Re: weighoff 2000
A little note to explain what is going on at Topsfield. Topsfield Fair runs
for 10 days and has a paid attendance of roughly 400,000 people. Topsfield
traditionally ends on Columbus day. To determine the starting date, they
count back 10 days which usually is the same date as the GPC (first sat. in
oct.). Once every 5 or 6 years, the calendar falls differently and when you
count back 10 days it falls on the last sat. in september. The pumpkin
competition at Topsfield is the largest one I know of in the world with 105
entries last year, 4 lifting teams, 2 digital scales and 3
forklifts.........truly amazing to see. The pumpkin weighoff is the #1
attraction at the Fair and the 3 major tv networks are usually there.
Topsfield puts up apx. $8,500 in prize money...plus the top prize is boosted
to $10,000 if someone hits 1,000 pounds they even pay $250 for 50th place!
The pumpkin competition kicks of the fair and the tv networks all run it on
the 6 oclock news to announce the beginning of the fair. It is extremely
important to have all the weigh off sites go off on the same date so we don't
have to wait around to proclaim the GPC champion. The one good thing is that
the weighoff is before anyone else so it gives the rest of the GPC something
to shoot at. If topsfield pops a potential world record holder (which has
happened in the past) the top grower at Topsfield must wait a week to see if
anyone else can beat him or her. Weighing off a week later than the rest of
the GPC would be a disaster and wouldn't be fair, for all the other sites
would have to wait a week. Luckily, no one weighs off later than the rest of
the group. This quirk in the calendar only happens once in 5 or 6 years and
the last time it happened , everything ran smoothly. The top grower at
topsfield just has to sit and wait to see the gpc results.
pumkinguy
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