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WHEN you think of pumpkins, you probably picture a cozy autumn scene with lots of candles and stormy weather or maybe the pumpkin spice lattes making their return at the local coffee chains. But what if I told you one pumpkin has grown so large it’s breaking world records? People say you are what you eat but in this case, it looks like the pumpkin ate a hippopotamus. Could this really be true? Does the world's largest pumpkin actually weigh as much as a hippo? Verdict: TRUE In October 2023, Travis Gienger, a Minnesota-based grower, made headlines with a pumpkin so enormous it could have been mistaken for a hippo on a Halloween prowl.
Weighing a staggering 1,247 kilograms (2,749 pounds), this Gargantuan gourd set a new world record for the heaviest pumpkin ever grown. According to Al Jazeera, this pumpkin outclassed the previous record holder by about 21 kilograms (47 pounds), making it a true heavyweight champion in the pumpkin-growing world. If pumpkins could flex, this one would be showing off at the gym and hogging the mirror.
The giant squash, affectionately named "Michael Jordan" by Gienger (after the famed basketball player, of course), was unveiled at the 50th Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California. According to USA Today, Gienger is no stranger to the pumpkin spotlight. In fact, this was his fourth win at the weigh-off, and his previous pumpkins have consistently impressed - though none quite like this beast.
Gienger's journey to pumpkin greatness isn't just about seeds and sunshine. Growing a pumpkin of this magnitude requires major dedication, patience, and just a little bit of magic. According to BBC News, Gienger attributed much of his success to finding the right combination of weather conditions and the sheer size of his gardening space.
He described it as more of an art form than a science, with every grower striving to create the perfect conditions to coax out the biggest possible pumpkin. So, just how big is a 1,247-kg pumpkin? Well, according to Free Malaysia Today, it’s about the size of a fully grown hippo! While hippos may not have the same autumnal charm, the comparison definitely helps put this pumpkin's incredible size into perspective. Gienger’s gourd isn’t just massive; it’s a testament to the wonders of nature - and to one man’s tenacity.
One could say that Gienger has truly squashed the competition (pun absolutely intended). Transporting such a hefty vegetable is no small feat either. Gienger had to haul the goliath pumpkin over 3,300 kilometers (2,000 miles) from Minnesota to California.
As Al Jazeera mentions, the logistics of moving something that weighs as much as a small car was a challenge in itself, but Gienger was clearly up to the task. The effort paid off, both in terms of prestige and prize money, as his winning pumpkin earned him a sweet $30,000 in prize winnings. Despite the triumph, Gienger isn’t resting on his pumpkin-growing laurels.
According to USA Today, he's already thinking about next year’s competition and whether he can break his own record. It’s hard to imagine a pumpkin even bigger than "Michael Jordan," but if anyone can do it, it's Gienger. The world will be watching (and weighing) to see if he can go even bigger this year! REFERENCES https://www.
bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67070839 https://www.usatoday.
com/story/news/nation/2023/10/10/see-the-world-record-heaviest-pumpkin-california-travis-gienger/71127857007/ https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2023/10/12/oh-my-gourd-hippo-sized-pumpkin-is-worlds-biggest/ https://www.
aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/11/pumpkin-weighing-as-much-as-a-hippo-named-the-worlds-heaviest#:~:text=Minnesota%20grower%20Travis%20Gienger%20squashes,pound%20.
