A gardener from Minnesota successfully defended his championship title at the annual pumpkin weigh-off competition held in Northern California on Monday, reigning supreme for the fourth consecutive year with his colossal pumpkin.
According to reports from the Associated Press, at the 51st World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, Travis Gienger from Anoka, Minnesota, clinched the victory with a 6-pound (2.7 kilograms) advantage over his closest competitor.
His winning pumpkin weighed in at 2471 pounds (1121 kilograms), slightly lower than the world record of 2749 pounds (1247 kilograms) he set last year.
The 44-year-old Gienger emphasized the importance of soil health and plant nutrition, but noted that the cold autumn weather and record-breaking rainfall may have impacted the pumpkin’s growth.
Gienger said, “We faced really, really adverse weather conditions, but I somehow kept working at it. I had to work hard for this pumpkin, and in the end, we got it done, although it fell short compared to last year.”
Gienger and his family drove 35 hours to transport this massive pumpkin to California.
He mentioned that the next destination for the giant pumpkin will be Southern California, where a professional carving team will create a 3D sculpture for it as part of Halloween festivities.