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Team Munson

The Executive Committee is going to have the first ever International Growers Cup which will be our version of golf's President cup. This was brought up last year & was a hot topic here on BP so we figured we would give it a shot!!!

Guidelines:
- US vs the World
- Official pumpkins from GPC results as seen here on BP only
- The largest pumpkin from 1 grower/grower team will count

This is all we could agree on the rest is up to you!!!! How many, how they are picked, team captains or not,.... Basically the entire process so get you thoughts in now so we can nail it down for the season.

There will be no Trophy or prizes this year but we will have the winning team featured on our web site & of course bragging rights to the winners!!!!

3/14/2014 12:36:42 PM

Hinckley MN

Maby you could get nominations for US and World teams. set teams by May 1. Top 6 vote getters for each make the teams. Top pumpkin(or squash) per grower, top 4 growers count towards score. You could also require a minimum of 1 fruit per team must be a squash. matbe set the teams for 4 pumpkin and 2 squash growers.

3/14/2014 4:33:59 PM

President - GPC

And give high altitude bonus points..... based on previous GPC state records... 1478 SR in CO... WR.. 554 points towards its team.... Evens everything out.... That way a team could benefit by choosing growers in other challenged states.... just a thought

3/14/2014 4:38:30 PM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

you could go after the Master Gardener theme and take the biggest pumpkin, squash, watermelon, tomato, long gourd, and field pumpkin from the US vs. the biggest of the same from elsewhere

3/14/2014 6:00:25 PM

South East

I would suggest a world wide competition, in where, Europe and Canada would compete wit the US, (three teams). Canada and Europe are the only two places that held a world record pumpkin or squash besides the US. And a friendly rivalry already exists. We'd be only building on it.

It would have to be a team that represents the US, Canada, and Europe chosen by public vote.

- Growers can only participate once before a mandatory 1 year break is enforced to prevent the same growers in it over and over again.

-The Growers community can vote on bp.com, 1 vote per grower. State full name and handle during vote. Europe could either use the EGVGA or BP.com, Canada could use GVGO or BP.com. All three need to appoint a team captain, and register with the GPC to make it official.

- I would suggest a team of 5 growers for each country.
Voted for as suggest above.

- Pumpkin or Squash, both are allowed.

- Entries (seedlings) have to be chosen and made public before competition start. Doing so will ensure that the competition has an element of failure for each grower, and growers and or teams can not just pick the biggest pumpkin or squash at the end of the year. (that would be easy)

- Losing a plant, or a fruit (according to GPC rules) would mean elimination. You are now of the score board.
(Even the best golfers hit it in the pond every now and then)

- To keep it captivating and fun, participants must post progress monthly. One picture of their single entry plant to keep the grower community informed and entertained. No update means a 100 lbs penalty every time. (taking a picture is easy, even for the busiest of people) after all,
only reading results in October is no fun at all!

3/15/2014 4:08:44 PM

South East

-Since this competition represents a nation it should be void of ANY personal interest. Never price money, always bragging rights and or/trophy. Rotating team members

- Of the competitors remaining at the end of the season (last weigh off) heaviest average and not a single fruit will win the cup. (except for WR)

- World record wins the cup, despite of average)Pumpkin or Squash are both allowed.

Tracking of the competition like:

-number of competitors and entry seedlings.

-rules and regulations

-enforcing of fair play and judging

-In season tracking and updates.

Could be done by the committee or an appointed representative of the GPC right here on Big Pumpkins.com

I think its a great idea that could send a buzz thru the growing community if done right!!

Good luck!!

3/15/2014 4:09:03 PM

SW Ohio

When I look at the map of weigh off locations on the GPC website, it looks like the USA is divided into 6 zones. A representative from each zone would make for a balanced team.

Using Frank and Tinas idea of having 3 teams, Canada is divided into 2 zones, so 3 representatives from each zone could make up their team.

I didnt see any zones for international but there are at least 6 different countries that growers could be chosen from.

