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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Anoka's Travis Gienger Wins Fifth World Pumpkin Championship With 2,389-Pound Rocky
The Minnesota horticulture teacher transported his enormous pumpkin more than 2,100 miles to California, earning $21,501 and another championship ring at one of the world's most prestigious giant-pumpkin competitions.
ANOKA, MN (October 14, 2026). Minnesota giant-pumpkin grower Travis Gienger has added another championship to an extraordinary competitive record, winning the 53rd annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California, on Monday, October 12, with a 2,389-pound pumpkin named Rocky.
The victory marked Gienger's fifth first-place finish at the California competition since 2020, reinforcing his standing among the country's most accomplished giant-pumpkin growers.
His winning pumpkin earned $21,501 under the competition's prize structure of $9 per pound. Gienger also received the event's championship recognition, including another Pumpkin King ring.
For the Anoka resident, the achievement required more than months of cultivation. Getting Rocky to the official scale involved a journey of approximately 2,150 miles from Minnesota to California, a trip that took roughly 35 hours.
A Heavyweight Named Rocky
Gienger named his 2026 entry Rocky, a reference to the fictional boxer portrayed by Sylvester Stallone.
The pumpkin measured 138 inches across, 131.5 inches from end to end and 231 inches around, according to measurements reported by FOX 9.
Its official weight of 2,389 pounds was enough to defeat the other entries at the October 12 weigh-off.
Although the pumpkin was lighter than several of Gienger's previous champions, the victory demonstrated that winning the competition does not necessarily require surpassing one's personal best.
The title is awarded to the heaviest eligible pumpkin entered at that year's event.
Rocky's victory did not establish a new world weight record.
A 2,150-Mile Journey From Minnesota
Transporting a pumpkin weighing more than a ton presents challenges rarely encountered in conventional gardening.
The fruit must be supported and secured for a journey involving highways, changing elevations, road vibrations and unpredictable weather.
Speaking with CBS Minnesota, Gienger described the stress of driving through mountainous terrain, particularly around Lake Tahoe, while hauling his enormous entry.
The pumpkin survived the journey and arrived in suitable condition to compete.
That is an essential part of the giant-pumpkin competition. The Half Moon Bay weigh-off requires entries to be healthy and free of significant damage, including rot, holes or cracks penetrating the fruit's interior.
A pumpkin that develops disqualifying damage during transportation can lose its eligibility regardless of its weight.
For Gienger, the successful journey was therefore an achievement alongside the growing itself.
Five Championships in Seven Years
Gienger's record at Half Moon Bay spans several remarkable seasons.
|
Year |
Pumpkin |
Official weight |
|
2020 |
Tiger King |
2,350 pounds |
|
2022 |
Maverick |
2,560 pounds |
|
2023 |
Michael Jordan |
2,749 pounds |
|
2024 |
Rudy |
2,471 pounds |
|
2026 |
Rocky |
2,389 pounds |
His 2023 pumpkin, Michael Jordan, established a world record at the time, weighing 2,749 pounds.
The achievement drew international attention and became a milestone in the history of the Half Moon Bay competition.
His 2022 winner, Maverick, was subsequently carved into a giant jack-o'-lantern and displayed outside Anoka City Hall, connecting the national competition to his hometown's Halloween traditions.
The 2026 championship adds another distinction: Gienger has won five of the last seven editions of the event.
The Science and Skill Behind Giant Pumpkins
Gienger is a horticulture teacher at Anoka Technical College, bringing professional knowledge of plant cultivation to a highly specialized form of competitive growing.
Giant pumpkins are the product of selective breeding, intensive care and close management of growing conditions.
Growers must pay attention to soil fertility, moisture, plant health, pollination, vine development and the balance between vigorous growth and the structural integrity of the fruit.
Weather conditions also play a major role.
The growing season in Minnesota presents different challenges from those faced by growers in milder climates, including temperature fluctuations, heavy rain, drought periods and the possibility of early frost.
Even an experienced grower cannot guarantee that a pumpkin will achieve a particular weight.
The work involves adapting throughout the season as plants respond to their environment.
Gienger's repeated victories demonstrate sustained success across different growing years rather than a single unusually favorable season.
The Prize: $21,501 and a Championship Ring
The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off awards its first-place winner $9 for each pound of the winning pumpkin.
For Rocky, the calculation was straightforward:
2,389 pounds × $9 = $21,501.
The competition also provides special recognition to its champion, including a ring, jacket and other benefits.
Organizers separately advertise a $30,000 total prize package for a qualifying world-record pumpkin.
Because Rocky did not break the world record, Gienger received the regular first-place weight-based prize rather than the world-record package.
The event's prize structure makes it one of the most financially rewarding competitions in giant-pumpkin growing.
However, the gross prize should not be confused with net earnings. The cost of cultivation, equipment and transportation can be substantial, and Gienger's expenses for the 2026 season have not been publicly established in the sources reviewed.
A Competition With More Than Five Decades of History
The Half Moon Bay weigh-off began in 1974 as a friendly competition between the California coastal community and Circleville, Ohio, over which could produce the heaviest pumpkin.
Over the decades, it developed into an internationally recognized event attracting experienced growers and exceptionally large entries.
The 2026 edition was the competition's 53rd annual weigh-off.
Approximately 45 contestants entered this year's event, according to CBS Minnesota.
The competition is recognized as an official Great Pumpkin Commonwealth weigh-off site, operating under rules governing entries, eligibility and weighing procedures.
For Half Moon Bay, the event also serves as the opening attraction for a broader celebration of pumpkin growing, agriculture and community tourism.
Rocky to Appear at Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival
The winning pumpkin is scheduled to remain in Half Moon Bay for the community's 54th annual Art & Pumpkin Festival on Saturday and Sunday, October 17–18.
Festival organizers say the grand champion and four other leading pumpkins will be displayed on historic Main Street.
Visitors will have an opportunity to see Rocky in person during the festival, which is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
The official weigh-off rules require the winning pumpkin to remain in Half Moon Bay through the festival.
That means Rocky's championship appearance will continue beyond Monday's weigh-in, giving the public a chance to appreciate the scale of a pumpkin weighing more than a ton.
Anoka's Connection to a National Tradition
For Anoka, which celebrates its identity as the Halloween Capital of the World, Gienger's success offers a distinctive connection between local horticulture and a nationally recognized autumn tradition.
His achievements have repeatedly brought attention to the Minnesota community, including the public display of his giant jack-o'-lantern in 2022.
The latest victory also illustrates how specialized agricultural knowledge and years of experience can turn a backyard growing pursuit into international recognition.
Rocky may not be Gienger's heaviest pumpkin, but it has secured something equally significant in the competition's history: his fifth championship at Half Moon Bay.
Event Information
Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off
Official website: https://hmbweighoff.com/
2026 champion: Travis Gienger, Anoka, Minnesota
Winning pumpkin: Rocky
Official weight: 2,389 pounds
Prize: $21,501
Competition date: October 12, 2026
Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival
October 17–18, 2026
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Historic Main Street, Half Moon Bay, California
Website: https://hmbpumpkinfest.com/
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