How a WA carver turns giant pumpkins into intricate art

KENT — Flecks of orange flew through the air as Russ Leno entered hour eight of his endeavor.

He wielded two thin fishing knives, one in each hand, as he worked away at the 1,077-pound giant, expertly slicing this way and that, like the Edward Scissorhands of pumpkin carvers. With every cut, his vision became clearer.

Nevermind that chunks of the squash were piling up on the ground, or landing on a reporter’s notebook. It didn’t matter that his legs were getting cold. Or that at one point, he nearly nicked himself in the thigh.

The 73-year-old carver, wearing a jack-o’-lantern baseball cap and assisted by his younger brother, Joey, kept going. There was a job to be done.

For more than 100 years, carving pumpkins has been synonymous with Halloween in parts of the world. And while many m