Biiiiig Winner in Half Moon Bay

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 HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) - A giant pumpkin from Iowa is the prize of the patch after squashing the competition in a heavyweight championship on California's coast.

The gigantic gourd tipped the scales at 1,658 pounds to win the 36th annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay on Monday.

The pumpkin sets a new weight record for California. Contest spokesman Tim Beeman says the old state record was 1,535 pounds.

At $6 a pound, Des Moines grower Don Young will take home a $9,948 prize. He says he didn't expect to win and is very happy.

The sizable squash falls short of the world record apparently set last week at an Ohio weigh-off by one coming in at 1,725 pounds.

Young's winning gourd will be shown off this weekend at the Half Moon Bay pumpkin festival.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

 

An entry in the "Most Beautiful Pumpkin" contest

This giant pumpkin is expected to win the weigh-off


Farmer John's contenders