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Pumpkin fever swept California Monday as the “World Pumpkin Capital” hosted its iconic contest of gargantuan gourds.
The 53rd Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off culminated in a massive victory for Minnesota grower Travis Gienger, who won the competition in with a Volkswagen-sized orange behemoth, weighing nearly 2,389 pounds.
The competition, dubbed as the “Super Bowl of Weigh-Offs,” drew pumpkin growers to Half Moon Bay from across the country.
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.
He said that transporting a gourd weighing well over half a ton was a nerve-wracking drive through tough terrain and mountain passes across state lines.
“It was stressful, you know. You’re white-knuckling it and then going through Tahoe,” Gienger told CBS News. “You got all the trucker bumps, and yeah, it’s an incredible journey.”
According to the official rules, 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.
Gienger’s 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.
Brandon Dawson of California’s Santa Rosa had won the competition last year with his 2,346 lb champion pumpkin.
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.
Half Moon Bay’s 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.