Just a few ideas from the peanut gallery :)

3/15/2014 5:38:27 PM

west central IN/East central IL

What about the growers from Australia, New Zealand and Asia? Are there any grows in S. America?

3/15/2014 7:31:44 PM

Butler,PA

G.P.C.
Something to think about.....1st year selection process based on weigh-off results prior to 2014 for the top five growers and following year particpants selected by 2014 weigh-off results. Each year only the top 5 growers are eligible to particapate to compete. Proposed competitors:
United states Canada Germany
Mathison(2032) Bryson(1818) Hanschmann(1749)
Wallace(2009) Northrup(1813) Schierding(1684)
Miller(1985) Graham(1811) Tanner(1679)
Geddes(1843) Bryson(1753) Schvon(1532)
Stevens(1810) Hunt(1678) Haase(1481)

Federation of Giants Pumpkin Growers
Paton 1504 United kingdom Meier 2328 Switzerland
Daho 1611 France Barton 1589 N.Z.
Cutrupi 1490 Italy Lilja 1380 Sweden
Nishii 1303 Japan Lovse 1213 Slovenia
Styra 1280 Poland Surma 1140 Australia
Mathia 1474 Austria Byrne 936 Ireland
Hamalainen 1578Finland Ghaye 1582 Belgium

Growers such as Stelts(1807),Daletas(1799), Werner(1779), Werner(1730) can compete to make the team next year for U.S. and Sproule(1645),Montgomery(1641) and Colbert(1630) will compete for Canada, etc. This format would even give a grower from Butler an opportunity to make the team in 2015.
I apoligize if I omitted elegible growers for this year top 5.

3/15/2014 10:42:54 PM

Butler,PA

G.P.C,
Clarifications: My suggestion is to have four main players...U.S., Canada, Germany and Federation of Giant Pumpkin Growers. You can read the competitors up and down under U.S.,Canada and Germany. Slight correction under the Canada competitors...one is Jim Bryson and the other is Kelsey Bryson. Also, I would like to add Paul and Cheryl Fulk (1744) competing for the 2015 team. Baggs from the United Kingdom grew a 1520 and he should be added to the Federation of Giant Pumpkin Growers along with any other grower I missed.

3/15/2014 11:11:27 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Just take the 5 heaviest entered at a GPC weigh-off at end of year/season (by 5 different growers) add together. The "cup" would go to the "team/country/area" with the highest 5 fruit total. No need to name the growers ahead of time.

3/16/2014 10:51:38 AM

Central Illinois

I dont think the contestants should be chosen ahead of time, any GPC weighed fruit should be allowed.

3/16/2014 12:04:40 PM

Rhode Island

because the gpc is a site/weighoff club driven group id suggest possibly the following.

1. contest is for giant pumpkins only (great pumpkin commonwealth )lets promote giant pumpkins.

2. each gpc site rep determines through their group of officers one grower to represent their club/site.(by doing so each club site has a representative in the contest)
you can be a club rep in this contest only once every third year.

3. said club /site contest rep picks his or her partner from any other grower in the world who agrees to partner with them.no limit on how many times a grower may partner with a club/site contest rep exception being you may partner with the same person only once every third year.

3. no limits as to how many pumpkins each teams two individual grower takes to gpc weighoffs. (same rules as always apply however) only one fruit (the heaviest) from each member team will count.
both team members heaviest pumpkin weight is totaled to determine that teams total contest weight.---restricting the amt of plants and such for this contest could make it very difficult to monitor and also open the door for more questions than answers.these things need to be taken into account by site/club rep and said rep when choosing their partners.

4. site /club contest representative and their partners name must be submitted to gpc no later than may 10th of each year.teams to be posted on bp message board.

5. contest ends each year after the last gpc weigh-off.winning team announced asap as noted in daves email.

pap wallace

3/17/2014 10:19:40 AM

Ontario, Canada.

I Suggest the K.I.S.S. method for rules.

I dont think the contestants should be chosen ahead of time, any GPC weighed fruit should be allowed with no handicapping.

