Cincinnati is linked to dozens of world records: fastest baseball pitch, largest square dance, most photos of hot dogs uploaded to Instagram in one hour, to name a few. Now, a local event is looking to set another.
Ohio River Paddlefest organizers will attempt to set the Guinness World Records title for “Largest Paddle Craft Party” during this year’s event on Aug. 1.
“We really wanted to go big and do something fun for our 25th anniversary,” said Communications and Events Manager Shauna Steigerwald.
The annual paddling celebration started in 2001 after founder Brewster Rhoads and a few friends came up with the idea to organize a paddle on the Ohio River. Every August, people paddle either 4.5 or 9 miles in kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards and the river closes to motorized traffic.
To achieve the record, Paddlefest must surpass 1,105 human-powered watercraft on the river simultaneously for at least 15 minutes.
“The other rule is that it needs to have certain party elements, like music, refreshments or games, and those can be either on the water or on the shore,” Steigerwald said.
She says there will be a Guinness World Records adjudicator on site to observe the attempt.
Steigerwald says Paddlefest is already recognized as the nation’s largest paddling celebration. She says she hopes attempting to set the world record will encourage even more people to participate.
“We also thought it could bring a lot of great attention to Cincinnati, to the community, just getting people out together to paddle on the Ohio River, which is so important to our region,” Steigerwald said.
More than 700 people have already signed up for this year's event. Up to 1,800 people have participated in past years.
Paddlefest is organized by and supports Adventure Crew, a nonprofit that connects city teens in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky with nature and each other through engaging outdoor adventures.
Read more: