MN Man Wins 2020 Pumpkin Weigh-Off with 2,350lb “Tiger King”
Chalk one up another win for Minnesota -- the largest pumpkin of 2020 was grown right here!
On Monday, Travis Gienger of Anoka was crowned the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off's new champion with an absolute whopper. Cited as "a rhinoceros-sized mega gourd" named "Tiger King," Gienger's pumpkin rocked the scale at 2,350 pounds to be recognized as the heaviest gourd weighed in North America this year!
To get his pumpkin from Anoka to Half Moon Bay, CA Gienger shared in a video that he had to drive it about a 35-hours "white knuckling every bump" for fear of collapsing or cracking his giant gourd along the way. He's been growing pumpkins for "quite a long time," he says, though only recently began putting effort into growing some "pretty big ones."
As winner of the contest, Gienger takes home a hefty prize of $16,450. This year's event was live streamed online and available to re-watch at the Youtube videos below.
Here are the Top 10 results of the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off:
| PLACE | NAME | CITY/STATE | WEIGHT | PRIZE MONEY |
| 1st | Travis Gienger | Anoka, MN | 2,350 lbs | $16,450 |
| 2nd | Steve Daletas | Pleasant Hill, OR | 2,174 lbs | $3,000 |
| 3rd | Jose Ceja | Napa, CA | 1,957 lbs | $2,500 |
| 4th | Leonardo Urena | Napa, CA | 1,940 lbs | $2,000 |
| 5th | Jennifer Cardenas | Napa, CA | 1,902 lbs | $1,000 |
| 6th | Dean Busquaert | Napa, CA | 1,787 lbs | $1,000 |
| 7th | John Hawkley | Napa, CA | 1,693 lbs | $1,000 |
| 8th | Jose Cardenas | Napa, CA | 1,608 lbs | $1,000 |
| 9th | Russ Pugh | Santa Rosa, CA | 1,501 lbs | $1,000 |
| 10th | Cindy Tobeck | Olympia, WA | 1,382 lbs | $1,000 |
Way to go, Travis Gienger! Way to make Minnesota proud!
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