Florian Isler claimed his third title at the Swiss Pumpkin and Vegetable Weighing Championship in Rapperswil-Jona, presenting an Atlantic Giant weighing 651.5 kilograms. The annual agricultural competition also featured multiple national and world records for oversized produce.
The 2026 Swiss pumpkin-growing season culminated on the Bächlihof grounds, where 16 teams brought forward 18 massive gourds for official measurement. Transported to the scale via forklift, the competition showcased both orange Atlantic Giants and green squash varieties as growers from across the country competed for national honors.
Florian Isler Secures Third Title With a 651.5-Kilogram Atlantic Giant
Defending his crown for the third year running, Florian Isler of Esslingen secured the top podium spot with an Atlantic Giant pumpkin weighing 651.5 kg. Isler previously won the competition with a 766 kg squash. The victory margin left competitors behind, though the field featured strong entries from seasoned cultivators.
Matthias Leuenberger from Leimiswil took second place with an Atlantic Giant hitting exactly half a ton at 500 kilograms. Peter Eugster of Lüchingen rounded out the podium in third place with a 434 kg Atlantic Giant.
In total, 16 teams registered for the 13th edition of the event held at this specific venue, which marked the 27th overall staging of the competition. Previous editions took place at the Juckerhof in Seegräben and the Spargelhof in Rafz. Out of the 18 oversized specimens weighed on the premises, 14 were orange Atlantic Giant pumpkins and four were green squash varieties.
National and World Records Fall During the Bächlihof Weigh-In
Beyond the primary pumpkin contest, the event recorded a flurry of agricultural milestones. Isler expanded his dominance beyond the main category by establishing three separate Swiss records: the heaviest Bushel Gourd at 136.6 kg, the longest sunflower measuring 7.695 meters, and the heaviest watermelon at 97.2 kg.
Other regional cultivators also rewrote the record books. Global marks fell as well, with the Meier family from Dättlikon setting a new world record for the heaviest single sweet potato tuber at 13.6 kg, while Jürg Wiesli from Dozwil claimed a world record for the longest chili pepper at 54.3 cm.
Current record benchmarks stand well above the 2026 winning entries. The existing Swiss record for a single pumpkin is listed at 1,054 kilograms, while the world record reaches 1,278.8 kilograms.
Heavy Pumpkins Stay on Display or Travel for Carving
The three heaviest pumpkins will remain on public display at the Bächlihof in Jona through October 31.
Additional giant pumpkins are scheduled to travel to the Juckerhof in Seegräben for an international carving festival on October 10. Growers who prefer to keep their entries retain the option to take their pumpkins back home.