Massive floating pumpkins draw big crowds at Oregon’s annual regatta

With his kayak paddle raised high, Gary Kristensen crossed the finish line in victory — while riding inside a giant, hollowed-out pumpkin. Dressed as Buddy from “Elf,” Kristensen won the first race of this year’s West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta in Tualatin, Oregon.

Since 2004, the Portland-area city has hosted the whimsical event, where huge crowds gather to watch costumed racers paddle enormous carved pumpkins across a small man-made lake.

“This event has everything — excitement, cheers, costumes, even sinking pumpkins,” Kristensen said after finishing first in his 936-pound pumpkin.

For him, the regatta is more than a once-a-year novelty. Earlier this year, he earned a Guinness World Record for the longest journey by pumpkin boat, paddling 58 miles along the Columbia River — breaking his own previous record.

Brad Bahns, competing for the fourth time and dressed as a character from “Squid Game,” said the process of growing a pumpkin for six months and then racing it is “kind of addictive.” His pumpkin weighed in at 1,376 pounds, a personal best.

Before racing began, workers used forklifts to lower the mammoth pumpkins into the water. Competitors carved openings and scooped out the insides by hand, scraping out piles of seeds and fibers — enough to fill a dumpster — to make the pumpkins lighter and faster.

Members of the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers took part in the first race, dressed as everyone from celebrity chef Guy Fieri and a UPS delivery driver to Elvis, Luigi and a giant hot dog. One racer’s pumpkin even matched their costume color.

A later race featured a participant in full Shrek attire — green face paint included — mirroring fans along the shore who wore similar costumes.

When asked how to grow a pumpkin big enough to race, Kristensen summed it up:
“Good seeds, good soil, good luck, hard work.”