A huge gathering of 1,440 paddlers has officially set a new Guinness World Records title for the Largest Paddle Craft Party. The record was achieved by Adventure Crew on the Ohio River in Cincinnati, USA, on August 1, bringing together an enormous mix of stand up paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and other paddle craft.
The record attempt formed part of the 25th anniversary of Ohio River Paddlefest, an annual celebration which sees paddlers take over a section of the Ohio River through Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
And this year, they went big.
A total of 1,440 people successfully took part in the record-breaking gathering, with Guinness World Records now officially recognising Adventure Crew as the holder of the Largest Paddle Craft Party title.
25 Years of Paddlefest
The world record provided a fitting way to celebrate a quarter of a century of Ohio River Paddlefest.
What began as a community paddling event has developed into a major annual gathering, bringing SUP paddlers, kayakers and canoeists together on the river.
For its 25th anniversary, the event also expanded its traditional racing format with a 15.5-mile course, created in collaboration with Adventure Crew, The Explore Kentucky Initiative and USA SUP.
Paddlefest is organised by Adventure Crew, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit focused on connecting young people with outdoor recreation and helping make activities such as paddling more accessible.
Seeing 1,440 paddlers together on one stretch of river is impressive enough – officially becoming a Guinness World Record holder makes the 25th edition one that Paddlefest won’t forget anytime soon.
Congratulations to everyone who got on the water and helped make it happen.