MULTIMEDIA: The Stillwater Harvest Fest Pumpkin Regatta

Choppy waters on the St. Croix River made for an interesting second running of the Stillwater Harvest Fest Pumpkin Regatta Saturday afternoon in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 spectators.

Getting the participants into the giant, carved-out pumpkin boats was half the battle.

As Thad Rich and Adam Nyberg attempted to get into their vessels the giant gourds immediately filled with water. But the two racers remained in good spirits, and eventually swam into the submerged boats and paddled their pumpkins all the way to the finish line.

Organizers were able to get Linda Besk and Bob Clark into their vessels while keeping the pumpkin boats afloat.

And the four-realtor race was on.

Besk and Clark battled it out from the gazebo at Lowell Park to the finish line of the Lift Bridge. Officially finishing in a two-way tie, according to Cory Buettner.

Regatta Participants:

• Adam Nyberg of Coldwell Banker
• Thad Rich of RE/MAX
• Linda Besk of Edina Realty
• Bob Clark of Lynskey and Clark Companies
• Peter McNiff of Stillwater Living
• Brad Glynn of Lift Bridge Brewery

St. Croix Scuba in Hudson, Wis. provided safety for the pumpkin regatta.

Eric's Canoe Rental in St. Croix Falls, Wis. provided the paddles, life vests and boating eqipment for the event.

The pumpkins for the regatta were provided by the St. Croix Growers Association.