Yes, People Race in Giant Pumpkins

We thought pumpkins were for porches.

Maybe pie.

Maybe carving.

Possibly launching from a catapult if you're feeling adventurous.

But racing?

Oh yes. People race pumpkins. And we have questions.

There are several variations of pumpkin racing, but they generally fall into two delightfully ridiculous categories:

Pumpkin racing on land and pumpkin racing on water.

Pumpkin Racing on the Road

Land-based pumpkin races come in several forms.

One popular version involves turning pumpkins into little race cars by adding wheels and axles, then sending them down a hill or specially designed track.

Think Pinewood Derby. Except instead of a carefully carved wooden car, you've got a pumpkin barreling toward the finish line.

Some communities take their pumpkin racing surprisingly seriously, with rules about how the wheels can be attached and what competitors can—and cannot—do to their pumpkin racers. And, naturally, half the fun is decorating them. Because if you're going to send a pumpkin flying down a racetrack, you might as well give it some personality first.

Then Someone Decided Pumpkins Should Be Boats

This is where pumpkin racing reaches an entirely different level.

Pumpkin regattas are real.

People grow enormous pumpkins—we're talking pumpkins weighing hundreds of pounds—cut them open, hollow them out and climb inside. Then they race them across the water. With paddles.

Here are some images Hal Sadofsky in Oregon took of an event in his area. (Check out his bird photography - it's really beautiful.)

• 

• 

• 

Photo Credit Hal Sadofsky via Flickr

One of the best-known traditions began in Windsor, Nova Scotia, where an organized pumpkin boat race was held in 1999. The idea caught on, and pumpkin regattas can now be found in several places across North America.

And yes, giant pumpkins actually float. The combination of their enormous size, thick shell and hollow interior creates enough buoyancy for a person to sit inside and paddle.

Calling them easy to steer, however, would be generou

Why Giant Pumpkins?

The pumpkins used for boat racing aren't the same pumpkins you'd typically carve for Halloween or arrange on a front porch.

Growers raise special giant varieties specifically to reach enormous sizes. Competitive giant-pumpkin growing is its own world, with growers carefully managing seeds, soil, water and nutrients while watching their pumpkins gain extraordinary amounts of weight.

Some giant pumpkins eventually become record contenders.

Some go on display.

And apparently some fulfill their destiny by becoming watercraft.

Which Raises an Important Question...

Would we ever race one of the pumpkins from Blue Cottage Porch?

Probably notOur pumpkins have a much more relaxing retirement plan.

They get to spend fall looking beautiful on Houston porches—stacked with specialty varieties, surrounded by hay bales and corn stalks, and posing for family photos.

No wheels.

No paddles.

No outboard motors.

But we have to admit...

The next time we're unloading pumpkins, there's probably going to be at least one that makes us think: That one looks fast.

Blue Cottage Porch. Bringing a little fall magic to Houston, one pumpkin at a time.