Travis Gienger from Anoka, Minn., stands behind his winning pumpkin at the 49th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Monday.
Haven Daley/AP
Some people turn into temporary pumpkin enthusiasts during the fall season, but for others, their passion for pumpkins is so giant that it draws them to a unique type of competition.
On Monday, the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off commenced for the 49th year in Half Moon Bay, Calif.
The winning gourd weighed in at 2,560 pounds and belonged to Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota. Gienger also took first place in 2020 with a 2,350-pound pumpkin.
The prize pumpkin set a new North American record, according to organizers, but it did not beat the current world record, which was set in 2021 by a 2,703-pound pumpkin in Italy, according to Guinness World Records.
