HALF MOON BAY, Calif.—A 2,560-pound pumpkin named “Maverick” set a new North American record on a foggy Monday at the 2022 Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off contest in Half Moon Bay, Calif. on Oct. 10. The weigh-in reward was $9 per pound, so the winner took home $23,040 for this behemoth.
“At first I expected more, but I’m super thankful that it’s the North American record,” said the owner of the champion pumpkin Travis Gienger from Anoka, Minn. For him, it’s not just 180 days of labor taking care of the pumpkin—he spent 35 hours of driving and $1,100 of gas to transport it for the contest….