Winner Travis Gienger from Anoka, Minnesota, posed with his giant pumpkin at the 50th annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off on October 9, 2023 in Half Moon Bay, California.Photo:Liu Guanguan/China News Service/VCG via Getty
Liu Guanguan/China News Service/VCG via Getty
A Minnesota man’s special pumpkin will have you saying, “Oh my gourd.”
The 2,749-pound jack-o’-lantern gourd took first place in the50th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Offin Half Moon Bay, California. The previous record was 2,702 pounds, set in 2021.
A representative for Guinness World Records did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Gienger, a 43-year-old horticulture teacher, told KSTP that he named the pumpkin “Michael Jordan” because “it’s the year [20]23… and he’s the greatest basketball player of all time.”
He added, “It started out basketball round, and I said this is going to be a perfectly round basketball-shaped pumpkin.”
Travis Gienger’s pumpkin weighed in at 2,749 pounds at the 50th annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off on October 9, 2023 in Half Moon Bay, California.Liu Guanguan/China News Service/VCG via Getty
The weigh-off winner took home $30,000 for his first-place finish, double what he spent on caring for the gourd,according to Bay City News.
“I was not expecting that. It was quite the feeling,” Gienger told the AP about his record-breaking pumpkin, which will stay on display in Half Moon Bay along with the runners-up through next weekend. “I put in the work so that I can put a smile on people’s faces and it’s just so nice coming out here to see everyone in this town.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
While only one person can win first prize, others, like runner-up Nick Kennedy, are just happy to be involved.
source: people.com
