Richmond man wins $27,000 in international giant pumpkin competition
Spooky season is in full swing and there’s no better way to kick it off than winning a giant pumpkin competition.
Richmond resident Dave Chan took home just over $27,000 for winning an international giant pumpkin weigh-off in Sacramento, California.
Chan won the whopping prize after his pumpkin weighed in at 2,212 pounds.
“It’s six feet wide and three and a half feet high. It has huge presence, actually. It’s amazing,” said Chan.
With the winner getting to take home US$9 for every pound their pumpkin weighed, it was worth the long road trip for Chan.
He towed the giant pumpkin over 1,000 km from Richmond to the National Pumpkin Weigh-Off at Bishopâs Pumpkin Farm in Sacramento, California.
The competition was “just one of the venues of an international society called the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth.”
Giant Pumpkins British Columbia/Facebook
Being up against pumpkins from around the world, Chan pulled out all the stops to grow his pumpkin.
“We basically have to spend about five hours a day in the pumpkin patch to do all kinds of things,” said Chan. “So, we did, and the results kind of paid off.”
Chan grew three giant pumpkins named Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear, and it was Mama Bear that took home the ultimate prize after taking 104 days to grow.
Mama Bear’s final weight is a testament to Chan’s 15-plus years of experience in pumpkin growing and is a far cry from his first pumpkin, which weighed 505 pounds.
Richmond locals will be able to see the giant pumpkin for themselves as Chan plans to display it on his driveway.
“We’re gonna drag it home and put it on the driveway just for people to see.”