Pumpkin fever swept California Monday as the \u201cWorld Pumpkin Capital\u201d hosted its iconic contest of gargantuan gourds.<\/p>\n
The 53rd Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off<\/a> culminated in a massive victory for Minnesota grower Travis Gienger, who won the competition with a Volkswagen-sized orange <\/a>behemoth,\u00a0weighing nearly 2,389 pounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n The competition, dubbed as the \u201cSuper Bowl of Weigh-Offs,\u201d drew pumpkin growers to Half Moon Bay<\/a> from across the country.<\/p>\n Travis Gienger, of Anoka, Minn., poses for photos with his pumpkin that won first place at the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Half Moon Bay. AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu<\/p>\n Giant pumpkins are lined up for the 53rd annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off. Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p>\n People take photos with the winning pumpkin. AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu<\/p>\n Gienger, who has previously won the event four times, hauled his massive pumpkin 2,150 miles across the country to participate in the competition and win $21,501 as prize money.<\/p>\n He said that transporting a gourd weighing well over a ton was a nerve-wracking drive through tough terrain and mountain passes across state lines.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was stressful, you know. You\u2019re white-knuckling it and then going through Tahoe,\u201d Gienger told CBS News.<\/a> \u201cYou got all the trucker bumps, and yeah, it\u2019s an incredible journey.\u201d <\/p>\n Gienger said that transporting a gourd weighing well over a ton was a nerve-wracking drive through tough terrain and mountain passes across state lines. Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p>\n According to the official rules<\/a>, the 2026 champion will earn $9 per pound, along with the coveted Pumpkin King Champion Ring, Mel Mello Sr. Grand Champion Growers Jacket and other honors. <\/p>\n Gienger\u2019s grueling road trip paid off as his gargantuan gourd secured him another championship ring at Half Moon Bay. He had also set the world record in 2023 at the competition with a 2,749-pound pumpkin.<\/p>\n Brandon Dawson of California\u2019s Santa Rosa had won the competition last year with his 2,346-pound champion pumpkin.<\/p>\n Dozens of pumpkin growers competed Monday to see who grew the heaviest pumpkin of the season. Getty Images<\/p>\n The 2026 champion earned $9 per pound, along with the coveted Pumpkin King Champion Ring, Mel Mello Sr. Grand Champion Growers Jacket and other honors. AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu<\/p>\n The current official world record for the heaviest pumpkin stands at an astounding 2,819 pounds, 4 ounces, set by twin brothers Ian and Stuart Paton in England in 2025.<\/p>\n Half Moon Bay\u2019s legendary weigh-off traces its roots back to 1974, beginning as a friendly rivalry with Circleville, Ohio. Half Moon Bay won that inaugural showdown with a pumpkin weighing just 132 pounds. <\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t
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