2,749-pound pumpkin breaks world record at California weigh-off

Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A Minnesota farmer's 2,749-pound pumpkin took the top spot at the 50th annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., and broke a world record in the process.

Travis Gienger claimed his third victory in the California competition with a pumpkin he named Michael Jordan. He previously won in 2022 with a 2,560-pound pumpkin named Maverick and in 2020 with a 2,350-pound gourd named Tiger King.

Gienger's previous pumpkins broke national records, but his latest effort took the Guinness World Record for largest pumpkin from a 2,702-pounder grown by Italian farmer Stefano Cutrupi in 2021.

Gienger said feeding and caring for Michael Jordan cost him about $15,000 since being planted April 10.

The grower said his $30,000 prize for winning the weigh-off will go toward growing his next pumpkin.

Gienger previously earned a Guinness World Records title when he carved his 2022 pumpkin into the world's largest jack-o'-lantern.