As a Canadian I say we should have our own team. Great idea.

3/17/2014 3:56:13 PM

50 Acres

In my opinion , the most popular contests here are when every one is eligible and can partisipate.

3/17/2014 8:34:31 PM

Sourthern Utah

well, i think,, that anyone,, in a gpc weigh off,, either here in the U.S. and abroad world wide,, should be in the contest,, teams.. are just bogus,, IMHO, its and individual sport,, ,, as I see it,, lets keeps, it simple,, not everyone can grow a WR kin,, or squash,, but,, we honestly all try to our best ability to do so, ,, just my thoughts,, Curt

3/18/2014 8:19:05 PM

Central Illinois

The 5 heaviest pumpkins weighed at GPC events have their weights totaled together to win for that country, out of those 5 growers, the top two are not allowed to compete again for 3 years.

This would open up 2 new positions , plus it would allow the potential of the 3rd 4th and 5th growers to still compete, if they do well the next year

3/19/2014 8:50:10 AM

Wi

Has anyone looked at the GPC results from the past several years?

If you have you may notice it's probably not in the best interest of the contest to just throw the 5 heaviest. The US would won the last several years in a row.

3/19/2014 12:27:16 PM

anytown U.S,A,

With all this talk an no rules or requirements. There is just too many possibility's. If you going to have a contest you need to have some kind of idea or format. You have talked about it. So Make the rules and let the games begin.

3/19/2014 7:39:24 PM

If you are doing it like the Presidents Cup ,you have to have pre-determined individuals going against each other.Same for teams.You can have teams of 2,3,and/or 4. Points are awarded for beating your own group and total points win.
When the subject was first brought up ,one concern was having a method of picking people based on what they have grown and not who they know so you would have to earn your way in to your team. A fair method would have to put in place.

3/19/2014 8:24:00 PM

Butler,PA

I still promote having 4 teams--U.S., Canada, Germany and the Federation of Giant Pumpkin Growers(all the rest) and having 5 growers on each team. First year participants based on prior heaviest GPC results. To earn a spot on future teams, you need to be in the top five growers by weight in the U.S., the top five growers by weight in Canada, top five growers by weight in Germany and top five growers by weight in (all the reat) at GPC weighoffs to make the new team. Each year there will be 20 growers competing. You have the option of adding all five team members best GPC results together and getting an average, just like at GPC weigh-off locations now where the top 10 are averaged and compete against other GPC locations or look at only the heaviest for each team and declare a winner. The team average would work better because all five selected teammates would have to put effort into growing the heaviest pumpkin they can in order to help their team average.

3/19/2014 9:13:23 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

I hope every grower reads this! But I would surmise that there is a significant number of growers who have no idea that their GPC is considering recognizing teams to represent specific countries/areas. That said, I want to firmly express my stance to all growers.
Forming teams is wrong! It goes against the essence of being involved in the GPC in the first place. The GPC represents all growers and should wash their hands of this idea. I see absolutely no way for this to have any positive outcomes for the majority of the growers. The negatives of creating a representative group where the year's best growers may well not be a member is ludricous.

3/20/2014 7:00:58 AM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

To follow up on the above post:
Even if it is the USA winning every year so be it, if there is a "cup" all growers should be include, nobody excluded. Also the following year all should be eligible again. I see no problem with the idea of having a "cup" for the top country/area or with the possibility of a grower representing their country/area in repetitive years. If that means Ron Wallace has a top 5 pumpkin 5 years in a row, he should be able to represent the USA each year.
John Barlow

3/20/2014 7:08:38 AM

Team Munson

Now we have some ideas to work with let's start to break it down & figure it out.

