Canadian pumpkin regains world crown from Americans
Last Updated Mon, 04 Oct 2004 19:20:14 EDT
PORT ELGIN, ONT. - An Ottawa-area man appears to have broken the record for the world's largest pumpkin with his entry at a weekend contest.
Alan Eaton's pumpkin weighed 1,446 pounds (665 kilograms), over 60 pounds (27 kilograms) more than the last pumpkin recognized by the Guinness World Records book.
The world record pumpkin on the podium in Port Elgin, Ont. (Photo courtesy Pumpkinfest)
Eaton's entry was weighed Sunday at Pumpkinfest, an annual pumpkin celebration held in the southwestern Ontario community of Port Elgin.
The last time a Canadian-grown pumpkin held the world record was in 1998, after which fruits from warmer climes south of the border reigned supreme, the contest's co-ordinator said.
Jan Bonhomme, who oversaw the weigh-in said Eaton's phenomenal pumpkin was a "big, ugly honking thing." Ugly or not, the specimen is going to reap its grower considerable financial benefits and publicity.
Eaton won $5,000 for coming first, and $1,000 for his pumpkin weighing over 1,000 lbs (453 kilograms). He will also receive $2,000 US for winning the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth prize, which unites 23 contests like Pumpkinfest, from around the world.
In addition, said Bonhomme, seeds from the Richmond, Ont. man's pumpkin were likely to sell for up to $300 apiece. She said Eaton's pumpkins averaged about 400-500 seeds each.
Alan Eaton shows off his trophy. (Photo courtesy Pumpkinfest)
His pumpkin would now be carved by a master-carver and might – as have previous winners – appear on David Letterman or Jay Leno's television shows.
Bonhomme said Eaton, who had won the contest twice before, was the "master of [pumpkin] genetics," the "big guy."
The organizers said they would seek to have Eaton's pumpkin listed with the Guinness Book of World Records as soon as possible.
