A man from the United States has realized his lifelong dream of cultivating a pumpkin large enough to serve as a boat. Gary Kristensen successfully sailed 73.5 kilometers along the Columbia River in Washington, setting a record for the longest journey made in a pumpkin boat.
The 46-year-old took 26 hours to navigate the river in his self-grown and hand-carved pumpkin boat, which he named "Punky Loafster." Although he has been cultivating giant pumpkins since 2011, he carved his first boat-sized pumpkin in 2013, and the dream of sailing in one soon became a reality.
"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," he told the Guinness World Records.
“Punky Loafster” grew to 14 feet in size and weighed over 555 kilograms before being transformed into a boat for Gary's unique adventure. At the time of harvest, the pumpkin weighed as much as a grand piano.
Gary's pumpkin journey commenced on October 11 when he carved the enormous vegetable into a boat. He also mounted a camera on it using a broomstick to document his remarkable expedition.
To let onlookers know he was indeed in a real pumpkin, Gary added the phrase "it's real" to the side of his boat.
For his safety, Gary was accompanied by several kayaks and boats during the three segments of his journey.
He sailed through the night, worried that beaching the pumpkin could lead to it being punctured by sharp rocks. "For this reason, I just kept paddling through the night and waited until sunrise for a safe landing spot," he explained.
After disembarking from the boat, Gary expressed that he felt "a little nervous but excited." He added, "If I don’t get the record, I had an incredible adventure."
