California engineer wins pumpkin contest with 2,346-pound gourd

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) — A California engineer and gardening enthusiast won the top prize at an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California after growing a giant jack-o’-lantern gourd weighing 2,346 pounds (1,064 kilograms).

Brandon Dawson, of Santa Rosa, California, clinched the victory Monday at the 52nd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco.

Dawson pumped his arms in the air and sat his two children on top of the giant pumpkin — roughly the same weight as a small sedan or a large bison — after being crowned this year’s winner.

“My mind is kind of racing because I was in this position last year when I lost by 6 pounds (3 kilograms),” he said in an interview.

Dawson, a manufacturing engineer at electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive, said he has been growing massive pumpkins for five years. Precision skills acquired at his job helped him with the right watering and sunlight to help his gourd grow, he said.

He said he enjoys getting his children involved in the process.

“We like to spend time out in the patch and watch the thing grow,” Dawson said about his 2-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter.

“My 4-year-old now can really pay attention to the growing process,” especially since the giant pumpkins can grow by 50 to 70 pounds (23 to 32 kilograms) a day, he added.

The pumpkin champ won a $20,000 prize for growing the biggest pumpkin.

Dawson's pumpkin was the runner up in last year’s contest at Half Moon Bay when the winning gourd grown by Minnesota horticulture teacher Travis Gienger came in at 2,471 pounds (1,121 kilograms).

Gienger, of Anoka, Minnesota, set a world record at the California contest in 2023 for the heaviest pumpkin when his giant jack-o’-lantern gourd weighed 2,749 pounds (1,247 kilograms). Gienger's pumpkin was damaged earlier this season and he couldn’t enter this year's contest in California.

Two brothers in England earlier this month broke Gienger's record with a gourd that weighed 2,819 pounds (1,278kg).

Brandon Dawson, left, is congratulated by Travis Gienger, who was last year's champion, after winning the Safeway 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Brandon Dawson, left, celebrates after winning the Safeway 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Giant pumpkins are raised by fork lifts before being weighed at the 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Norman Breshears, dressed up as a scarecrow, takes a photo of one of the giant pumpkins at the 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Brandon Dawson, center, celebrates after winning the Safeway 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

From left, Brandon Dawson celebrates with his children Roman and Ayla after winning the Safeway 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — World Cup host Vancouver is at risk of losing its Major League Soccer club to another city.

MLS said late Monday it “will evaluate all options” for the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps, including moving out of the city. The club was put on sale 16 months ago by an ownership group that includes former NBA star Steve Nash.

Uncertainty around the team is fueled by limited revenue options and a short-term lease at BC Place stadium that will host seven World Cup games in June and July, including Canada playing Qatar and Switzerland.

“It’s reaching a critical point,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Tuesday during a meeting with the Associated Press Sports Editors in New York.

Garber called the situation at BC Place untenable, citing strict schedule restrictions from the government entity that owns and operates the building and an inability to add premium seating.

British Columbia’s government said Tuesday it is working with the Whitecaps to help the team lower costs and generate more revenue at BC Place — but it won’t be buying the team to prevent it from moving cities.

Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s minister of jobs and economic growth, said the team is now using the stadium at no cost, and any breaks that the team received this year could be extended for another year.

The Whitecaps and the provincial government — which owns BC Place through the provincial Crown corporation PavCo — signed a one-year lease earlier this year, which annually returns to the club about $1 million to 1.5 million that the province makes from hosting.

Kahlon, a longtime season-ticket holder, says the province has also helped the team generate more revenue from concession sales and advertising, adding that the province is open to exploring other revenue sources.

“If there are some genuine things that they need done to keep the team here, we want to see that happen,” he said.

Garber confirmed reports that Las Vegas could be an option if Vancouver relocates, saying a group from Las Vegas had submitted an application for an MLS team. He expressed hope the Whitecaps could find a way to remain in Vancouver and said expansion to Las Vegas could also be a possibility, but no decisions had been made. Las Vegas was not necessarily the only city being discussed.

FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani, who is from Vancouver, said last year losing an MLS club “on the back of the World Cup would be a capital crime, in my opinion.”

Fans holding “Save The Caps” placards protested on Saturday at the team’s last home game ahead of the stadium being taken over for the World Cup. The attendance was more than 27,000.

In a statement late Monday, the Whitecaps said it had “serious conversations with more than 100 parties and, to date, no viable offer has emerged that would keep the club here.”

“The club has faced well-documented structural challenges around stadium economics, venue access, and revenue limitations that have made it difficult to attract buyers committed to keeping the team in Vancouver."

A franchise fee that cost tens of millions of dollars to enter MLS 15 years ago is now likely worth hundreds of millions.

A team that features German great Thomas Müller reached the MLS Cup final last year, losing against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami 3-1.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Vancouver Whitecaps fans hold signs before an MLS soccer match against the Colorado Rapids in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Cheikh Sabaly (7) celebrates after his goal against the Colorado Rapids with Thomas Muller (13) and Tate Johnson (28) during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps fans hold signs before an MLS soccer match against the Colorado Rapids in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)