Seed Spitting, Armpit Music Rock Redneck Games

By
ABC News
July 9, 2007, 9:32 AM ET
2 min read

E A S T D U B L I N, Ga., July 9, 2000 -- Spittin’ a watermelon seed more than 39feet ain’t easy.

Barbara Braswell of Wrightsville shucked her floppy chicken hat,reared back and let fly — but didn’t come close to 14-year-old EricSmith’s expert expectoration once judges found the pits in thegrass.

“The secret’s curling your tongue like a funnel and blowing,”demonstrated Eric, gripping a Budweiser can-topped trophy he wonfor seed spitting Saturday at the fifth annual Summer RedneckGames, held here along the banks of the Oconee River.

“He got beat by a girl last year,” said Mac Davis, generalmanager of WQZY-FM radio station, sponsor of the games.

Musical Armpit Serenade

The contest warmed the crowd up for the armpit serenade. BlakeNimmons, 12, of Soperton furiously pumped his arm to squeeze out acrowd-pleasing rendition of “Dixie.”

Winner J.W. Young added a new twist, blowing air under hisarmpit through a straw while pumping away. Still dripping from acooling plunge in the Oconee River, rising second-grader BrandonDenton checked to make sure his painted-on “Little Redneck”hadn’t washed off. “He’s hoping to get in the mud pit belly flopcontest,” said his mother, Sherryell Denton.

“It’s good family fun. Southerners have the unique ability tolaugh at themselves. That’s what this is all about,” she said.“I’m waiting to bob for pigs’ feet.”

Bobbing For Pigs’ Feet

The games started at Buckeye Park in East Dublin with a six-milehomemade raft race down the Oconee and ended with fireworks in theevening. Rick Hunter rode his motorcycle five hours from DeLand,Fla., to be there.

“I’m looking for a woman bobbing for pigs’ feet,” he said.“I’ve never seen a woman with a pig’s foot in her mouth except mymother, and she was eating it.”

Thousands braved the Middle Georgia heat to go for beer-cantrophies in events such as the hubcap hurl, the Dumpster dive andbug zapper spitball.

The games began in 1996 as a counterpoint to the Olympics heldin Atlanta, drawing a crowd of 3,000. Organizers said as many as8,000 watched this year.

Randy “L-bow” Tidwell, wearing a T-shirt with his picture onit and “Genuine Redneck” printed across the top, officiallyopened the games. He began the festivities by lighting a beer cantorch.