Quebec pumpkin-growing competition goes awry

The community of Bcancour gathers on the last weekend of every September for a pumpkin-growing competition, but this year's event fell short of expectations.

The goal is to grow the heaviest pumpkin, but someparticipants said they were foiled by this month's hot weather and ended up with crops that were disappointing at best.

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Some entries weretoo small or rotting inside.

"We had a summer that was extraordinarily warm," Raymond Denis, the president of the organizing committee, told Radio-Canada.

"This year I don't even have one above 500 pounds."

As a result, the 26th annual Potirothon didn't feature quite as many giant pumpkins only 40 registered for the final weigh-in on Saturday at cole Primaire Gentilly.

The top prize went to David Tessier, for the second year in a row,for a beast of a pumpkin that topped1,611 pounds.

But many competitors didn't even come close, with the runts of the contest weighing in at a little over 300 pounds.

"It's true that it's annoying," said one participant. "We had temperatures that fluctuated and the fruit is a little bit smaller this year in general."

A smaller annual regata?

The competition is only thefirst half of the festival. In October, residents hollow out their pumpkins and carve theminto boats for the annual regata on the Bcancour River.

Donningpaddles and life jackets, theyrace one another in their pumpkins over the span of akilometre down the river.

But Denis says his pumpkins are sotiny thathewon't be able to participate.

"I don't even have one this year to put my girls in for the regata," he said.