'Look at the abs on that thing': Giant pumpkin 'a beauty' at B.C. competition

Everyone, meet Grawp.

He'sa pumpkin that comes up to your hips and weighsmore than a grand piano.

Grawp also grows well withclassical music, manure-fused dirt and encouragement from his fan club.

Jeff Pelletierplanted the gourd in his North Vancouver garden last spring. Over the weekend, heentered B.C.'s Giant Pumpkin Competition an official, "world-renowned"pumpkin weigh-off.

"He's affectionately called Grawpafter the giant in Harry Potter,"Pelletier said.

On Saturday, the gardener hosted a pre-game party before driving to the Langley weigh-in. Family, friends and neighboursbrought orange "GoGrawp" flags and posed for pictures in the garden.

"This man loves his pumpkins Jeffwas shining up his pumpkin like it was his first car,"said friend Steven Beattie.

"Just look at the abs on that thing," he added, giving Grawp apat. "Whata beauty."

PelletiersaidGrawp was grown for more than100 days on "good soil and goodmusic."

"He lovesShostakovich,I'll tell you that much."

To get to the contest, the gourdhad to be loaded into a special pumpkin lifting ring and swung onto a flat-bed truck a process that, fortunately, didn't end with pumpkin splattered all overthe driveway.

"That's always nerve-wracking,"Pelletiersaid after it was over.

Runner-up

In the end, Grawptook home silver with an official weight of 1,176 pounds second only to a 1,543-pound whopper that broke B.C.'s pumpkin record.

Pelletiersaid second place was "fantastic," but he was a bit blue to see the pumpkin go.

"Tomorrow, I'll come out and look at the patch and it will be gone and there's always a little bit of sadness," he said.

That said, there's always next year.

With files from Deborah Goble