47 paddlers raced giant pumpkins down Oregon river in annual regatta. Winners, spectacular sinkings & how to row a 1,200-lb squash. Quirky tradition explained.
Table of Contents
- The Pumpkin Regatta Explained
- How to Row a Giant Pumpkin
- This Year’s Winners & Highlights
- Growing Competition-Ready Pumpkins
- Safety, Rules & Sinking Stories
- FAQ
World’s Quirkiest Water Sport Returns
Dozens of adventurous paddlers climbed into hollowed-out giant pumpkins weighing up to 1,200 pounds on Saturday for the 23rd Annual West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta in Tualatin, Oregon—an event that combines agriculture, athleticism, and absurdity in equal measure.
What Just Happened
📍 Event Details:
- Location: Tualatin River, Tualatin Community Park, Oregon
- Date: October 12, 2025
- Participants: 47 pumpkin vessels
- Spectators: Estimated 12,000+
- Distance: 800-meter course downstream
- Weather: 58°F, partly cloudy (perfect pumpkin paddling conditions)
The Spectacle
🎃 What It Looked Like:
Imagine Halloween crossed with a regatta: Dozens of bright orange gourds—some the size of small cars—floating down the river with costumed paddlers frantically wielding canoe paddles, many sinking dramatically, crowds cheering from riverbanks.
Costumes Spotted:
- Pirate riding “HMS Pumpkin”
- Mermaid emerging from squash
- Viking with horned helmet in “Gourdrakkar”
- Cookie Monster (“me eat pumpkin pie!”)
- Several literal “pumpkin spice” characters
By the Numbers
📊 2025 Regatta Stats:
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Total pumpkin racers | 47 |
| Heaviest pumpkin | 1,247 pounds (pre-carving) |
| Lightest qualifying pumpkin | 658 pounds |
| Successful finishers | 31 |
| Total sinkings | 16 |
| Fastest time | 2 minutes, 47 seconds |
| Slowest (non-sinking) | 9 minutes, 14 seconds |
| Rescue operations | 23 (some paddlers sank multiple times) |
How Do You Actually Row a Pumpkin?
The Engineering Challenge
Step 1: Get a Giant Pumpkin
🎃 Not Your Grocery Store Variety:
- Minimum weight: 600 pounds
- Ideal weight: 800-1,200 pounds
- Varieties: Atlantic Giant primarily
- Growing time: 4-6 months of intensive cultivation
- Cost to grow: 500−500−2,000 (seeds, fertilizer, water, time)
Step 2: Hollow It Out
🔪 The Carving Process:
Technique:
- Cut circular top opening (24-30 inches diameter)
- Scoop out all seeds and pulp (100+ pounds of innards)
- Smooth interior walls
- Leave 2-4 inch thick walls (structural integrity)
- Create flat bottom inside for sitting
- Dry interior (prevent rot/waterlogging)
Time Required: 3-6 hours
Tools: Industrial saws, large scoops, power drills
Mess Level: Catastrophic (bring tarps, hose, protective gear)
Step 3: Test Buoyancy
🛁 The Float Test:
Critical questions:
- Does it float? (Usually yes)
- Does it float level? (Often no)
- Does it leak? (Sometimes yes)
- Will it support human weight? (Moment of truth)
Common Problems:
- Uneven walls = tilting
- Hidden cracks = leaking
- Insufficient hollowing = sits too low in water
- Over-hollowing = structural failure
Solutions:
- Strategic weight distribution
- Interior waterproofing (allowed)
- Drainage holes (risky but sometimes necessary)
- Prayer (participant consensus: effective)
Step 4: Add Safety Features
⚓ Required Modifications:
✅ Mandatory:
- Personal flotation device (PFD) for paddler
- Paddle (canoe paddle most common)
- Costume (not officially required but culturally mandatory)
✅ Optional but Wise:
- Interior padding (cushion for sitter)
- Drainage system
- Backup paddle
- Waterproof phone case
- Dry bag with towel, change of clothes
- Acceptance of inevitable failure
The Actual Paddling
Technique Tips from Veterans:
💪 Best Practices:
- Sit Low: Center of gravity matters
- Paddle Gently: Aggressive strokes = tipping
- Rotate Pumpkin: Turn whole vessel, don’t fight it
- Accept Spinning: All pumpkins spin—embrace it
- Lean Into Chaos: Control is an illusion
Common First-Timer Mistakes:
- Standing up (instant capsizing)
- Paddling too hard (flip)
- Uneven weight distribution (circular rowing)
- Panic when water enters (accelerates sinking)
Reality Check:
Even experienced participants describe it as “like trying to steer a wet boulder while sitting in a bowl of uncertainty.”
