Pumpkin winner doesn't measure up to local gourd

HALF MOON BAY – A California man is this year's winner of the Half Moon Bay giant pumpkin contest, becoming the first in-state gourd grower to dominate the patch in 11 years.

Ron Root's prize-winning pumpkin tipped the scales at 1,535 pounds and measured 410.5 inches over the top. That wasn't a weigh-off record but hefty enough to beat out the 59 other entries today.

Earlier this month, Brant Bordsen broke the state record with a 1,648.5-pound pumpkin he grew south of Yuba City. Bordsen won the Giant Pumpkin Festival of Elk Grove.

It was the 50-year-old Root's fourth time as a participant. He grew his pumpkin from seeds provided by a previous year's winner on land donated by a pumpkin patch near his home.

For his orange thumb, Root will get $9,210 — $6 per pound — plus another $1,000 for producing the biggest California pumpkin.

The contest, now in its 37th year, also drew contestants from Colorado, Oregon and Washington.