Giant Pumpkins Vie for World Record in California Competition

Giant pumpkin growers and their massive gourds are converging in Northern California for the 53rd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay. The event, held annually south of San Francisco, features at least 30 growers competing for the top prize and a chance to break the world record.

Among the competitors is four-time champion Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota. Gienger's winning streak ended last year when his pumpkin broke during growth, but he is back this year with a gourd so large it could contend for a world record, according to event spokesman Ronan Fowler. Despite facing temperatures below freezing during its growth, Gienger's pumpkin is substantial. Gienger and his father undertook a 30-hour drive over the weekend to transport the pumpkin, described as the size of a small car, to California.

The current world record was set last week in England by Ian Paton, of Lymington, whose giant squash weighed 2,857 pounds (1,296 kilograms). Paton cultivates his giant gourds in a greenhouse, contrasting with Gienger's backyard pumpkin patch in Anoka, Minnesota.

Brandon Dawson of Santa Rosa, California, who won the top prize last year with a pumpkin weighing 2,346 pounds (1,064 kilograms), is also participating. The winner of this year's contest will receive $9 per pound of pumpkin. An additional prize of $30,000 is available for breaking the world record. The festivities on Monday will also include an appearance by pumpkin carver Mike Valladao and mark the beginning of the city's fall celebration.

These giant pumpkins are cultivated for size rather than flavor, meaning no giant pumpkin pies will be made from the competition entries.