Cricket spitting
Encyclopedia
Cricket Spitting is a sport wherein contestants place a dead cricket
in their mouth, and then spit it as far as they can. The contestant who can spit the cricket the farthest is declared the winner.
Cricket Spitting was developed in 1996 by entomologist
Tom Turpin at Purdue University
in West Lafayette, IN as a competition for their annual Bug Bowl event, which brings over 30,000 people per year to their campus for a series of insect-related events and competitions. Since its creation, other universities have begun their own competitions, such as Pennsylvania State University
who have hosted their own 'spit-off' since 1998.
Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
in their mouth, and then spit it as far as they can. The contestant who can spit the cricket the farthest is declared the winner.
Cricket Spitting was developed in 1996 by entomologist
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
Tom Turpin at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in West Lafayette, IN as a competition for their annual Bug Bowl event, which brings over 30,000 people per year to their campus for a series of insect-related events and competitions. Since its creation, other universities have begun their own competitions, such as Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
who have hosted their own 'spit-off' since 1998.
World record
The Guinness World Record for Cricket Spitting is currently 32 feet and one half inch and is held by Dan Capps, from Madison, WI and was set in June 1998 in front of a live television audience. Unofficial records of over 38 feet have been noted at competitions.Rules
Note: The ruleset is not fixed, and is subject to change or modification by organizations hosting their own competitions.- The crickets are to be Brown House cricketsCricket (insect)Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
(Acheta domesticus), weighing between 45 and 55 milligrams. - Crickets should be previously frozen, then thawed for the record attempt.
- Contestants must spit within 20 seconds of placing the cricket in their mouth.
- The distance will be measured from the center of the edge of the spitting circle, to where the cricket comes to rest, using a measuring tape.
- Contestants must not step outside of the red circle they stand in.
- The cricket must be fully intact, and held fully in the mouth before the contestant may enter the spitting circle.
- The cricket must remain intact, and an official must check the spat cricket for six legs, four wings, and two antenna before the spit can be counted.