The real Pumpkin Paddler
Gary Kristensen of Happy Valley, Oregon has finally fulfilled his dream of growing a pumpkin big enough to set sail in. Gary has grown giant pumpkins since 2011, and in 2013 he carved his first boat-sized pumpkin to compete in the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, which he’s won for the last four years. Gary said: “This record attempt was a challenge I had long considered, finally deciding to pursue it this year when I grew a pumpkin suitable for the journey.” “Punky Loafster” was pollinated on 14 July and harvested on 4 October, then officially weighed. “Punky Loafster” had a circumference of 169 in and weighed 1,214 lb. That’s about the weight of an adult dromedary camel or a grand piano. Gary paddled 45.67 miles along the Columbia River in Washington to claim the record for longest journey by pumpkin boat (paddling). The 46-year-old completed his journey over 26 hours from 12 to 13 October aboard his hand-carved vessel.
On 11 October, Gary carved the pumpkin into a boat and mounted a camera to it with a broomstick so he could record his journey. The final touch was adding the words “It’s real” to each side of the pumpkin so that any stunned passers-by who saw him paddling down the river could have their curiosity satisfied. His journey, completed over three legs. To ensure his safety, he was followed by others in kayaks and on a pontoon boat throughout the journey. But that doesn’t mean it was all smooth sailing. Gary told us: “After a couple hours of paddling, the wind had strengthened to 35 mph and waves were starting to come over the sides of the pumpkin. “Landing was difficult because there was thick vegetation in the water that would not allow the pumpkin to easily float through.” “On the beach I used an empty soup can to carve out more pumpkin meat hoping to make the pumpkin float better for the rest of the journey,” he said.
As he began the second leg of his journey, Gary expected to paddle until he found a safe beach he could camp on overnight. But once darkness fell, he didn’t feel it was safe to beach his pumpkin boat on the sand as accidentally hitting just one sharp rock could puncture it and end his record attempt. He explained: “For this reason, I just kept paddling through the night and waited until sunrise for a safe landing spot. “At 7:03 a.m. the sun was coming up and I found a safe spot to land and rest on Hayden Island.” After a 5 hour 22 min rest stop, including time to sleep and eat, Gary set off on the final leg of his journey. He told the crew at the time: “I’m a little nervous but excited. If I don’t get the record, I had an incredible adventure.” The video below will confirm it was both an incredible adventure and a record-breaking feat.
Orange you glad you asked?
My buddy said, “What rhymes with orange?”
I pondered for a while and thought…”No, it doesn’t.”
I asked my buddy if he always puts an orange wedge in his beer.
He said, “Ehh not really. Maybe once in a Blue Moon.”
Why do Tennessee fans wear orange?
So they can dress that way for the game on Saturday, go hunting on Sunday, and pick up trash on Monday.
Orange is my favorite color.
I love it more than red and yellow put together.
November 1st Birthdays
1998 – Kaylee Bryant, 1988 – Liana D’ Cruz, 1997 – Natalie Tena, 1972 – Jenny McCarthy
1935 – Gary Player and Charles Koch, 1987 – Penn Badgeley, 1957 – Lyle Lovett