Man Breaks Record by Paddling 46 Miles in a Pumpkin Boat

A new Guinness World Record has been set by a man who paddled 46 miles in a homegrown pumpkin boat.

Pumpkin patch / Unsplash

Gary Kristensen set out to break a long-awaited Guinness World Record on October 12. Not only did Kristensen complete the longest paddling journey in a pumpkin boat, but he also grew his own 1,224-pound pumpkin to make this record possible.

Kristensen completed his journey on the Columbia River in Oregon with his pumpkin boat named "The Punky Loafster."

"There was a lady in our giant pumpkin growing club who set the record many yeas ago, somewhere around 16 miles I believe," he told Paddling Magazine. "I've always thought it'd be kind of cool to do that. I had an extra pumpkin in my yard this year that looked like it would be good for a long journey, so it felt like the right time to go for it."

Kristensen shared that he has been growing pumpkins since 2011. In 2013, he began paddling in them for local events.

"I was hoping to paddle at least a little over 39 miles," he told Oregon Public Broadcasting. "We encountered some troubles along the way, and were still able to do it."

Kristensen further explained his challenges on this trip by stating, "We were supposed to have a 15-mile-per-hour tailwind. The waves were crazy big. We ended up having to stop only three hours and 45 minutes into the trip to wait out the waves on the beach. Water had been coming over the side of the pumpkin, almost sank it."

For safety measures, Kristensen was joined by support team, although he was the only one in the pumpkin boat. As with any paddling trip, he carried safety equipment with him and wore a properly fitted PFD.

His entire paddling journey took 26 hours. With this being such a long trip, Paddling Magazine stated that Kristensen only slept for roughly one hour on the shore of a beach.

While his 1,224-pound pumpkin decreased to 950 pounds after carving, paddling a pumpkin is not a smooth-sailing activity.

"The pumpkin goes nowhere," he stated. "It feels like when you pull the paddle back nothing happens." When you take into account the rippling waves, the uncomfortable position, and the lack of momentum Kristensen had due to the pumpkin, it is evident that breaking this record was no easy feat.

Despite the challenge, Kristensen accomplished his ambitious goal. Stay tuned for next year, as he shared that he will go even bigger.