Farmer’s Giant Pumpkin Boat Breaks World Record

Heather Cha
Updated

If you think regular jack-o’-lanterns are scary, try climbing inside one and floating down a river.

Todd Sandstrum, a 42-year-old farmer from Easton, Mass., recently made an impressive splash as he paddled down the Taunton River in a boat made from a giant pumpkin. Sandstrum embarked on the 7-mile journey in his 817-pound prize-winning pumpkin not only to break a Guinness World Record but also to raise awareness about agriculture.

Low water levels made the beginning stages of the route a challenge, but Sandstrum rallied and eventually succeeded in setting the world record for the longest journey in a pumpkin boat. He is still recovering physically from the grueling endeavor, but he can be sure that his efforts were well spent in furthering his cause. Newspapers, television news networks and even the Discovery Channel picked up the story about his record-setting pumpkin trip, far exceeding his expectations of how much coverage it would receive.

In an article from the Enterprise, he explained his motivation for the stunt, stating, “It’s about getting kids in the dirt and getting people to buy local and support local agriculture.”

Sandstrum is a co-founder of the South Shore Great Pumpkin Challenge, which brings together schools every year to help care for a giant pumpkin. The Twitter account for the South Shore Great Pumpkin Challenge says they’re hoping the Pumpkin River Run will be featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. We wish them Gourdspeed!

It seems Sandstrum isn’t the first to try to carve out some media attention with a giant pumpkin boat. In 2013, British artist Dmitri Galitzine used a 600-pound pumpkin in a 100-meter “dash.” 

Sandstrum is already looking to the future and plans on working with river experts to address obstacles he faced this year.

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