LAKE Burley Griffin is well known as the training ground for Australian Olympic rowers but the hollowed-out pumpkins racing on its carp-filled waters are unlikely to be a significant challenge in the lead-up to 2016.
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The inaugural pumpkin canoe race only had one starter on Saturday, a 202.5-kilogram monster that came third in Collector's biggest pumpkin competition this month.
Two pumpkins, both place getters in the pumpkin competition, made the trip from the small NSW country town to Canberra.
Race organiser Gary Poile said a 248-kilogram pumpkin that was hollowed out and tested for speed, floatation and maneuverability cracked in two on the way to the nation's capital.
"We had an epic fail at the beginning,'' Mr Poile said. "The whole idea was to test the theory and see how it would go, and one of the first things we learnt was transporting pumpkins didn't work too well.''
The hollowed-out pumpkin spilt down the middle 10 kilometres from the starting line.
"We were down to one pumpkin so it was a one-horse race but the pumpkin that did survive was the smallest.''
There is no art to making a pumpkin canoe. The trial last year involved a 100-kilogram pumpkin and a sheepdog.
"He wasn't having a bar of it, but it's basically cleaning the seeds out and we reduce it by a quarter of it's weight.''
And plans for next year's race and growing competition are well under way.
"[We will] bring them up in one piece and hollow them out and turn them into the boats when we get there, to solve the problem of them breaking on the way.''
But potential entrants need to be aware of the hazards.
''The seagulls and carp were trying to eat it.''
The pumpkins were taken back to Mr Poile's Collector farm and used for stockfeed.
''I don't think it will make an Olympic sport, but it was a laugh.''
