Post-Journey Reflections

Well, I’m back home after the pumpkin journey and what an adventure it was. I learned a lot, pushed myself further than ever, and achieved some big milestones.

I set a new pending world record for the Fastest Marathon Time in a Giant Pumpkin Boat (Paddling) at 9 hours and 5 minutes. I also broke my own world record from last year for the Longest Journey in a Pumpkin Boat (Paddling). In 2024, I paddled 45.69 miles in just over 26 hours. This year, I paddled 58.57 miles in 23 hours and 48 minutes, finishing in St. Helens, Oregon.

Even with those successes, I’m feeling a little bittersweet. My original goal was to paddle all the way to Hammond, in the mouth of the Columbia River and I made it less than halfway.

The river current was stronger than it had been during last fall’s attempt, but we still only averaged 2.4 mph, up from 1.75 mph last year. I had hoped that the stronger spring flow would double our pace, but it just wasn’t enough. As we got closer to the coast, tides were becoming a much bigger factor, making it harder to paddle continuously. Based on our pace, reaching Hammond would’ve taken four or more days, and I simply didn’t have that much time away from work.

After more than 14 hours of paddling on the final stretch, I arrived in St. Helens, exhausted and battling rough water for the last couple of hours. All I could think about was getting out of the pumpkin and finding a way to rest. In my tired and rushed state, I made a poor decision. I tried to secure the pumpkin to a floating dock by poking two holes above the waterline to pass a rope through. That boneheaded move compromised the pumpkin’s integrity, and ultimately led me to end the journey.

So yes, I’m disappointed to have ended it on a mistake instead of on my own terms. But I’m also proud. I successfully grew and harvested a pumpkin boat in May, something I wasn’t even sure was possible, and paddled it nearly 60 miles through cold, fast, and unpredictable spring river conditions.

Thank you to everyone who followed, supported, and cheered me on. If you have any pictures or videos of my journey, please follow the instructions below so that I can submit them with my evidence logs to Guinness.

  

The Story Behind the Record Attempt

After setting the world record for the Longest Journey by Pumpkin Boat (Paddling) in 2024, I realized something: paddling the Columbia River in October meant dealing with very little current. It meant the river wasn’t offering much help and I was only able average a snail's pace of about two miles per hour.

For this new attempt in 2025, I wanted to take advantage of the stronger springtime current to push the pumpkin farther and faster. The challenge? Giant pumpkins in the Pacific Northwest aren’t typically ready to harvest until late summer, when the river slows down again.

So I decided to try something I don’t believe anyone in the area has done before: grow a giant pumpkin entirely indoors—and start very early. I started the seeds on January 15 inside my greenhouse (normal start is April 15), using grow lights and soil heating cables to help the young plant survive the cold. In February, several days of ice covered the greenhouse, and I honestly wasn’t sure if the plant would make it.

After I pollinated the pumpkin on March 20 (Normal Pollination is late June or early July), fruit growth was slow. Keeping the entire greenhouse warm enough proved difficult and I think held back the pumpkin's development. But slowly, it started gaining size as weather improved, eventually gaining a peak of 29 pounds per day. By harvest on May 21 or 22, the pumpkin should weigh over 800 pounds and growing a pumpkin this early feels like a record-worthy feat on its own.  

This winter and spring-grown giant will now serve as my vessel as I attempt to break my own longest journey world record and set a new Guinness World Record for the Fastest Marathon Distance by Pumpkin Boat (Paddling). This pumpkin will be about 35 percent smaller (about 400 pounds smaller) than the pumpkin used in 2024. This will make it easier to paddle fast, but also more difficult to handle boat wakes, rough water, and less room for my legs to move around on the long voyage.

Were You a Witness?

Witnesses are critical to getting the record certified. Please email the following to garyfkristensen@gmail.com or call Gary at 503-781-5646 if you have questions.

1. Name________
2. Please declare in email that, "I Your Name Here declare that I am not associated with, or related to the record organizers or participants, nor have anything to gain from the final outcome of the attempt. Therefore I have acted as a witness of the Guinness World Records attempt for the record."
3. Title of Records being attempted "Longest Journey by Pumpkin Boat (Paddling) 250512094258ljbp and Fastest Marathon Distance by Pumpkin Boat (Paddling) 241018212154fmdb"
4. Witness home or contact address and nationality.
5. Witness field of expertise (what do you do for a living?)
6. Time and date you were present at the record attempt.
7. What did you witness (e.g. pumpkin boat starting, stopping, or paddling on Columbia River at ____ landmark)? Please be descriptive.
8. Please provide any photos you may have.

Thank You for Your Support

I’m incredibly grateful to anyone who takes the time to witness and submit evidence for this world record attempt. Your participation helps make this wild idea official—and keeps the spirit of adventure alive.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

– Gary Kristensen