Giant pumpkin growers from around the globe competed Monday at Half Moon Bay’s World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, with one grower from Minnesota earning first place with a pumpkin weighing nearly 2,400 pounds.
The 53rd year of the competition, which growers call the “Super Bowl of Pumpkin Weigh Offs,” attracted growers from the Bay Area and across the country, even including some from Europe. Hundreds of spectators gathered for the championship in downtown Half Moon Bay as growers showed off their best entries in hopes of winning cash prizes.
“Today we celebrate more than just massive gourds,” said Half Moon Bay Mayor Debbie Ruddock. “We celebrate months of early mornings, endless care, a true test of agricultural grit, and the stubborn hope that a seed planted back in the spring can turn into a literal ton of wonder.”
One by one, giant pumpkins were brought out to the scale on forklifts. It took several men to maneuver each pumpkin, wrapping straps across each gourd to create a harness. A thick metal hook dangling from the forklift then attached to the top of the harness, slowly raising the enormous pumpkins in the air as inspectors checked the bottoms for any signs of rotting.
Some attention-grabbing gourds included one named “Tinker Bell,” a pear-shaped orange pumpkin grown by Vince Zunino in Los Altos Hills that won the prize for the most beautiful pumpkin. Brian Christensen of Idaho came in third place with a massive orange and green gourd that weighed 1,873 pounds.
Jake Leonard, a relative newcomer to the world of giant pumpkin growing, came to the contest with a gourd grown out of his backyard in Rocklin, a suburban town near Sacramento. This year’s entry was an all-white, bumpy and wide pumpkin that Leonard could barely see over as he stood behind it.
Audiences got quiet as Leonard’s pumpkin got ready to be weighed. Once the reading of 2,273 pounds popped up on the scale, spectators let out cheers of amazement and awe.
But all eyes were on the gourd of Travis Gienger, a four-time champion of the contest who broke the world record in 2023 with a 2,749-pound pumpkin. That record has since been broken by several growers across the globe.
This year, Gienger was aiming to break a previous record of 2,819 pounds, set by twin brothers from England in 2025. He hoped to reach the 3,000-pound mark with “Rocky,” a white behemoth he drove all the way to Half Moon Bay from his home in Minnesota.
However, that world record was surpassed just a few days ago by Rhode Island grower Ron Wallace with a weighing of 3,156 pounds.
“We came out hoping for a world record and then that got smashed, and boy, I don’t know,” Gienger said on stage to the audience before Rocky’s weight was revealed. “We’ve got big shoes to fill here.”
Dramatic music played before the number on the scale was revealed. Unfortunately, Gienger’s pumpkin fell short of his 2023 record, coming in at 2,389 pounds.
Yet he still won first place, taking home a $21,501 check for a prize of $9 per pound. Second-place finisher Leonard won $3,000 and, in third place, Christensen won $2,500.
Gienger’s first-place win made him a five-time champion of the Half Moon Bay pumpkin weigh-off, adding another championship ring to his hand.
The champion pumpkin will be on display this weekend at the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, happening Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main Street in downtown. Attendees can snap photos with the pumpkin at a special photo booth.
“The pumpkin festival is really, really important to our community,” said Half Moon Bay City Manager Matthew Chidester in a speech. “Thank you for taking the time, coming out and supporting this great event. We do hope you come next weekend.”
