2,191-Pound Mega Gourd Takes Top Prize At The "Super Bowl" Of Pumpkin Competitions

For most Americans, fall is synonymous with pumpkins. Some use the fruit to make delicious soups and bread, others to carve out scary jack-o-lanterns. Then there are those that spend months nurturing massive gourds for pumpkin weigh-off contests. Though there are numerous competitions nationwide, the most impressive pumpkins usually end up at the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, CA.

The 48-year-old annual competition — nicknamed the "Super Bowl of Weigh-Offs" — has always been a favorite among pumpkin growers. But it has become even more so after the supermarket chain raised the maximum winnable prize to $30,000 in 2015. To receive the "World Record Prize," competitors have to produce a "World Record Pumpkin." This year, that meant one bigger than the 2,703-pound gourd that set a new world record in Italy in late September 2021. If the competition's heaviest pumpkin weighs less, the owner receives $9 per pound.

This year's event, which took place on October 13, 2021, attracted 58 hefty pumpkins. While 11 weighed over 1,000 pounds, they were no match for the 2,191-pound beauty brought in by 62-year-old Jeff Uhlmeyer. While the gourd was not big enough to earn the "World Record Prize," Uhlmeyer did go home with a respectable $19,719. The Olympia, WA, resident credits the pumpkin's impressive size to "good soil, good seed, and a lot of love."

Second-prize winner Leonardo Urena, from Napa, CA, received $3,000 for his 2,007-pounder and an additional $1000 for submitting the state's largest pumpkin. Fellow Napa resident John Hawkley took third place and received $2,500 for his 1,857-pound entry, while Portola Valley, CA, resident Eric Carlson took home $1000 for bringing in the contest's "Most Beautiful Pumpkin."

The annual weigh-off competition is usually a precursor to the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival. Unfortunately, the popular event has been canceled for the second consecutive year due to the pandemic. Hopefully, the beloved 50-year-old tradition will resume in 2022.

Resources: weighoff.miramarevents.com, www.smdailyjournal.com