Choose from USA vs World - Europe, Canada, USA, rest of world compete against each other (4 teams) - Teams by GPC geographic regions - Teams by recognized clubs as listed on GPC web site.

http://www.gpc1.org/index.php/join-gpc/clubs-worldwide

3/20/2014 8:27:31 AM

I vote for the Europe ,Canada ,USA , rest of world (4 teams)

3/20/2014 8:39:43 AM

Deerfield, Michigan

I vote for USA vs World

3/20/2014 4:50:39 PM

Butler,PA

afveteran,

You vote for USA vs World......
Don't take this the wrong way, but we're growing pumpkins
and it doesn't have to be just US against the rest of the world...why can't it just be us against other teams? Countries? GPC regions?

Teams of 5, or teams of 10 growers and mutiple teams would open the competition up to alot of growers. Whatever format GPC adopts, I still like the averaging of the growers best GPC results to determine the winning team..the winning Country..the winning GPC region.

Just my thoughts..............

3/20/2014 8:34:02 PM

Cameron

Here is our thoughts

USA vs World

1. 1 team captain each. (must be a retired Grower, example US team Bill Rodonis, World Team Al Eaton or an European).

2. The top 10 growers from previous year qualify

3. Team Captains can pick 2 wildcard growers.

4. No Handicaps

5. The AVERAGE WEIGHT of all the pumpkins you grew (squash are not included) in the 2014 season is your score.

6. The total weight of all the pumpkins on each team is your final score.

Small plaque, metal or ribbon to each grower of the winning team.

Something to think about. This way it's the best against the best, with a couple guys/gals added to make it interesting. Good luck to those who have to choose the format.

Cheers,
Jane & Phil

3/21/2014 11:18:45 AM

President - GPC

WiZZzy's thoughtZ,

Need to bring contest that includes ALL Growers - Should be a handicapp based on an accumlation of State Records, then averaged out so everyone starts at ground zero. Ie If Mountain states are 400 lbs average behind WR then 400 us added to their combinged weights.

Start with 9 US Teams - designated by the GPC areas -
ie. Mountain States, New England, Central, Pacific Coast, New England... etc... 2 EU Teams - 2 Canadian Teams - EAST/West. Either that or the teams must pick growers from other areas... to make up their team.

Why not allow challenged growing areas to compete as well on an equal basis or at least be included, We are recognizing out our top growers, its time to inculde the other 75%, Let the top growers have to choose teams comprised of growers across all US GPC areas...there you go.. 9 growers per team...4 for the US 9 .... 2 Canadian and 2 EU... WE wanna compete as well???

3/21/2014 11:47:07 AM

Ct

An international cup is not in the best interest of this hobby. The creation of "teams" here and abroad will eventually cause an irreparable division amongst the growers in this hobby. Growers on all continents will eventually cease the sharing ideas. Superior genetic seeds will no longer be shared amongst the growers of every country since the idea is to out grow the other countries, ie USA.

Thats just my humble opinion

3/21/2014 12:29:46 PM

New Richmond WI

I like the idea of a team consisting of 5 growers from any where in the world ... stated ahead of the beginning of the competition ... would get a lot more growers involved ... would be a lot more fun :)

3/21/2014 4:48:28 PM

New Richmond WI

to clarify above ... I meant 5 growers forming a team. So there could be lots of teams.

3/21/2014 4:52:47 PM

New Richmond WI

to clarify above ... I meant 5 growers forming a team. So there could be lots of teams.

3/21/2014 4:58:30 PM

Corryton, TN

I like US vs World.
I ran some numbers but I can't guarantee accuracy. 2010-2013 had 5162 kin weighed in US and 2159 World. At 2 to 1 the US should always win, right. That's not what the numbers showed. I used top 5 in US and World starting with 2010 results for the 2011 teams. If I could not find result in the next year I assumed the grower did not grow that year thus they were not counted as a team member for that year and the next person was counted as a team member based on the previous years results. If a grower made the team they were not included for the next 2 years whether they grew or not. I matched the highest placings for the qualifying year in a match grow-off for the competition year. In 2011 the US would have won 4 to 1. In 2012 the World won 4 to 1. There were so many top growers from 2012 that would have been on the teams that I could not find results for in 2013 that I did not complete those results. My assumption was if they had the chance to compete on the team they may well have grown. Either way the US may do well to win 50%.

