AssetID: 53117367
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Gourdzilla! Record-Breaking Pumpkin Named World's Largest Ever At California Weigh-Off
Caption: At the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California on Monday (09October203) a colossal pumpkin broke the world record, tipping the scales at a staggering 2,749 pounds - becoming the world’s largest. Travis Gienger from Minnesota, the defending champion of Half Moon Bay, who previously established the North American record in the 2022 competition, is the mastermind behind this 'Godzilla gourd'. Travis and pumpkin fans were stunned and delighted that the prior world record of 2,702 pounds, set in 2021 during a competition in Italy, had been beaten. As a reward for his victory, Travis will receive $9 for each pound of his winning pumpkin and an additional $30,000 bonus for breaking the world record, according to the event's organisers. In addition, the champion of this year's contest will be awarded a prestigious ring akin to those bestowed upon World Series, Super Bowl, and NBA champions. The renowned contest, showcasing some of the largest gourds globally, marks the beginning of a week filled with festivities and events leading up to the 51st annual Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival scheduled for the upcoming weekend. In the previous year's competition, Travis’s pumpkin weighed an impressive 2,560 pounds and established a North American record that has now also been surpassed by his world beating mark. This year's competition also recognised various cash prizes in several categories, including the most aesthetically pleasing pumpkin, the largest pumpkin from California, and the largest Coastside pumpkin. Ron Root and Nick Kennedy triumphed in the California category, with a pumpkin grown in the state that weighed 2,497 pounds.
Keywords: pumpkin,weigh-off,california,minnesota,gourds,vegetables,autumn,october,halloween,offbeat,growing
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