Napa Grower Sets New California
State Record at
Half Moon Bay
Pumpkin Weigh-Off
Plus A Starring Role in This Weekend's Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival
2011 winner Leonardo Urena of Napa, CA with his winning 1,704 pound pumpkin
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HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA (October 10, 2011) -- It was a big day in the World Pumpkin Capital of Half Moon Bay.
Budding superstar grower Leonardo Urena capped off a monster year setting a new California State record with his 1,704-pound Atlantic Giant that won today's 38th Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California.
Half Moon Bay lived up to its reputation as the "Super Bowl of Weigh-Offs", producing two of the three biggest pumpkins in the world this year. Brant Bordsen of Marysville, CA was the runner-up at Half Moon Bay with a 1,693-pound beast.
Urena, 43, a soft-spoken landscaper for a Napa winery, bested a formidable field of heavyweight contenders from Washington, Oregon and California to take home the top prize of $11,224 ($6 per pound plus another $1,000 special prize for the biggest pumpkin from California).
Urena credited perfect soil, good seed from one of his previous behemoths (a 991-pounder), and the love and support of his family for his impressive victory.
The Half Moon Bay win also secured Urena "Grower of the Year" honors from the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) for his Top 3 pumpkins total weight of 4,948 pounds at three separate weigh-offs, best in GPC history.
Urena's grand champion mega-gourd (along with the Top 5 overall) will be proudly displayed at the world-famous Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, this weekend (Oct. 15-16 — Saturday and Sunday) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main Street in Half Moon Bay, California. Results follow:
2011 WEIGH-OFF RESULTS |
| 1st |
Leonardo Urena, Napa CA |
1,704 lbs. |
$10,224. |
| 2nd |
Brant Bordsen, Marysville CA |
1,693 lbs. |
$2,000. |
| 3rd |
Tim Mathison, Napa CA |
1,554 lbs. |
$1,500. |
| 4th |
John Hawkley, Napa CA |
1,548 lbs. |
$1,000. |
| 5th |
Ron Root, Citrus Heights, CA |
1,521 lbs. |
$ 500. |
| 6th |
Thad Starr, Pleasant Hill OR |
1,487 lbs. |
$ 500. |
| 7th |
Steve Daletas, Pleasant Hill OR |
1,292 lbs. |
$ 500. |
| 8th |
Robert Globus, Walnut Grove CA |
1,273 lbs. |
$ 500. |
| 9th |
Jim Sherwood, Mulino OR |
1,220 lbs. |
$ 500. |
| 10th |
James Martin, Hayward CA |
1,097 lbs. |
$ 500. |
| SPECIAL PRIZES: |
| Biggest from State of California |
| Leonardo Urena, Napa CA |
1,704 lbs. |
$1,000. |
| Biggest from the Coastside |
| John Muller, Half Moon Bay CA |
755 lbs. |
$ 500. |
| Most Beautiful Pumpkin |
| Eric Carlson, Portola Valley |
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$ 500. |
 Download 2011 Weigh-Off Results
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