Wearing wimples, wigs and even a shark head, Belgians hopped into giant floating pumpkins to take part in a relay race across a pond – resurrecting an annual tradition which had been halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To win the curious regatta in the northern town of Kasterlee, teams of four had to be first to race around a hut in the middle of the pond, before driving their paddles into a hollowed-out pumpkin on the opposing shore.

Organizers said the event began as a way of putting the oversized vegetables grown for competitions to good use but that they had been a victim of their own success – many are now too big.

"We have fewer and fewer pumpkins that can be used as a boat. That might be a problem in the coming years," said Paul Boonen, president of the Kasterlee Pumpkin Society.

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The flesh is hollowed out of the giant winter squashes in the morning and turned into soup before the main races – split into children's, women's, men's and mixed competitions.

This year, the race was fully booked in three days with 65 teams of four people signing up – some of whom had traveled especially to take part.

"It's dirty, it's sticky, it's oily and you have the feeling that you may be in the water anytime," said Spanish-born Oscar Guell, 36, who traveled from Brussels for the occasion.