2008 Addison Whitney Pumpkin Carving Contest

After much rivalry, smack-talk, and closed-door sessions, the 2008 pumpkin line-up was revealed yesterday for AW's Third Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest.

Each year, the competition gets more fierce, and this year was no exception. Teams pulled out all the stops ... giving their pumpkins personalites, acting out skits, and even injecting a little multi-media into their presentations.

Check out the amazing entries below.
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Great Expectations

Carvers of the Great Pumpkin Forehead team seem destined to win the annual Pumpkin Project this year. With representatives from all/nearly all departments, the team will no doubt benefit from a multi-disciplined approach to crafting the winning design.

The team includes Amy, Natasha, Kristin, Nihn, Betsy and Evelyn, and boasts the highest number of department heads of any team in this year’s competition. Other factors weighing-in for the win include:

Kristin has already proven her fruit and vegetable design skills. References available from Miss Ava Cado.
Evelyn brings collegiate-level carving experience to the team.
Natasha has been on every winning team since the competition’s inception.

The team members were unavailable for comment on their design strategy, but did say they were eager to live up to their winning potential.


Handicapping the Pumpkin Teams

As Laine reported in her post, the gauntlet has been thrown down for the Third-Annual Addison Whitney Pumpkin Carving Contest. The rules are a bit different this year, which means that teams are crucial … and as a completely unbiased handicapper, I can say with confidence that my team will be the group to beat.

Check out our lineup:

Clayton Tolley: Hungry for a win this year, Clayton has been part of some of the most memorable AW pumpkin teams in history, helping to create the terrifying and lifelike Jaws pumpkin in 2006, and the elaborate pharmacist “Dr. Feelgood” pumpkin in 2007.

Meredith “blades” Badinelli: A self-proclaimed whiz with the knife, Meredith has also performed extensive market research on potential pumpkin motifs, pinpointing the idea most likely to resonate with our target audience.

Vince Budd has never met a squash he doesn’t like, and his calm demeanor is sure to play a key role guiding the team through the contest this year.

Paula Weigel: A potter, artist, and fellow creative, Paula is a reigning champ with her 2006 New Year’s theme and is always strong competition. Rumor has it that Paula will be changing the name of her private venture “Plays with Mud” to “Plays with Pumpkin Guts” for the event.

And last, but not least is our rookie, Jonathan “I put the Hall in Halloween”: A fresh face to the competition . . . can anyone say secret weapon?

Contributed by: Maghan Cook


AW's Pumpkin Carving Contest Begins!

Tensions are high around the office, as the AW team is gearing up for the annual pumpkin carving contest! Teams have been assigned, and this year there will only be three days given to carve. Stay tuned for more details and may the best pumpkin win!

{View pictures of the last two years of the contest on our PHOTOS page}

Contributed by Laine Beyerl