Rebecca Manzi Travis Gienger triumphed for the second consecutive year at the Giant Pumpkin World Championship, with a pumpkin weighing 1,243 kg
@travispumpkins/Instagram
In Half Moon Bay, California, Minnesota farmer Travis Gienger took the top prize for the second year in a row at the 51st edition of the World Championship of Giant Pumpkins with a behemoth of a pumpkin weighing 2,740 pounds.
Though he did not beat his world record from the previous year of a 2,747-pound pumpkin, Gienger still made first place in this prestigious competition. The farmer was paid $4 a pound for his pumpkin, giving him a big cash prize.
Visibly emotional during the ceremony, Gienger said:
“It is incredible to win this event; since we did not get the right weather this year to pull it off, to be on this stage here with family and friends means the world.”
Not having had the perfect weather to grow his giant pumpkin, Gienger said he was able to maximize the biology of his soil, which he believed was the key. His win is not only personal but also for the Minnesota growing community that works hard to find always the best techniques in growing giant pumpkins.
The $30,000 special prize for a new world record was not claimed.
Half Moon Bay is known as the “Pumpkin Capital of the World“, and this event is held annually, gathering a lot of record-breaking giant pumpkin growers throughout the world. This event traditionally uses the largest pumpkins in the world and is one of the very well-developed traditions.
This year was indeed a very competitive event, but Gienger’s pumpkin outdid the rest both in size and weight; his was certainly one of the champions. Well, this time, without beating the world record, Gienger won because of his commitment and enthusiasm regarding such a peculiar type of agriculture.
It was the $30,000 world-record prize that did not go, but for the fact that Travis Gienger was made the overall winner put an indelible mark on that achievement. By his victory, Travis Gienger once again proved to be among the leading actors in the world of giant pumpkins, excelling in this ancient and captivating farming art.
