The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by David Grimes, The Quill Correspondent
Frank Hennenfent won his fourth men's open national title in cornhusking during competition at Oakley, Kan., last month, but he's not resting on his laurels.
"Looking forward to the next year is what keeps people motivated. You're always looking at how you can do better than you did last time," Hennenfent said.
The rural Smithshire man, who is secretary of the Illinois Cornhusking Association, is a 17-time state cornhusking champ who also prevailed at the national level in 1997, 1998, 1999 and most recently in October.
His 30 minutes of hand shucking at nationals in Kansas netted him 896 pounds of corn, with only 2 ounces of husk counting toward deductions.
The secret to Hennenfent's success, wrist action aside, is in the technique.
"It doesn't have so much to do with strength, as with technique," he said.
Clearing the ear of corn of its husks in as little time as possible - that's pretty much the long and the short of it.
Competitors, using a wrist wrap comprised of leather and a metal hook called a thumbhook, separate an ear of corn from its husks at speeds of 60-plus ears per minute.
Huskers are assigned areas of the field from which they work. Not all produce the best ears and the lay of the land is not always conducive to producing much yield.
Hennenfent, who said he drew a good section of ground this year, is convinced the largest loads of husked corn come from Kansas.
"The ground is all irrigated and it was an extremely good year for corn," Hennenfent said.
Based on performance at state competition, two to three huskers are tapped to husk against the finest from across the country at nationals.
Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota and Nebraska are the nine states that comprise the National Cornhusking Association.
Illinois is slated to schedule the nationals in either 2006 or 2008.
The association was formed in 1924 but went on hiatus in 1942 when America went to war for the second time in Europe. Henry Wallace was a mover and a shaker in seeing the association established and its annual competition was considered a good way for developing a better technique for picking corn by hand.
Competition then lasted 80 minutes rather than today's 30-minute sessions.
The NCA was revived in 1975, in large part by members who longed for the competition from the association's early years.
The event is a family event, with the skill handed down through generations.
"There's a man who has three daughters who all husk like their dad, and another family where a niece, a nephew and a son all compete," Hennenfent said.
There are nine classes for huskers, but when Hennenfent began competitive husking 20 years ago only six were available. He entered the men's open class and has stuck with that class through the years.
"I guess you could say I'm hooked on it," he said.