Travis Gienger took home the top prize at the Half Moon Bay competition (Credit: weighoff.miramarevents.com/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

Every October, farmers across the US harvest millions of pumpkins. Some make it to the dinner table in the form of delicious soups or pies. Others get transformed into spooky jack-o'-lanterns. Then there are the select few whose only purpose is to win weigh-off contests. There are numerous such competitions held nationwide. However, the most impressive mega gourds typically end up at the annual "Super Bowl" of pumpkin weigh-offs in Half Moon Bay, CA.

The competition, which marked its 52nd year on October 14, 2024, has always been popular among master pumpkin growers. However, it has become even more so since 2015, when the prize money for the ten heaviest pumpkins was raised to $9 per pound. Safeway, the contest's sponsor, also increased the maximum prize to $30,000.

To win this “World Record Prize,” competitors must present a “World Record Pumpkin.” In 2024, this meant beating the 2023 winner and current world record holder: a 2,749-pound (1,246 kg) pumpkin named "Michael Jordan." It was grown by Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Anoka, Minnesota.

Gienger's pumpkin weighed 2,471 pounds (Credit: weighoff.miramarevents.com/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

This year, Gienger's entry, named "Rudy," weighed a "mere" 2,471 pounds (1,120 kg). But it was heavy enough to win him the competition for the third consecutive year and fourth time overall. In addition to a cash prize of $22,239, Gienger also received the Pumpkin King Champions Ring and two nights at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Half Moon Bay.

Second-prize winner Brandon Dawson from Santa Rosa, CA, received $3,000 for his 2,465-pound (1,118 kg) beauty. He took home an additional $1,000 for submitting the largest pumpkin from California. The third and fourth-place winners received $2,500 and $1,000 for their gourds. Both pumpkins weighed over 2,000 pounds (907 kg).

The four winning pumpkins were displayed at the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival on October 19 and 20, 2024. Gienger then took Rudy to Southern California, where it was transformed into a spectacular 3D carving for a Halloween event.

Resources: weighoff.miramarevents.com, CBSnews.com, SFgate.com