Midwest Man Breaks World Record In A Homemade Pumpkin Boat

I'm not sure what would cause a person to wonder just how far they could float down a river in a pumpkin boat. Where does one's passion for pumpkin boats come from? Do you start carving pumpkins and then naturally wonder just how far you can float in one? No matter your thoughts on the sanity of the ride, a Midwest man floated farther in his pumpkin boat than anyone else in history this past weekend and set a new world record in the process.

Steve Kueny is the captain of the pumpkin vessel. He took a pumpkin weighing over 1200 pounds, hollowed it out, and set out to break a world record. What goes into making a pumpkin boat? The Des Moines Register reports other than a few sandbags in the bottom for stability, not much. Kueny grew the pumpkin himself with the goal of breaking the world record for the longest float in a pumpkin boat.

The previous record of 38 miles was set by a Nebraska man just last year. What is it about Midwest men and their obsession with giant pumpkin boats? With his newly christened boat named 'Huckle Berry' ready to go, Kueny began his long, cold, slimy journey on the Missouri River on Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. The Register reports that he was joined by members of the Paddle KC Paddling Club to make sure he was safe out on the water. Over the course of 11 hours, Kueny traveled from Kansas City, Kansas all the way to Napoleon, Missouri. A distance of 39 miles and a new world record!

The Register reports that Kueny plans on submitting all of the data from his journey for certification from the Guinness Book of World Records. Not bad for a pumpkin boat that Kueny reportedly didn't even test before starting his float! So why don't more people travel by pumpkin? The Register reports that Kueny only reached a speed of 3 miles per hour while on the Missouri River. That is one slow pumpkin.