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Nothing is more emblematic of the season quite like round orange pumpkins. They welcome in the harvest season and are more or less the official mascot of the Halloween season, so growing these gourds is some serious business. Growing pumpkins takes some time and when people want to show off they trek their pumpkins on over to one of the biggest annual growing championships around. This time the winning pumpkin was of whooping proportions.

Via: EvgeniiAnd/iStock

In the horticultural world certain competitions are well known and for those who grow pumpkins, the World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off in northern California’s region is considered to be the Super Bowl of pumpkin growing enthusiasts. If you can bring your pumpkin, you are eligible to participate. As the pumpkins were weighed off, anticipation settled in when one participant’s pumpkin made it to the weigh-in.

Via: Local 22 & Local 44/YouTube
Via: Local 22 & Local 44/YouTube

Travis Gienger of Anota Minnesota won the 51st annual competition with a pumpkin weighing in at 2,471 pounds, but he did not break the record which he set in the previous year. Either way, he kept his title and remained undefeated a second year.

Via: Local 22 & Local 44/YouTube

For growing contests, people think that the growing is done in some crazy climate-controlled greenhouse, but this Minnesota native grows it outdoors. As a horticulture teacher, Gienger said that it wasn’t done with fancy equipment, the key, he said, was having healthy soil and having the pumpkin well-fed throughout its growing period.

Via: Local 22 & Local 44/YouTube

Gienger suspects that the unusually cold fall with excessive rain is to blame for his pumpkin’s stunted growth this year, making the victory a slim win, with there only being a six-pound difference between first and second place. Even with no records broken, Gienger said he’s still satisfied with keeping his title as winner and walked away with a cash prize of $22, 239 several thousands shy of his previous $30,000 cash prize. Interviewed, he’s uncertain if he’ll grow another pumpkin the following year, but will consider it after discussing it with his family.