SEED SPITTING CONTEST UPDATE: MY FIRST PRACTICE

With less than three months to go before my competitive seed spitting debut, I figured it was probably a good idea to start practicing my technique. But first, I took to the Internet to gather some intel. I found a rather helpful “how to” video that outlined five simple steps for achieving the best seed spitting distance:

1. Wet your mouth (with a drink or a bite of watermelon)

2. Choose a good seed (the bigger, the better)

3. Place the seed on your tongue, pointed end toward your target

4. Take a deep breath

5. With the seed nestled in the middle of tongue, which should be folded like a taco, lean back and throw your head and body forward as you exhale forcefully to spit the seed

With these tips in mind, I ordered some Black Diamond watermelon seeds online (pictured above – those are the kind used in the Luling Watermelon Thump’s annual World Seed Spitting Contest), grabbed my tape measure, and strode out to the basketball court across the street from my house to put my skills to the test. My plan was to spit 10 seeds to get “warmed up” – just spitting them, not measuring the results – then spit a few seeds and record their distances.

My first seed travelled a respectable 22 feet. Not too bad, considering I expected it to land on my feet. A few seeds later, I reached my best distance for the day – 28 feet, 6 inches. I’ve got some practicing to do before I reach my goal distance of 40 feet, but all in all, I was encouraged by the results. Stay tuned!