Sports

In fall, a young man’s thoughts turn to boating in a pumpkin

Bob CollinsBob Collins Oct 17, 2016
6

You have to give a nod to Rick Swenson, 35, of Fergus Falls, who found inspiration watching a giant pumpkin dropped onto a car in Lancaster, Minn., some time ago.

And who can blame him? Who wouldn’t be inspired by this?

“We’ve always been good friends, but we go back and forth a bit,” Swenson tells the Grand Forks Herald. “I sat down last spring and thought, ‘How am I going to one-up him?’ ”

So he grew a big pumpkin, starting as seeds last March, and culminating with a 13 1/2-hour paddling expedition on Saturday from Grand Forks to Oslo, Minn.

In the pumpkin.

“I’m glad we did it,” he said. “It’s something goofy to do and have a fun time.”

Video here.