A Nebraska man hopes to be certified for the Guinness Book of World Records for his trip down the Missouri River in a giant pumpkin.
Duane Hansen paddled about 11 hours down the river in Nebraska on Saturday in the giant pumpkin that he grew himself and hoped to set the world record for a trip of its kind. According to a post on Facebook, Hansen started out the trip at 7:30 a.m. and paddled for some 38 miles to celebrate his 60th birthday.
Hansen ended the trip just after 6:30 p.m. in Nebraska City in the 846-pound gourd. His family was there with him, following the trip along with their friends, as they were able to help document the trip and help with any issues.
He was crouched inside of the pumpkin that had a small seat inside.
Hansen said in a video, “I went 38 miles down the river without standing up in that pumpkin and my knees still hurt.” He said, “I thought, ‘I’ll just paddle harder and warm up.’ I wasn’t thinking about quitting.”
Hansen said, “I went another four to five miles and it rained again...I’ve never paid so much attention for so long in my entire life. It was tough.”
TheOmaha World-Herald reported that he hit a sandbar at one point in the journey, and also hit a rock, and encountered heavy rain, and said it was cold at times.
Guinness World Records had not yet validated the trip by Monday but confirmed that the trip would beat the current record for "longest journey by pumpkin boat" which is held by Rick Swenson who traveled 25.5 miles in Grand Forks, North Dakota in 2016, the Guardian reported.
