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Giant Pumpkins Battle for Heavyweight Glory and the World Record in California – WTOP News
At least 30 growers will compete for $9 per pound and a $30,000 bonus if they beat the new world record.
On Monday, at least 30 growers gathered in Half Moon Bay for the 53rd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, competing for the top prize while aiming to surpass a world record set last week in England.
Among competitors is four-time champion Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota, who returned after his winning streak ended last year when his pumpkin broke while growing. Gienger and his father drove 30 hours over the weekend to deliver his entry.
Winners earn $9 per pound of pumpkin, with an additional $30,000 prize available for any entry that breaks the world record. These massive gourds are grown specifically for size, not flavor, so no giant pumpkin pies will be served.
Defending champion Brandon Dawson of Santa Rosa, California, who won last year with a 2,346-pound pumpkin at the Safeway 52nd annual weigh-off, returns to compete this year.
Ian Paton of Lymington, England, set the current world record last week with a 2,857-pound giant squash. Event spokesman Ronan Fowler noted these gourds exceed the weight of two and a half concert grand pianos.