Massive pumpkin snatches prize
October 4, 2020
Bavarian man Michael Asam on Sunday won first place in Germany's heaviest pumpkin of the year awards.
Asam's pumpkin weighed an impressive 720.5 kilograms (1588.43 pounds).
The championships took place in Ludwigsburg's Blühendes Barock gardens in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg.
Each year, organizers of the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival select the "Atlantic giant" pumpkin according to weight.
"The size of the pumpkin is simply impressive — especially considering they take the same amount of time to grow as small pumpkins," said championship organizer Stefan Hinner.
Asam, a pumpkin breeder from the municipality of Adelzhausen just outside of Munich, won first place on Sunday for the second year in a row.
Bavarian Mario Weishäupl holds Germany's heaviest pumpkin record with his 916.5 kilogram pumpkin from 2018.
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No spectators
This year's festival took place without the usual crowds due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Taking into account social distancing measures and hygiene rules, visitors were allowed to view the pumpkins on display in the gardens. The weighing of the specimens, however, took place behind closed doors this year.
Matthias Würsching from Einhausen, central Germany landed in second place. His pumpkin weighed 702.5 kilograms. Third place went to Elmar Hubertus from Marpingen-Urexweiler, Saarland with his 617.5 kilo pumpkin.
The current world record is held by Belgium's Mathias Willemijns. His pumpkin weighed 1191.5 kilograms. Willemijns also set the record in the Blühendes Barock gardens in 2016.
The European Pumpkin Weighing Championships is set to take place at the same venue next weekend.