Wisconsin Man's Unusual Mode Of Transport
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We have heard of pumpkins being used to make pies, Jack-O-Lanterns and even a temporary coach to transport Cinderella to the ball, but a canoe? - That is definitely a first.
However, that is the exactly the mode of transportation Wisconsin resident JR Hildebrandt has chosen, for his trek down the Wisconsin River. Hildebrandt who embarked on his eight-day, 150-mile journey on October 9th, is doing this to raise money for a charity that sends kids with special needs on memorable trips, like Disneyland, NASCAR races or even cruises to exotic places like Jamaica .
JR rows during the day and spends the nights on land, with the 'canoe' docked at pre-determined locations.
The pumpkin chosen for this special trip is a 760-pound gourd that JR painstakingly carved, to make room for him, a chair and a little heater. A small board had been placed at the bottom to stabilize the vehicle.
This is not the first time JR has been on a pumpkin canoe. For the past few years, he has been the winner of Wisconsin's Nekoosa Great Pumpkin race, completing the 300-yard course in as little as ten minutes.
While this trek is about 900 times longer than that, JR is confident he will be successful. His only concern? - How smelly the 'canoe' will become in the next few days.
Sources:BBC.com, Telegraph.co.uk
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40 Comments
- Michaelaover 13 yearsI learned from this story that they had a race and raised money for charity, to send people with special needs to places like Disneyland, NASCAR races, and Jamaica.
- Nikoleover 13 yearsThat is so awesome!!!!!!! Riding in a pumpkin is really unusual but it looks so scary and fun at the same time. I would want to try that some time.
- Briannaover 13 yearswow.. i could not imagine somebody riding on a pumpkin in the river i would be really scared to go on it .. like what if u drown.??? i would not take that risk... so i learned it is possible to ride in a pumkin down a river .. :)
- Cameronover 13 yearsI learned that you can transport to other places than just driving or flying there, you can canoe on a pumpkin. I didn't know that there was a pumpkin race in Wisconsin that you can do. I would also like to try that, it would be fun to do.
- Laquilaover 13 yearsTwo things that I learned are that a pumkin can actually be 760 pounds,and that the pumpkin didn't melt becuase I thought the heater would've melter thye pumking a little and make it stink like he said.
- Rubyover 13 yearsToday I learned that JR Hildebrandt has won a pumpkin race, that was about 300 yards and he finished in about 10 minutes.
- caelanover 13 yearsi learned that people make races for pumkins
- Stephenover 13 yearsI didn't know that people can carve a pumpkin into a canoe.
- Lukeover 13 yearsI learned that pumpkins can be a canoe, to add to this i wonder why people would build such a thing, but to conclude that statement the pumpkin would soon smell and they would to find a new one, where would you find one?
- randyover 13 yearshe can canoe down a river with a pumpkin, whats next a corn cob