At right, watermelon growers John Gallaspy, left, and Mickey Murphy, stand behind the large and tasty fruits of their labor, just waiting for the judging to begin. With melons ranging from 30 to more than 50 pounds, Gallaspy and Murphy were hoping to win the championship. But the 2012 Grand Champion turned out to be a watermelon weighing more than 90 pounds, belonging to Daryl Burnthorn.

COURTESY PHOTOS/Joe Culpepper