Photo and video: What a smashing pumpkin!

It has taken him decades to fulfill his giant pumpkin dream, but now Richmond resident Dave Chan can really go to the ball.

On Saturday, at a farm in Langley, giant pumpkin-grower Chan looked on and smiled a huge smile when his massive gourd weighed in at 1,911 pounds, smashing the B.C. record by 368 pounds.

His previous best was a mere 1,379 and he beat the competition at Saturday’s contest by a whopping 800 or so pounds to record his giant as the 25th largest in the world.

Not only that, Chan – who grows his giant pumpkins in a temporary greenhouse in is backyard lot in east Richmond – produced two other huge gourds, which also helped him win a third accolade on the weekend, where growers were honoured if they had three weighing in at more than 4,000 pounds.

Video by Tim Chu/YouTube

“The three together came to 4,326 pounds,” a beaming Chan told the Richmond News, adding that the trio were named Baby Bear, Mama Bear and Papa Bear.

“I was completely amazed. You always hope for the best. There was a great sense of satisfaction when it was finally weighed.”

Chan said this year he fertilized organically only via the soil, not on the surface of the plant and he protected his 2,000-square-foot patch with a temporary cover during the season.

“I followed that advice from some world record holders in the UK, who I visited a few years ago while on vacation,” Chan revealed.

“I had a good idea when it was being loaded onto the truck before the competition, due to the measurements and the history of the seeds.
“I got (the seeds) two years ago in Vegas at the International Pumpkin Convention from a medic from New York emergency hospital.

“I connected with him during the pandemic and I told him I would grow the seeds in his honour, so maybe I should rename the pumpkin Karma.”

The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, said Chan, had an emergency meeting recently to allow him to record all three pumpkins at Langley – normally he would have to do it in the U.S., but they allowed him an exemption due to the pandemic.

Baby and Mama Bear pumpkins, added Chan, have been donated to a pumpkin-carving exhibition in Burnaby, while Papa Bear will be proudly displayed at the end of his driveway on Fedoruk Road.

“I won’t be carving it this year; I'd rather people come along and see it at its best, maybe with a sign on it saying it's B.C.'s biggest,” said Chan.

“That way, people can come along and get their picture taken with it.”