When you throw away your tree, make sure to literally THROW it away. Walk your tree out to your curb / dumpster / alley. Stop about 20 feet short of where you would normally place your tree. Then try to throw the tree as far as you can!
How far can you throw a Christmas tree?
Measure the distance of far the tree was thrown by using your very own feet. Start measuring from where your foot nearest to the tree. Step one foot in front of the other, counting each foot. My record is 15 footlongs. This year I threw the tree 12 footlongs.
Since the distance is measured in units of your shoes, make sure to not wear big boots. I try to wear my tennis shoes, which are smaller than my snow boots. One of these years, when it’s warmer, I’m going to go out in my socks to throw the tree.
If you have small feet, then you will do very well at this challenge. Is it not fair for someone with smaller feet to have an advantage? Maybe, but that’s part of the charm of using this measuring technique. Using your own feet is like an ancient custom.
The complete record of all Christmas tree throws in history
- January 2012: 15 footlongs, Matt Maldre, Chicago
- January 2014: 12.5 footlongs, Matt Maldre, Chicago
- January 2017: 8 footlongs, Erik Maldre, Wheaton
- January 2017: 12 footlongs, Matt Maldre, Chicago
- January 2019: “a few feet”, Erik Maldre, Wheaton
- January 2019: 12.5 footlongs, Matt Maldre, Glen Ellyn
- January 2020: 11 footlongs, Matt Maldre, Glen Ellyn
- January 2021: 10 footlongs, Erik Maldre, Wheaton
- January 2021: 10.5 footlongs, Matt Maldre, Glen Ellyn
Can you beat the length of my throws? Leave a comment in the blog post with the distance of your throw, and I’ll add it to this official master list!
10 reasons to start the Christmas Tree Throwing Challenge
1) Overcome the disappointment
Every year, it’s disappointing to take down your beloved Christmas tree. Turn that disappointment around into something you love doing.
2) Family fun
This will quickly become a family tradition that will live on for many years.
3) Competition
The Christmas season doesn’t really come with many competitions. Bring some fun sports action into the Christmas season
4) Enjoy the mess
Pine needles will fly everywhere when carrying a tree out to the curb. Embrace the mess and make more pine needles fly around!
5) Quirky, unique
Nearly everyone does the Christmas tree, but how many people chuck their tree to their curb? Be the first one on your block. Everyone will look and say, “wow, that’s fun. I will participate with my tree next year.”
6) Tree selection strategies
Knowing that you want to throw your tree further, will that influence your tree selection at the start of Christmas? Why go for that super-huge 9 foot tree, when, really, a five-foot tree will work just fine.
7) Personalized style
What tree-throwing style will you develop? The javelin? The discus? The lumberjack tree flip? FYI, throwing your tree out the window does not count.
8) Throw away your frustrations
I personally see the Christmas tree throwing challenge as pure joy. But maybe you are the angry type. Bottle up all those Christmas aggressions and let it out on your tree!
9) Doesn’t require practice
With this sport, the playing field is a bit more level. You can’t exactly practice throwing a tree during the regular year, so it’s not like some super-duper athlete is going to come up and be like, “I’ve been working out practicing this all year.” Well, until someone invents some workout tool that simulates a Christmas tree. If the sport gets to that point, then I would have to be happy, because that means many people are participating! Get your Christmas tree throwing muscles in top shape!
10) Eat it
You can use spruce, firs, and pines in meat rubs; but not yew trees. Those are poisonous. (source: wdish)
Just make sure you removed all your ornaments before throwing the tree! Leave the distance of your throw in the comments, on Facebook, or on this tweet:
How far can you throw your Christmas tree? Please respond with the distance measured with your own feet. (my record is 15 footlongs)
— Spudart (@spudart) January 10, 2017
We have yet to record what my brother’s throws were. I’m only able to recall my distances, because I posted them to social media at the time via my phone. I hope in coming years that this list of throws gets incredibly long.
January 2017: 8 footlongs, Erik Maldre, Wheaton
We should also measure circumference of tree trunk at base and height of tree. There must be some formula that includes those two measurements along with footlong toss to calculate a proper CTT score.
Measuring the size of the tree is a good idea. If this sport expands beyond the two of us, there might be people who throw a two-foot tree. That would be silly. Perhaps there should be classifications of trees, much like how there are classifications of boxers based on weight.
January 2021: 10 footlongs, Erik Maldre, Wheaton
January 2021: 10.5 footlongs, Matt Maldre, Glen Ellyn