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Records tumbled at the annual New Zealand National Cherry Stone-Spitting Competition in Cromwell yesterday.
A crowd of about 200 people gathered to watch the event, organised by the Cromwell and Districts Promotions Group.
Cherries were donated by Jackson Orchards, with competitors paying $2 for three cherries.
Dunedin man Tui Smith took out the men’s category with a record-breaking spit of 15.95m, the best distance recorded since the event began in 2006.
Mr Smith, who previously won the competition in 2020 and 2021, said he had tried a new technique, based on tobacco spitting.
"They used a couple of fingers to keep really tight pressure in [their] mouth," he said.
Mr Smith also credited a northwest tailwind for providing some assistance.
The woman’s title was won by Leah Barnfield, who broke the record for the woman’s category, with a spit of 9.07m.
Marketing and communications manager Tanya Dennis said the event was a staple of the festive season.
"[It is] really perfectly suited to Cromwell and our history with the cherry season."
Sixty-three people took part, slightly up from last year, Ms Dennis said.
The event created a buzz among locals and visitors alike, she said.
"It does get quite competitive ... some take it most seriously, others just come in for a little bit of a laugh.
"Bring a sense of humour, because it is quite something to spectate."
The junior (7-16 years old) female category was won by Erin Hamer with 5.4m, while Shaun Thomson won the junior male with 5m.