There is a new state champion in West Virginia, and his name is Dr. Christopher Rodebaugh of Ronceverte.
Rodebaugh is a dentist with a practice on Maplewood Ave in Fairlea. When he is not fixing smiles, Rodebaugh spends his time growing championship squash. And his latest effort has set the record for the largest squash ever grown in West Virginia.
At a competition held in Spring Hope, N.C., Rodebaugh’s record-smashing squash weighed in at a massive 955-pounds. The previous record of 607-pounds had stood for several years before Dr. Rodebaugh bested it by 348-pounds.
When asked what motivated him to grow such a mammoth squash, Rodebaugh said, “One of my friends had the previous record, and I wanted to take it from him.”
It seems friendly competition is not the only motivating factor behind Dr. Rodebaugh’s pursuits. Next year, he hopes to beat his own record.
“2,000 pounds man,” Rodebaugh said. “That’s the goal.”
Even though the weigh-in was held in North Carolina, all participants must grow their entries in their home state. However, Dr. Rodebaugh’s squash did not make the return trip to West Virginia, as he opted to sell it at the competition. It remains to be seen if Rodebaugh can reach the unfathomable 2,000-pound mark in next year’s competition.
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