A pumpkin weighing over a tonne broke the record for the world’s largest cucurbit in California, earning its grower a $30,000 prize.
The enormous pumpkin, weighing in at 1,247 kg, made a splash on Monday at the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival, near San Francisco, according to a press release from the competition organisers.
Wearing an orange T-shirt for the occasion, grower Travis Gienger raised his arms in triumph at the weigh-in, while amplifiers blasted Queen’s 'We Are The Champions' in the background.
The 50-year-old competition pits mega-gourd growers from all over North America against one other. Gienger’s pumpkin, from Minnesota in the northern USA, outweighed its nearest competitor by over 110 kg.
The previous world record, set in 2021 in Italy, was 1,226 kg.
The triumphant pumpkin will be on display this weekend at the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival.
