It’s a fish! It’s a boat! It’s a … Giant Pumpkin?

Boat racing takes a wacky turn in super-sized squash

Story by Jenna Burleigh and photos by Photo credit: LCRCC

The answer is yes, you actually can hollow out a 500 pound pumpkin, jump inside it, throw it in the lake and paddle like you’ve never paddled a giant pumpkin before, while racing to claim the title.

Chances are quite high you have never piloted a gigantic gourd before, but professional pumpkin pilots and amateurs alike are welcome to participate in the wonderfully entertaining sport of giant pumpkin racing.

"There’s been a lot of interest in it. People are really excited to have it back."

The Giant Pumpkin Regatta is a fresh fall festival with pumpkin racing, face-painting, an obstacle course, vendors, and more. Fall 2008, marking the kick-off of this annual event, was a success that drew 1,000-1,500 people according to Cari Kelley, executive director of Leadership Champlain. Kelley says the regatta is “a very visual event,” explaining that seven to 10 people race their pumpkin boats at a time, with several heats. She concluded that 45-50 people partake in the actual race. The winners of each heat face off in a final race that determines who will be crowned the winner of the Giant Pumpkin Regatta.

“Years ago, Burlington used to do a fall festival,” Kelley says.  “There’s been a lot of interest in it. People are really excited to have it back.” Falling on October 11 (10 a.m. to four p.m.), this year will mark only the second annual Giant Pumpkin Regatta and Festival in Burlington, but it is a spectacle that is sure to capture the interest of locals and visitors alike.

So, how does it work?

Pumpkins are donated by Vermont Giant Vegetable Growers Association. Pumpkin growers bring their biggest pumpkins to a weigh-in to get an official weight, the winner usually taking home a monetary prize. Some growers decide to donate their giant pumpkins to the regatta, asking only for the seeds after the pumpkin is carved.

The pumpkins are shipped to Burlington, where they are gutted by Leadership Champlain staff, Linking Learning to Life, PILOT (Program to Inspire Leadership, Opportunity, and Thought), and volunteers. In order to cruise around in a pumpkin boat, an individual must be sponsored to race or donate $500. The money raised at this event benefits the youth leadership program PILOT.

John Young, in association with the VGVGA, was the first to suggest bringing a pumpkin regatta to Burlington. “I wanted to raise money for charity,” he says. It is certainly a unique way to raise money, but why a pumpkin regatta? Young explains he thinks the idea is “wacky enough that it just might work.” Admission to this event is free and all are welcome to join in on the fun.

Now, the big question is: how on earth do you grow a pumpkin that size? In order to answer this, we had to ask the masters themselves. Mark Breznick, Vermont’s state record holder for heaviest pumpkin, and Joseph Jutras, world record holder for heaviest pumpkin, claimed these titles in 2008 and 2007, respectively. Breznick’s record-breaking pumpkin weighed in at 1392 lbs., while Jutras’ weighed in at a whopping 1689 lbs.

"It’s really amazing to watch something like that grow."

There is more than just fertilizer that goes into growing a giant pumpkin; there’s an element of luck as well. “We had pretty decent weather last year,” Jutras says. “You work as hard as you can every year, but if you don’t have the right weather and the right seeds, you’re not going to do it.” Jutras has been growing giant pumpkins for 12 years, and continues to do so today. “It’s more than a hobby. It’s a challenge,” he says. “It’s really amazing to watch something like that grow.”

Breznick, who has been growing giant pumpkins for 16 years, knows well the time and effort that goes into pumpkin growing. “It takes a lot of time,” he says. “You have to get your soil right. Do a soil test. Amend the soil so that the plant can produce the best that it can.”

What exactly inspires one to start growing giant pumpkins?

“I’ve always done a lot of gardening,” Breznick says. He began his giant pumpkin growing days as a friendly competition with his neighbor, which eventually led to a competition within the neighborhood, and “went from there.” They would share tips with each other, yet they were careful not to give away too many secrets.

Both Breznick and Jutras agree that it takes a lot of hard work and care to grow a giant pumpkin. They both use organic fertilizers, which seem to have a better effect on the plants. Jutras also uses a combination of pesticides and fungicides to protect his pumpkin patch, while Breznick uses cow manure and a bit of kelp meal. Jutras mentioned the pumpkins can become more susceptible to diseases because they grow so fast. “It takes a lot of work to stay on top of your potential problems.”

This is where the masters share a bit of advice. Breznick urges amateurs to “stick with it and be prepared for a challenge. The weather alone is a challenge. You have to start the plants fairly early. You have to deal with frost and deer.” Breznick offers no advice to keep the deer away; however, he says he has a fence around his pumpkin patch and it seems to have kept the woodchucks at bay. Jutras urges new pumpkin growers to join a club and talk to other giant pumpkin growers to learn the list of do’s and don’ts. He also suggests to “prune them properly. If you’re not pruning them, you’ll grow a lot of vegetation.” This excess vegetation will cause a grower to have many little pumpkins and no giant ones.

These pumpkin growing masters will not relinquish all their secrets, because growing a giant pumpkin takes more than tips and tricks. It takes time, a lot of effort, and a passion that doesn’t grow on a vine, but comes from the heart. Those green-thumbed individuals who take on the challenge of growing these giants grow them not to win a title, but for the sheer enjoyment of watching something grow. It’s more than a competition to them: it’s a hobby, a way to relax after a hard day at the office, but it’s mostly an expression of dedication and care. So get those hands dirty, dig around in the earth, and watch the fruits of your labor grow into a beautiful, giant pumpkin. Then carve the guts out of it, toss it in the lake, grab a paddle, and go for the wackiest ride of a lifetime!

Have you ever been a part of a giant pumpkin regatta?