Some take a run-up, others put their shoulder into it, feet planted firmly on the ground.
But all that mattered in the end was how far that cherry stone went, as more than 80 people gave it their best shot at the national cherry stone-spitting competition in the Old Cromwell Historic Precinct on Saturday.
The event was part of the annual Cherry Festival, organised by the Cromwell and Districts Promotion Group and there were only two rules: competitors had to be aware of the "foot fault", needing to keep their feet behind the start line when taking their turn, and cherries needed to land on the marked and measured mat.
Otherwise, "anything goes", and "wind-assisted" cherry spitting was "perfectly fine", compere Greg Wilkinson said.
First-time entrant Dave Kowalewski, of Wyndham, claimed the men’s title and the overall prize, spitting a cherry stone 11.3m.
He said he had no real technique, only "to take a big breath and blow it out. Just eat the cherry and spit it out."
Nicola McDonald, of Christchurch, won the women’s section (7.1m), Aidan O’Connell (13), of Invercargill, won the boys’ section (6.8m), and Lucy Sawyer (13), of Christchurch, won the girls’ section (5.65m).
The record for the Cromwell and national event is 12.58m, set by Aaron Collins, of Dunedin, in 2012. Guinness World Records says the world record is 28.51m, set by Brian "Young Gun" Krause, of the US, in 2004.
