John Sach's pumpkin wins 2012 Pumpkinmania giant pumpkin weigh-off IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 29 (UPI) -- A California man's 991.5-pound pumpkin was the top prize winner at the 2012 Pumpkinmania giant pumpkin weigh-off. Stuart Shim, 53, event organizer and financial manager from Rancho Santa Margarita, said John Sach of Whittier brought the heaviest gourd to the Irvine for Sunday's weigh-off, a 991.5-pound pumpkin he dubbed Sally, The Orange County Register reported Monday. Sach, 68, said his secret to pumpkin growing involves "a lot of water and a lot of food." Sach took home a $1,000 grand prize check.