HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — Rocky, a colossal pumpkin from Minnesota, captured the top prize at Northern California’s annual giant pumpkin weigh-off after reaching 2,389 pounds (1,083 kilograms). The winning weight, however, was well below a potential world record set only days earlier in Rhode Island.
Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher, transported the enormous gourd across the country and claimed the Half Moon Bay title for the fifth time. His victory over dozens of competitors earned him $21,501 in prize money.
Gienger was forced to sit out last year after his pumpkin split while it was still growing. Determined to return with a champion, he named this season’s entry Rocky, a nod to the fictional boxer portrayed by Sylvester Stallone.
“Five-time champion, that’s what we came here to do,” Gienger said after securing the win.
[h2]A fierce season for giant-pumpkin records[/h2]The competition for the world’s heaviest pumpkin has intensified this year. On Saturday, Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island, appeared to establish a new record at a New England contest with a 3,156-pound (1,431.5-kilogram) squash—roughly the weight of three concert grand pianos. Guinness World Records has not yet certified the result and currently lists a 2,857-pound (1,296-kilogram) pumpkin grown by Ian Paton of Lymington, England. Paton’s mark had been set just a few days earlier.
“My hat’s off to him, that’s a big pumpkin,” Gienger said of Wallace’s massive entry.
According to competition organizer Ronan Fowler, Gienger raises his pumpkins in a backyard patch in Anoka, Minnesota, a city along the Mississippi River north of Minneapolis. This year, freezing temperatures posed an added challenge. Gienger said that if he wants to compete at an even higher level, he may eventually need to grow his pumpkins in a climate-controlled setting.
“The fact that Travis can weather the elements, like 30-degree weather, and still grow this massive pumpkin is pretty unbelievable,” Fowler said.
[h2]Half Moon Bay’s pumpkin tradition reaches 53 years[/h2]Gienger and his family spent 35 hours driving to California, carefully hauling the small-car-sized pumpkin to the contest.
Hundreds of spectators attended the 53rd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, which featured food trucks, live music and plenty of pumpkin-themed humor. Earlier, the audience cheered when Tinkerbell, an exceptionally symmetrical pumpkin, won the award for the festival’s prettiest entry.
The contest pays $9 for every pound, putting Gienger’s winnings at $21,501. Rocky will also appear in a parade through Half Moon Bay this weekend. Gienger narrowly missed a separate $30,000 bonus reserved for a new world-record pumpkin.
Despite their spectacular size, these pumpkins are cultivated for weight rather than taste—which means the festival ended without any giant pumpkin pies.
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