It was a race that made New Zealand history, as two men triumphantly paddled across a Hamilton lake in giant pumpkins this afternoon.
The maiden voyage of the over-sized orange vegetables was the brainchild of Morrinsville man Tim Harris to promote the city's Great Pumpkin Carnival this weekend.
While pumpkin rowing isn't well known to most Kiwis, it is a popular sport in the United States, where Mr Harris came across the idea.
Today he hollowed out a 550kg pumpkin, which he has been growing since October, and lowered it into Hamilton Gardens Turtle Lake by tractor before jumping onboard and paddling frantically across the water.
He roped in friend Sam Elton-Walters to be his competitor.