The 28-year-old builder, from Wanaka, is the reigning Australasian cherry stone-spitting champion and successfully defended his New Zealand title on Saturday at Cromwell, setting a national record of 12.05m at the same time.
His efforts won him the right to represent New Zealand at the Cherry Harmony Festival in Perth in five days' time, defending his Australasian title.
"The pip has to be clean so it is aerodynamic, but apart from that it all depends on the pip."
He has remained on the couch since his efforts last year, with no practice, so was impressed he was getting better each year.
His record distance this year broke his own record, set last year, of 11.42m.
Mr Bassett-Allen is moving to Australia to live next week so later decided he was "too pushed for time" to travel there earlier to compete in the championships.
He stepped aside and second place-getter, Sam Paardekooper, of Cromwell, who achieved a distance of 11.36m, will go in his place.
Forty-seven people took part in the national championships, organised by Cromwell and District Promotion Group, and there was no limit on how many times a competitor could enter.
They paid $2 for three cherries and had to spit the stone on a 2m-wide marked spitting track.
Australian champion Craig McSharer (25), from Perth, travelled to the New Zealand championships as part of his prize package, but his best effort in Cromwell was 11.2m.
He entered so many times on Saturday that he reckoned he had consumed a bucket-load of cherries and was concerned about the effect they might have on him.
"I'm heading off to Mt Cook after this, sight-seeing, but I think I might need a few stops on the way."
The top female competitor was Heike Reyntjes, of Cromwell, with a distance of 7.3m.
Ben Duyvesteyn, of Cromwell, was the top junior male competitor (6.6m) and Laurel Williams, also of Cromwell, was the top junior female (5.3m).
