Record Attempt in Progress!Click here to view Gary's live GPS map. This map should be live until the world record journey ends on or before Memorial Day, allowing you to track progress, come cheer on Gary and his safety boat crew, and possibly serve as a critical witness anywhere along the path (see Were You A Witness below). If the map goes down over Memorial Day weekend, you might still get a location update by texting Dave, the Safety Boat Captain, at 503-515-5692. We plan to launch from Hamilton Island Boat Ramp May 23rd around 3:30 p.m. and, if all goes incredibly well, continue to Hammond Boat Launch on or before Memorial Day. Anything downstream from Langsdorf Landing will be a pending world record.The Story Behind the Record AttemptAfter 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 SupportI’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 |