It would be interesting to see the team captain choose a couple growers as additional teammates that have never been on the team or finished in the top xx (insert number). Or maybe they have never reached a milestone of XXXX pounds.

3/21/2014 8:00:04 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Lets quit the fake smack talking and do east coast vs west coast just like every product has been since the late 1800's. The hardest part would be separating the Midwest and Canadian territories. Cali is erupting but my money would be to the east. As Chris S pointed out, the average of those other weights on other continents will need catching up.

3/21/2014 9:48:28 PM

Anchorage Alaska

Liking the whiz point of view

3/21/2014 11:04:31 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

If forming "teams" is a foregone conclusion than:
I support WiZzzy's territorial areas.
I support LL's lots of teams.
I'll add that all interested growers should be allowed to form their own team but all their members should be from the given territory.
I propose changing "International Growers Cup" wording to "GPC Regional Team Competition"

3/22/2014 9:02:46 AM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

I am one that also thinks "the USA against the World" is a bad idea - and not in the best interest of the GPC

3/22/2014 8:47:11 PM

Rhode Island

my only real concern when it comes to competition is that at least at present if you look at where all the top pumpkins are grown a great majority come from only three areas of the world.
i still like my ideas as listed above except id have to consider each gpc site be allowed only one contestant and the second contestant needs to be from an area a certain distance away. (to be determined by gpc)
only because some areas of the usa/canada and the world have huge climate disadvantages.
pap

3/22/2014 10:41:38 PM

Central Illinois

just to say almost every thing you search under

International Growers Cup , is going to give you marijuana cannabis cup results

3/23/2014 10:05:48 AM

Minnesota

How about USA east, west, canada, Europe, rest of world. I like picking top 5 growers as a team ahead of time. The 5 growers from each team would be the theoretical best growers from each area. It'd be an honor just to earn your spot on the team. The winner would be the best top three average of the team with one pumpkin per member.

How to chose the growers... I think there should be some sort of regional and or world rankings based on a growers top three individual pumpkins grown in three different seasons. My best three are 1779, 940dmg and 877dmg. I am not a proven grower and would not make the team unless I had two more big seasons.

3/23/2014 11:33:03 AM

Eddyz@efirehose.net

I like what the Wiz and Pap came up with and would like to add to it
1) a contestant has to have 3 years of completion at GPC events
2)you are only allowed to enter once every 5 years (spread the competition)
3)Each team is pre determined prior to the start of the year.
5)5 member teams with 2 spares
6)Each weigh off site has one entry. (Minimum of 15 entry's must be weighed from the site.
7)teams are made up by using the site standings. Top site will be placed with bottom site. Second place site would be placed with second last site etc etc
This would use up 7 sites per team, If there are 70 sites, there would be 10 teams. You could separate by country, by continent or whatever
8)all growers competing should grow the same seed. If you want this Equal and the seed should be the top seed from the previous year or???????
9)the spares would fill in if one of the contestant looses their fruit during the growing season
10)If a spare is not needed, they would be eligible to compete the following year.

3/23/2014 12:09:09 PM

Deer Park, WI

This thread became a focus of conversation at the SCGA spring meeting last Saturday. If instigating spirited discussion was the thread owner's intent, then deem it a success.

My two cents (not that this pot really needs any more change)-

I believe a goal/objective should be defined the GPC. What does it seek to accomplish by proposing a the Intl Growers cup (IGC)? Recognize a specific demographic? Inspire competition amongst a defined set of demographics?

