Sensational Sand Sculptures – Hampton Beach Competition
The seventh annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Competition ran from Thursday through Saturday, attracting thousands of viewers lining up along the sidewalk on Ocean Boulevard to take a glance of what was described as a ‘parade in the sand,’ turning piles of the silty substance into works of art.
Beachgoers will be able to enjoy the masterpieces for about a week. This was the event’s seventh year and by invitation only.
“Since it’s the 100th anniversary of the Hampton Beach Village District, we decided to kick off the celebration with a big parade sculpted in the sand.�? said organizer and master sand sculptor Greg Grady.
The district is the main sponsor behind the event that featured 12 world-class sand sculptors competing for a share of the contest’s $15,000 in prize money.
Returning to the beach this year was ‘Sergeant’ Art Knapp, of Massapequa, New York, and Marianne von den Broek, of Key West, Florida. Last year’s winner Karen Fralich, of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, flew in from Italy to take part in this year’s event, reports Seacoast Online.
For some of the sand sculptors, the event is more than just a competition — it’s a way of life.
Dan Doubleday, from Treasure Island, Fla., has been sculpting sand for nine years, and owns a sand-sculpting business called Sanding Ovations, based in Florida.
“Hampton is the toughest competition on the circuit.�? says Corson. “With the best sand available to work with and 5 of the strongest carvers in the world in one place, it will be a fight to the finish.�?
Marc Lepire of Charlesbourg, Quebec, was completing ‘History Repeating,’ depicting a knight and a futuristic fighter on opposite sides of a wall. Meredith Corson of Treasure Island, Fla., created a display of sea life in delicate details. Lucinda ‘Sandy Feet’ Wieranga designed a great lady with villages growing out of her cape in intricate patterns.
Some competitors have appeared on the Travel Channel show ‘Sand Blasters,’ including Meredith Corson and Dan Doubled’y, who won the TV show’s competition with their zipper head man titled ‘Closed Minded’ this year.
“It is fun to say I compete against those people.” Steve Topazio of Tiverton, R.I., said. Topazio has been sand sculpting professionally for about five years. He said it’s not upsetting when the sculptures come down. “It is a performing art.” he said.
Those inspired by the sculptures could study techniques to create their own in a nearby area using the same sand as the professionals and similar tools.
The sculptures will be bulldozed down on June 29th.
“It is the saddest day in the world.” a Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce employee said earlier this week.
Judges will choose 1st through 5th-place winners based on artistic merit, technical difficulty and overall design. A People’s Choice Award will also be given out.
The public was also asked to judge the works by dropping a ticket into a bucket in front of their favorite creation.
The first-prize winner will receive $2,500. Each participant will receive $500.
All photos WBZ
UPDATE:
Here are some videos for you, since many have been asking how these sculptures are created. They’re not from the competition, but they’re great examples on the procedures and techniques. One is a documentary on Lucinda Wierenga, one of the sculptors in this Hampton Beach event.
Sand Sculpturing
Paul Hoggard & Remy Geerts make a 6 ton sand sculpture of a Maltese Knight in Malta.
Castles of Sand & Water
A documentary on Lucinda ‘Sandy Feet’ Wierenga, master sand sculptor.
Castles Made of Sand
Feature news story produced by Barton Bishoff and Jennifer Arterburn.
The story won an Emmy for Best Light News Feature.
Sand Sculptures — Winning Entries of National Competitions
Champs of U.S. Sandcastle Open, as well as other major competitions,
including Hampton Beach.
Sand Castles and Amazing Sculptures — Austrailia
Sand sculpture competition at Haifa Golden Beach, Australia.
Sand Blaster
Artists build sand sculptures — only to have them blown up a day later.
Related stories:
Mind-Blowing Sand Painting Artist Ferenc Cako
Mind-Blowing Microscopic Sculptures by Willard Wigan
David Altmejd – Sculptor and Artist Extraordinaire
Kim Barker – Award Winning Artist and Painter
$98 Million Diamond Skull Unveiled by Damien Hirst
Michael Bridges – Surrealistic Artist and Painter
Own an Art Masterpiece using Your DNA
18,000 Nude Volunteers for Mexico City Photo by Spencer Tunick
Artist Creates Emotional Maps of Cities using Polygraph and GPS
Wow, that’s pretty amazing how they do that!
I thought I was pretty good at building sand castles, those are great!
oh my goodness! Awesome sand art. Wonder how they did it??!!
It would be amazing to watch the process, just to see how the do it. I’ll see if I can find any videos and I’ll update this if I do.
Wow, sand sculpting is one of those things that truly amazes me.
I’ve watched several shows on the Travel Channel that covered sand sculpting competitions, and it is definitely an intriguing process to watch!
I would loved to have seen those Absinthe. Wild that these people actually earn a living at it!
Pretty Incredible Deborah !!!!!! it’s a shame that they are not permanent……..and I can sympathize with the artists…..it surely must be the saddest day in the world to lose these masterpieces…….
Some people use sand. For a certain time, the sculpture last as temporal witness of creator imagination and patience.
Some people use ice. As for sand sculpture, ice one also plead about author`s skills.
Both are passing-by things. External events, internal factors or, rare case, producer`s will, slowly but surely would destroy them.
Those sculptures are awesome, amazing, sometime are so good done that allmost see them moving as they would be alive.
As well Mother Nature produced plants, animals and anything else. Including human beings. All is sculptures handmade of same great creator. All are temporal, passing-by this life.
Sculpture is an art.
To make things imitating so close life is an art too.
Is then the art to make art, what they done on that beach and everywhere-everytime is repeating.
What a waste that on another beach is an horizontal rain with steel, somewhere else people die of hunger, diseases or at order…
…
I`m not amazed by technique to made sand sculptures, but by the patience to made them so full of details, while awared anytime can be gone ..
Wow! Love the pics. The rough part of this is knowing that the tide will wipe away your creation. But then, a chief faces the same thing when his/her creation is eaten. That’s why we have cameras.
Kim, it would certainly break my heart to see my artwork swept away so soon after creating it. Artists Steve Topazio certainly has a positive attitude towards it as a ‘performing art’, expecting it to be very short lived.
Valentin, that was so eloquently stated! Thank you for your wonderful comment!
I find it sad myself, Texas. I have a great appreciation for art, and hate to see something so incredible only linger in our world for a handful of days.
I have always been amazed at these creations that are made…we watch a competition on tv where the sculptures get blasted and different times…I hate to watch that part! lol!
Hi Jenny, I saw them doing that in the last video. There was another one as well, entirely on blasting the sculptures. I couldn’t bring myself to post it here, it’s hard to watch!
But I guess it’s probably the easiest way to bring them down afterwards. Shame that even has to happen.
[...] Sensational Sand Sculptures – Hampton Beach Competition – Life in the … Sandcastle Open, as well as other major competitions, including Hampton Beach. Sand Castles and Amazing Sculptures — Austrailia Sand sculpture competition at Haifa Golden Beach, Australia. http://www.fastlanetransport.ca/blog/sensational-sand-sculptures-hampton-beach-competition/art [...]
[...] stories: Sand Castle to the Sun – New World Record Sensational Sand Sculptures – Hampton Beach Competition Tags:bizarre hotel odd sand sand hotel sandcastle unusual worlds firstSHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: [...]