According to the Floatzilla Facebook page, 225 paddlers were signed up on August 2, just 19 days before the event. Venture Outdoors records show that two weeks prior to their attempt, 1,105 were registered—the exact number needed to break the record.

“We wish them luck, of course,” said Jon Lucadamo, Program Director at Venture Outdoors and one of the masterminds behind Venture Outdoors’ June 5 attempt. “But we also really wouldn’t mind if our record stuck on the books for a while.”

Floatzilla’s official website, www.floatzilla.org, features a shout-out to Pittsburgh for “raising the bar.” Linking to the time-lapse photography of paddlers merging together and scattering when the rain starts, the site author wrote,

“If you care to see what a world record attempt looks like just check out this video of Paddle at the Point.”

Darn right! Paddle at the Point and Floatzilla originally set out to beat the same record: 1,104 canoes and kayaks set in 2008 in Inlet, New York. Cross your fingers for the Midwest as they set out to raise the bar even further in the coming week!

She participated in Paddle at the Point and sent a first hand account to National Geographic, who published it on their Intelligent Travel blog.

Check out the full post here: http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2010/06/christine-otoole-is-a-feature.html

Thanks Christine for joining the fun and sharing your perspective!

Currently over 1,300 boats and many more people are signed up to help break a World Record on the waters of Downtown Pittsburgh. If you’re keeping track, YES, that’s more then the previous records set in New York and Cleveland! Great job everyone!

Registrations are still rolling in, and we hope you’ll keep spreading the word. We’re aiming to break the record by several hundred; we want Pittsburgh’s World Record to last!

The photo below is our guess at what 1500 kayaks and canoes might look like clustered just off Point State Park. We can’t wait to see the real thing! Dust off those life jackets and paddles, and get ready for an impressive world record attempt. Saturday, June 5th will be here before you know it!

“Having Pittsburgh named as Most Livable City once again is a testament to our region’s environmental and economic transformation,” said the Mayor.  “Paddle at the Point demonstrates our return to the rivers as a destination for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and relaxation.  What a better way to demonstrate this than by rallying our citizens at our remarkable rivers to help the City of Champions break a world record.”

After that registrations really started rolling in. Wednesday we passed 700 and by the end of the day Friday–800!

Right now we’re closing in on 900 participants! Great job spreading the word, lets keep this momentum going! Paddle at the Point is just three short weeks and a few hundred people away from setting a new world record!

“Having Pittsburgh named as Most Livable City once again is a testament to our region’s environmental and economic transformation,” said the Mayor.  “Paddle at the Point demonstrates our return to the rivers as a destination for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and relaxation.  What a better way to demonstrate this than by rallying our citizens at our remarkable rivers to help the City of Champions break a world record.”

June 5 is World Environment Day (WED), and signifies the conclusion of a six-week period of regional events and activities focusing on environmental issues.  The local theme for WED is Water Matters! …to health, energy, the environment, AND recreation.

The Guinness World Record™ for Largest Raft of Canoes/Kayaks was most recently set by 1,104 boats in Inlet, New York, and previously held by Cleveland. Paddle at the Point will take place at the confluence of Pittsburgh’s three rivers.

Late in the morning on June 5, kayakers and canoers will launch their boats from convenient locations downtown and form a raft near Point State Park. Once arranged, each participant will pull up his or her paddle and hold onto an adjacent boat for 30 seconds—long enough to satisfy the record’s time requirement, and long enough for a photographer to get an aerial view for the photograph to be seen around the world on World Environment Day.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, said, “Western Pennsylvania, we need your help!  If you have a canoe or kayak, or if you know someone with a canoe or kayak, please register and bring it down to the Point on June 5.  Let’s show New York and Cleveland that we have what it takes to break the record!”

Individuals are asked to pre-register at www.paddleatthepoint.com and are encouraged to bring their own canoe or kayak. Boat rentals are also available but in limited supply.  Registration is free.  Experience is not necessary to participate in the event.

For every boat registered, participants will be entered to win drawings for Steelers, Penguins and Pirates tickets, and tickets from the Pittsuburgh Cultural Trust,  plus Season Passes to Kayak Pittsburgh!  The more boats a person brings, the better the chances to win!

Participants will receive a frameable certificate when the attempt is complete. For updates, to register, and to learn more, visit www.paddleatthepoint.com. For a complete listing of WED events, visit www.pittsburghwed.com.

Download the 11×17 poster

Download the 8.5×11 poster

Yep, if you’re doing the math,  that means we are just six short weeks away from our Guinness World Record ^TM attempt.

We still need your help to spread the word. Recruit your friends, tell your parents to join or bring the kids, this event is open to everyone and requires no paddling experience.

For a complete listing of World Environment Day events, visit www.pittsburghWED.com.

Organizers of World Environment Day announced this year’s theme – Watter Matters, along with the 6-week schedule of  events at a press conference yesterday in Downtown Pittsburgh. Read the full article about the announcement by clicking on the link below.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10071/1042148-28.stm

For a full list of World Environment Day media coverage, click here.