On Monday, October 12th, giant pumpkin growers gathered in Northern California to participate in the annual pumpkin weigh-off competition, vying for the top prize and aiming to challenge the world record set just last week in the UK.
According to the Associated Press, spokesperson Ronan Fowler stated that at least 30 giant pumpkin growers signed up to participate in the 53rd World Pumpkin Weigh-Off, held in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco.
Among the participants is four-time champion Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota. Gienger’s winning streak was abruptly halted last year when his pumpkin ruptured during the growing season, preventing him from competing.
Fowler introduced that Gienger faces the challenge of temperatures dropping below freezing this year, but the giant pumpkins he has cultivated are massive and have the potential to challenge the world record.
Fowler revealed last week that Gienger and his father planned to take turns driving over 30 hours through the weekend to transport this pumpkin, comparable in size to a small car, to California.
The current world record is held by Ian Paton from Lymington on England’s southern coast, with a giant pumpkin weighing 2857 pounds (1296 kilograms). This weight surpasses the total weight of two and a half concert grand pianos.
Fowler explained that Paton grew his giant pumpkin in a greenhouse, while Gienger conducted his cultivation in a pumpkin patch in his backyard in Anoka, north of Minneapolis along the Mississippi River.
“Travis Gienger’s ability to withstand harsh weather conditions – such as temperatures dipping down to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately -1 degree Celsius) – and cultivate such massive pumpkins is simply incredible,” the spokesperson said.
Brandon Dawson from Santa Rosa, California, will also compete; he claimed the crown last year with a giant pumpkin weighing 2346 pounds (1064 kilograms).
This year’s pumpkin champion will receive a prize of $9 per pound, and the enormous pumpkins will also be showcased in the parade activities happening in Half Moon Bay this weekend. If the world record is broken, the champion will receive an additional $30,000 prize.
Monday’s celebration will kick off the city’s autumn festival, with pumpkin carving artist Mike Valladao making a special appearance.
Unfortunately, the primary purpose of cultivating these giant pumpkins is their massive size rather than taste, so at the end of the festival, everyone will not have the chance to taste giant pumpkin pie.