Bound for gourd glory

A 1,205-pound pumpkin was the largest contender at the fourth annual pumpkin regatta

By Jennifer Clampet

The Times, Nov 1, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

John Lariviere / For The Times

OUT OF THEIR GOURDS — Brian Reid, of Klamath Falls, rowed his giant pumpkin to a first place finish in the growers’ race at Tualatin’s fourth annual West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta Saturday.

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TUALATIN – Dave Jeans, of Sherwood, helped to haul containers full of pumpkin shells and innards Saturday in hopes that he’d earn a tip of some sort.

As the growers with Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers dug into their giant pumpkins, Jeans lingered close to the edge of the Lake of the Commons. His eyes scanned the surface of the cold water, but he knew there’d be nothing to fish out later.

The growers were careful. As the stringy, orange guts were scooped into buckets, the growers didn’t drop a single seed.

Helping to dump the unwanted pumpkin insides into a nearby Dumpster, Jeans had hoped to find at least one seed in all the refuge. But he didn’t.

Standing next to the water again, Jeans watched as the growers began to wedge themselves into their pumpkin boats.

“They didn’t drop a single seed,” Jeans said as disappointment crept across his face. “I was hoping for at least one… I just might grow (a giant pumpkin) next year. You might see a 72-year-old man out here with his paddle next year.”

Between 1,500 and 2,000 people showed up for the fourth annual West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta in Tualatin on Saturday.

And while most people crowded along the water’s edge angling for a good view of the odd pumpkin boat races, some, like Jeans, stood even closer to the carving area hoping to grab up a seed or two.

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