Awards are given by the GPC to various structural hierarchies in recognition of a spectrum of top-weight pumpkin metrics-

Grower of the year (individual, top 3)
Overall Champion (individual, largest)
Site Top Ten Average (group, largest 10)

When considering ways to foster healthy, meaningful competition amongst demographics, I feel its important to have a look at ways we are already competing (where true spirit exists) and consider if more structure can be applied to those opportunities. For what its worth, I root for the USA during the olympics. Beyond that, my competitive loyalties are focused on smaller scales. Scales where I have much closer interaction with my competition. Notably, this loyalty is given to my state: good ole cheesehead Wisconsin (go Badgers, go Pack). I would venture to guess that I am not alone in being conditioned to give loyalty to my home state for a lot of functions: alma mater, sports franchises, Gov't officials (assuming they represent my values, of course), Nat'l spelling bees, etc. Who doesnt root for the homestate contender when competition is on a national/global scale??

Food for thought...one of the rivalries that is alive and well in the hobby is the TTA by state. Gatewood, Eaton, and Klinker have done a standout job in giving us reliable visibility to which states and OUS territories/countries stand on top: http://www.ipga.us/TTAPumpkins.htm

Continued...

4/1/2014 11:54:02 AM

Deer Park, WI

Stillwater HarvestFest has the unique advantage of residing on the state border of MN/WI. Every October this rivalry comes to a head with crowd participation cheering for their respective homelands. Add to the mix that most weighoffs occur during the NFL/college football season, of which many games are state vs state, it adds to the fever pitch of regional competition.

Entertaining the above proposal opens multiple worm cans. Haters and Trolls, please do not skin me for these worms. I get that Texas will never outdo Calif in pumpkin size. I get that European countries are not divisible as states as they are here.

No matter how hard you try, you will never level a competitive playing field such that all the players have an equal shot at the top. Sorry, it cant happen. Doing so destroys the essence of competition. And if you say it can, then you've taken away the ability of the star performers to maintain their competitive advantage.

Handicapping certain demographics due to regional disadvantages (climate, elevation, etc) levels a playing field, but I pose the (likely inflammatory) question- what level of pride is felt by a competitor who outdoes another with the advantage of a handicap?

As an alternative, non-handicapped competition can thrive when it occurs amongst peer groups with similar attributes.
WI may never take the #1 slot in state rankings, but it will always be in fierce competition with its neighbors: MN, MI, SD, IL, IA, etc.

Again, Im not interested in engaging in a pissing match with those who cry foul over the minutia of fair play. Rather, the rhetoric above is offered as food for thought for those in decision making positions who are admirably trying to add another angle of competition and recognition to our beloved hobby. Enjoy!

4/1/2014 11:54:14 AM

Kaukauna, Wisconsin

If we want more more people involved. I think we should do a most improved for each GPC area. From one year to the next

We would add up the weight of the biggest pumpkin or squash from each grower only counting there heaviest fruit. From the top 25 to 50 growers.

This would have all growers in the region working together to improve there weights. Also this is would get more growers to the weigh offs because even a small fruit would count.

Give a pumpkin plaque to the GPC rep form that region for winning.

4/2/2014 10:25:55 PM

Team Munson

The foundation of the GPC is a set of established rules by members representing regions across the globe. These rules are to be uniformly enforced at GPC sanctioned events around the globe with out prejudice or limitation to growers who want to compete.

Through this healthy competition we have seen our hobby/sport thrive on a global level growing bigger & gaining more visibility. With this global appeal our aim is also to think of new ways to stimulate this competition with new challenges with this particular focus on an international format. The clubs & sites reward regional & local milestones that will stimulate competition & rivalries in their area.

The GPC does not make exceptions, handicap, or make limitations to the participants in any of their competitions. This reminds me of the early years of the OVGPG when discussing growers from other regions coming in with bigger pumpkins to our event & members had issue with this. Dick Baird stood up & said it as plain as it could be put "If you don't like losing grow bigger pumpkins".

The aim of this thread was to get input on this proposed format keeping these guidelines in mind. We will discuss the suggestions & decide how to proceed from here & thank you for your input.

Thank you for supporting the GPC,
The Executive Committee

4/3/2014 9:54:48 AM

Ltb

hey pap can you give me a 1623 adress: 2709 azure street alamo,TX 78516

6/9/2014 12:05:14 AM