2025 Winners & Memorable Moments
Champion Crowned
🏆 Overall Winner: Rick Swenson, “The Great Pumpkin”
Winning Stats:
- Time: 2 minutes, 47 seconds
- Pumpkin weight: 1,089 pounds
- Age: 58 (12th time competing, 3rd win)
- Secret: “Lightweight paddle, low center of gravity, and I grew the pumpkin specifically for racing—shape matters as much as size.”
Prize:
- Trophy (made from dried previous champion pumpkin)
- $500
- Year’s supply of pumpkin pie (local bakery sponsor)
- Bragging rights (priceless)
Category Winners
🎃 Most Creative Costume:
Winner: “Cinderella’s Carriage” – Complete with “horses” (pool floaties), “footman” escort in kayak, glass slipper
🎃 Best Sinking:
Winner: “Titanic” themed pumpkin that split dramatically in half mid-river while paddler played recorder (badly)
🎃 People’s Choice:
Winner: 8-year-old Mia Rodriguez in “Pumpkin Spice Latte” complete with whipped cream hat, cinnamon stick paddle
🎃 Fastest Sinking:
Record: 14 seconds from launch to submersion (paddler safe, dignity lost)
Unforgettable Moments
The Pumpkin Collision:
Two pumpkins—”SS Squash” and “Gourdita”—collided mid-race. Both paddlers tried to push apart. Both pumpkins cracked. Both sank within 30 seconds. Paddlers floated away clinging to paddles, laughing.
Crowd reaction: Standing ovation for spectacular failure.
The Surprise Proposal:
Jeremy Chen paddled his pumpkin to center river, stood up (risky!), proposed to girlfriend watching from shore. She said yes. He fell in. Pumpkin sank. Applause echoed for minutes.
Status: Engagement photos now feature him soaking wet in capsized pumpkin.
The Dog Division:
Unofficial category: 7 dogs rode in pumpkins with their owners. Only 2 stayed dry. All had excellent time (tails wagging confirm).
Crowd favorite: Golden Retriever in pirate costume who jumped out, swam to shore, returned to pumpkin, repeat 4 times.
Growing a Racing Pumpkin
The Agricultural Competition
Why Growers Get Serious:
🌱 Giant Pumpkin Growing = Extreme Sport:
- Competitive growers worldwide
- Techniques passed down, closely guarded
- Some pumpkins exceed 2,500 pounds
- Racing is just one use (carving competitions, weigh-offs)
How to Grow 1,000+ Pound Pumpkin
Timeline: Late April – October
📅 Late April-May: Planting
- Specialized seeds (20−20−100 per seed)
- Atlantic Giant variety primary
- Indoor germination, transplant after frost
📅 June: Early Growth
- One pumpkin per plant (remove others)
- 50-100 square feet growing space
- Daily watering (critical)
- Fertilizing schedule begins
📅 July-August: Explosive Growth
- Pumpkin can gain 25-40 pounds per day
- Shading to prevent sunscald
- Continued feeding, watering
- Protection from pests, weather
📅 September: Final Push
- Monitor for cracks, splits
- Reduce water (prevent splitting)
- Prepare for harvest
📅 October: Harvest & Race
- Careful transport (forklift, trailer)
- Carving process
- Race day!
Cost Breakdown
💰 Total Investment:
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Seeds | 20−20−100 |
| Fertilizer/nutrients | 200−200−500 |
| Water (4-6 months) | 100−100−300 |
| Pest control | 50−50−150 |
| Growing equipment | 100−100−500 |
| Time (100+ hours) | Priceless |
| Total | 500−500−2,000+ |
Return on Investment:
- Win race: $500 + glory
- Lose race: $0 + glory
- Actual reason people do this: Fun, community, bragging rights
Safety, Rules & When Pumpkins Attack
Official Rules
📜 Tualatin Regatta Regulations:
✅ Vessel Requirements:
- Must be genuine pumpkin (no squash, melons, or imposters)
- Minimum 600 pounds (pre-hollowing)
- Cannot add buoyancy devices (foam, inflatable parts)
- Structural modifications allowed (waterproofing, reinforcement)
- Must float unassisted
✅ Paddler Requirements:
- PFD (personal flotation device) mandatory
- One paddler per pumpkin
- Age 8+ (under 18 requires parent waiver)
- No motors, sails, or propulsion beyond human paddling
✅ Safety:
- Safety boats on standby
- Lifeguards positioned along course
- Water temp minimum 50°F (race cancelled if colder)
- All participants swim test required
The Sinking Reality
Why Pumpkins Sink:
💧 Common Failure Modes:
- Water Infiltration: (50% of sinkings)
- Cracks develop mid-race
- Water enters faster than paddler can bail
- Gradual sinking or catastrophic
- Structural Failure: (30%)
- Walls too thin
- Weight distribution shifts
- Pumpkin splits/collapses
- Capsizing: (15%)
- Paddler shifts weight wrong
- Wave from speedboat hits
- Pumpkin hits submerged obstacle
- Mysterious Giving Up: (5%)
- Pumpkin seems fine, then just… surrenders
- Participants report eerie moment of “pumpkin decided it was done”
Safety Record
23 Years, Zero Serious Injuries
🏥 Incident Log:
- Minor bumps, bruises: Common
- Soggy dignity: Universal
- Hypothermia: 0 cases (water not that cold, rescue swift)
- Drowning: 0 (PFDs work, safety boats responsive)
- Regrets: 0 (everyone returns)
Secret to Safety:
- Shallow water (mostly 4-8 feet deep)
- Extensive safety infrastructure
- Mandatory PFDs
- Good humor (stressed paddlers more dangerous)
The Cultural Phenomenon
Why This Exists
Origin Story:
Started in 2003 by Tualatin farmers with surplus giant pumpkins post-weigh-off competitions. Question arose: “Can you paddle one?” Answer: “Let’s find out.”
