competition.
There will be two categories in the Tswaing Potato Cannon Challenge 2016:
Distance and Hang Time
Distance: "Mine shoots further than yours!"
All competitors will fire from the same location.
This location will be deemed Waypoint 1.
Distance will be measured by GPSr from Waypoint 1 to point of first impact.
Each competitor will be allowed a maximum of 5 shots.
The competitor whose shot travels the greatest distance will be declared the winner.
Hang Time: "How's it hanging?"
The object here is to fire the cannon into the air and time how long it takes the projectile to hit the earth. (This isn’t as easy as it sounds, since lots of thrust is required to get the spud airborne for any significant amount of time.)
Each competitor will be allowed a maximum of 5 shots.
Hang time will be measured from firing time to time of impact.
The competitor whose projectile is airborne for the longest time will be declared the winner.
A "Golden Spud" trophy will be awarded to the winner in each category.
Open Shooting Opportunity
At the end of the competition rounds, there will be an open shooting opportunity for all those who don't have a potato cannon but would like to have a go at firing one.
Final Salute
The event will close with a Final Salute, which will be fired simultaneously by all potato cannons present on the day.
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IMPORTANT
Of course there must be some rules to keep things safe and the playing ground level. You must supply your own potato cannon, fuel and ammunition so please take care to ensure that you and your equipment comply with the rules below.
RULES:
- All barrels, connectors and combustion chambers must be made of standard PVC plumbing parts.
- Underground PVC pipe and/or fittings and connectors (beige colour) are NOT permitted for use in this challenge.
- Barrels may not be greater than 50mm in diameter.
- All propellants used for fuel must be commercially available aerosols e.g. deodorant or hairspray. No acetylene or harmful substances e.g. Doom.
- Ammunition must be either a fruit or vegetable and must be biodegradable.
- Basic safety rules and common sense must be used at all times. Safety glasses and gloves are recommended.
- All competitors must register beforehand and complete a test fire for the judges.
- Any dangerous misfire will result in instant disqualification and the spud gun in question will not be permitted to fire again.
- The judges' decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
- Participation in this event implies acceptance of these rules.
Disclaimer
All participation is voluntary and at participants' own risk. All competitors, as well as all spectators, take part in this event entirely at their own risk. Neither the event hosts, Groundspeak nor Tswaing Meteorite Crater Nature Reserve will be held liable or responsible for any loss, damage or injury of any nature whatsoever related to the Tswaing Potato Cannon Challenge either before, during or after this event.