Reigning world champion Minnesota pumpkin grower claims another win with 2,471-pound giant named Rudy

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. – A reigning world champion pumpkin grower from Minnesota has added another impressive milestone in his career.

On Monday, four-time winner Travis Grienger once again dominated the 51st Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California.

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His massive pumpkin, Rudy, weighed in at a whopping 2,471 pounds. This victory marks the second consecutive title for the teacher and pumpkin grower from Anoka. 

“We didn’t get off to the greatest of starts. And I’m like, we’re going to need a come-from-behind story,” Grienger said. “So Rudy just kind of stuck.”

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Reigning world champion pumpkin grower Travis Grienger scooped the top prize again this year at the 51st Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California. Grienger, the Minnesota champion who made history last year with a world-record-setting 2,749-pound pumpkin, secured this season’s title with a 2,471-pound specimen.

(Miramar Events)

Last year, Grienger shattered the world record with a colossal 2,749-pound pumpkin – a bit less than the average adult female hippopotamus – earning him the coveted $30,000 grand prize. This year, while he fell short of his previous record, his behemoth orange orb still secured him the top spot and a substantial $22,239 in prize money.

Gienger, 44, said that as he has done in the past, he focused on having healthy soil and well-fed plants but that a cold fall with record-breaking rain likely impacted his pumpkin’s growth.

“We had really, really tough weather and somehow, some way, I kept on working,” Gienger said. “I had to work for this one, and we got it done at the end, but it wasn’t by much.”

The annual pumpkin weigh-off, a beloved tradition in Half Moon Bay, attracts competitors from around the globe. You can see Grienger’s winning pumpkin on display at the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, which runs Oct. 19-20.

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Growers dedicate countless hours to nurturing their rhinoceros-sized pumpkins, employing various techniques to maximize their size and weight.