Growth:
- Year 1: 8 pumpkins
- Year 10: 25 pumpkins
- Year 23: 47 pumpkins
- International media coverage
- Copycat events nationwide
Similar Events
Giant Pumpkin Racing Has Spread:
🎃 Other Regattas:
- Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta (Maine)
- Windsor Pumpkin Regatta (Nova Scotia)
- Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival (Germany)
- Numerous local events across North America
Variations:
- Motorized giant pumpkins (separate category)
- Pumpkin sailing (adding sails)
- Team pumpkin races (multiple pumpkins tied together—chaos)
Economic Impact
💵 Local Boost:
- 12,000 spectators = hotels, restaurants, shops benefit
- Media coverage = regional tourism promotion
- Local farms sell pumpkins, seeds, growing supplies
- Community pride = intangible but real
Estimated: 800K−800K−1M economic impact to Tualatin area annually
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a special license to race a pumpkin?
No license required. Just sign waiver, pass swim test, have pumpkin that meets minimum size, and wear PFD.
What happens to pumpkins after the race?
Most composted (already damaged from hollowing and water exposure). Some turned into decorations, animal feed, or “pumpkin bowling” (post-race tradition—roll them down hill).
Can you eat a pumpkin after racing it?
Technically yes, but inadvisable. Sitting in river water for unknown time, structural stress, and physical damage make them less appetizing. Seeds can be saved and cleaned.
Has anyone tried to cheat?
2011: Someone tried fiberglass-reinforced pumpkin (disqualified). 2015: Attempted foam inserts (disqualified). 2019: Tried to use actual boat painted orange (crowd booed, organizers speechless, disqualified). Cheating is difficult and culturally unacceptable.
What’s the world record for pumpkin racing?
No official world record (courses vary). Tualatin course record: 2:47 (this year). Other venues have different records based on course design.
Do professional kayakers have an advantage?
Not really. Giant pumpkins don’t respond to traditional paddling techniques. Veterans say “experience makes you realize how little control you have.”
Is this the weirdest water sport?
Possibly, but competition includes: Concrete canoe racing, bathtub races, cardboard boat regattas, and wife-carrying through water obstacles. Pumpkin racing is top 5 weird minimum.
Conclusion
The 23rd Annual West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta delivered everything promised: athletic endeavor, agricultural celebration, spectacular failures, ridiculous costumes, and pure community joy.
What We Learned:
✅ Humans will race anything that floats (barely)
✅ Giant pumpkins make terrible boats
✅ Terrible boats make excellent entertainment
✅ Sinking is part of success
✅ Community events don’t need to make sense to make people happy
Next Year:
Mark calendars: October 11, 2026. Organizers already planning 24th edition. Registration opens March 2026. Start growing your pumpkin in April.
Requirements to participate:
- Giant pumpkin (or ability to grow one)
- Sense of adventure
- Acceptance of inevitable wetness
- Costume creativity
- Willingness to provide entertainment to thousands
Guaranteed:
- You will get wet
- Your pumpkin might sink
- Crowds will laugh (with you, mostly)
- You will have stories for years
- No regrets
The West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta proves that sometimes the best community events are the ones that celebrate absurdity, agriculture, and the simple joy of watching people try to paddle vegetables down a river.
See you next October. Bring a pumpkin. Bring a paddle. Bring a sense of humor. Leave dignity at home—you won’t need it.