Watch: US man eyes pumpkin world record after fifth contest win
There's something almost heroic about loading a pumpkin onto a truck and driving it across the country just to see if it's heavier than everyone else's. Travis Gienger teaches horticulture for a living, which means his day job and his obsession are the same thing, and that's probably why he keeps winning. Five wins at Half Moon Bay is no accident.
I think the appeal is that giant pumpkins are pure excess. They serve no practical purpose, you can't eat them, they're basically water and cellulose held together by luck. But people spend months coaxing them along, protecting them from rot and pests, and then the whole thing comes down to a single number on a scale. It's a sport where the athlete is a vegetable.
I'd want to know what his secret is, though I suspect the answer is boring: good seeds, careful watering, and a lot of patience. The world record keeps creeping upward, and if anyone's going to break it, it's probably the guy who keeps winning. Either way, I'm rooting for the pumpkin.