Oregon man carves his name into the record books aboard his own pumpkin boat

October means cooler weather, crunchy leaves and harvest spice lattes. And for some, it’s a time to showcase spectacular giant pumpkins – and even break a Guinness world record.

Gary Kristensen of Happy Valley paddled nearly 46 miles in a giant pumpkin along the Columbia River earlier this month.

“I was hoping to paddle at least a little over 39 miles,” he said. “We encountered some troubles along the way, and were still able to do it.”

On Thursday, he learned that the work had paid off.

“The longest journey by pumpkin boat (paddling) is 73.50 km (45.67 miles), and was achieved by Gary Kristensen,” according to Guinness World Records.

At times, he battled the elements.

“There were 30 to 35 mile per hour winds about four or five miles into our trip,” he said. “We started at Bonneville Dam, and the waves were pretty intense coming over the top of the pumpkin. I was filling up with water.”

Kristensen also grew “Punky Loafster,” the vessel he used to break the record.

Fellow giant pumpkin grower Jim Sherwood can also boast his own gourd award. The Mulino resident has grown his fair share of giants over the years. The self-described extreme gardener won the National Pumpkin Weigh Off in California this year. His entry, nicknamed “Hank the Tank,” tipped the scales at nearly 2,500 pounds.

Even though he lost other pumpkins in the process, a champion remained.

“Once they get a hole in them, it makes them illegal for competition,” he said. “I ended up with one out of five plants. And luckily enough, it was one that was my personal best, and I was able to win that competition with it.”

But even after a mighty pumpkin is born, it needs to survive transit. Sherwood says a pumpkin traveling unprotected makes him cringe. A pothole can destroy a gardener’s hard work.

“Back in the day when I first started, I found a futon on the side of the highway and I, as all good pumpkin growers do, collected that thing up,” he said. “And eventually, I put a pumpkin on it and carried it all the way down to California, on the futon on a pallet.”

Sherwood is also one of the founders of the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta where boaters attempt to cross a manmade lake using a giant gourd as a vessel.

As for Kristensen, after he returned from his odyssey on the Columbia River relatively unscathed, he raced in Tualatin’s regatta. Kristensen has paddled in the event since 2013 and this year he placed second.

“People come from all over the world to come here to the Portland area, Tualatin, to see this spectacle,” he said. “It is an absolute blast.”

“Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller spoke to Gary Kristensen and Jim Sherwood about growing and racing gargantuan pumpkins, ahead of Kristensen’s confirmed Guinness world record. Listen to the full conversation: