Missouri man likely squashes world record for longest journey by paddling in pumpkin boat
Steve Kueny, a competitive pumpkin farmer from Lebanon, Missouri, will likely break a Guinness World Record after he paddled 39.17 miles in a 1,280-pound pumpkin named Huckle Berry.
Missouri man sets likely record float in a pumpkin boat
It took 11 hours for Lebanon, Missouri, resident Steve Kueny to squash the Guinness World Records for the longest voyage by pumpkin vessel. His whimsical sense for adventure took him paddling 38 miles in a 1,200-pound pumpkin, which he named Huckle Berry, along the Missouri River.
LEBANON, Mo. – After an arduous journey of 11 hours on the winding Missouri River, will likely be crowned for the longest journey by padding in a pumpkin boat.
Steve Kueny, a competitive pumpkin farmer from Lebanon, Missouri, will likely break a Guinness World Record after he paddled 39.17 miles in a 1,280-pound pumpkin named Huckle Berry.
As the sun rose Monday on the mouth of the Kansas River, Kueny departed in his homemade vessel and eventually came ashore in Napoleon, Missouri.
"The weather was absolutely perfect, and that was really just mostly luck," he added. "It was, I think, high mid-70s, not a cloud in the sky, not a great deal of wind … just blue skies and calm waters. So it was perfect."
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On Monday morning, Kueny set sail in his homemade boat from the Kansas River and eventually landed in Napoleon, Missouri.
(Warson Media)
Kueny said he grew his largest pumpkin ever in 150 days, aided by this year's weather.
Pumpkins require consistent moisture to thrive. If the soil is too wet, diseases and fungus can become a problem. If the soil is too dry, the pumpkins won't grow properly. Kueny said this year saw favorable conditions for pumpkin growth.
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![Steve Kueny, a competitive pumpkin farmer from Lebanon, Missouri, will break a Guinness World Record by paddling 39.17 miles in a 1,280-pound pumpkin named Huckle Berry.]()
Image 1 of 4Steve Kueny, a competitive pumpkin farmer from Lebanon, Missouri, will break a Guinness World Record by paddling 39.17 miles in a 1,280-pound pumpkin named Huckle Berry. (Warson Media)
![Steve Kueny, a competitive pumpkin farmer from Lebanon, Missouri, will break a Guinness World Record by paddling 39.17 miles in a 1,280-pound pumpkin named Huckle Berry.]()
Image 2 of 4Steve Kueny, a competitive pumpkin farmer from Lebanon, Missouri, will break a Guinness World Record by paddling 39.17 miles in a 1,280-pound pumpkin named Huckle Berry. (Warson Media)
![Steve Kueny, a competitive pumpkin farmer from Lebanon, Missouri, will break a Guinness World Record by paddling 39.17 miles in a 1,280-pound pumpkin named Huckle Berry.]()
Image 3 of 4Steve Kueny, a competitive pumpkin farmer from Lebanon, Missouri, will break a Guinness World Record by paddling 39.17 miles in a 1,280-pound pumpkin named Huckle Berry. (Warson Media)
![Steve Kueny, a competitive pumpkin farmer from Lebanon, Missouri, will break a Guinness World Record by paddling 39.17 miles in a 1,280-pound pumpkin named Huckle Berry.]()
Image 4 of 4Steve Kueny, a competitive pumpkin farmer from Lebanon, Missouri, will break a Guinness World Record by paddling 39.17 miles in a 1,280-pound pumpkin named Huckle Berry. (Warson Media)
"It was pretty dry to start out, but you can always bring in supplemental water when you are just growing two or three plants," he said. "We didn't have any extreme storms or hail that can ruin your season. So the weather was good to us this year, and we had a personal best – heaviest pumpkin I've grown – and we were able to do something fun with it."
Kueny credits the previous record holder, Duane Hansen of Nebraska City, Nebraska, for inspiring him. Hansen paddled 37.5 miles in his 846-pound pumpkin in August 2022.
"You know, other people are going to try and break that record, and they just might do it," he said. "But, 38-39 miles, I thought, I can do that in a day."