Seaside Canvas
International sand sculptors compete at Hampton Beach
The 22nd annual Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic is going on now. This event unofficially kicks off summer and transforms the beach into a museum of inventive sand sculptures, created by talented artists who travel all over the world to compete. There are 10 competitors this year, some coming from as far away as California and Hawaii, vying for $16,000 in prize money.
A week ago, 200 tons of moist, fine-grain sand was trucked onto the beach from a local quarry for the event. The first activity these 10 sculptors do is create a group carve featuring all the sponsors of the event. This year’s theme is “The Greatest Show in Sand,” and master sculptor Greg Grady said the group project is a team effort.
“We communicate all year to decide the theme,” he said.
Grady fashioned a New Hampshire quarter out of sand in 2000, and that’s how the whole sand sculpting competition was born. Grady himself has made a living making sand sculptures for 25 years, is very active in the sand sculpture world and is the organizer of the event. His son, Greg Grady Jr., is also a master sculptor and will be competing in Hampton this year.
“It was always a family tradition to visit the Cape and build sand sculptures,” Grady said. “My son naturally got into it after I started taking him to competitions with me.”
The pair did a team competition in Siesta Key, Florida, just last year.
Every sculptor gets a 20- by 20-foot plot with a mountain of 12 tons of sand to fashion into a sculpture of their choice. The individual competition starts on Thursday, June 16, and continues through Saturday, June 18, when the winners will be announced at 7 p.m. The sculptors have a total of 24 hours, eight hours per day, to complete their pieces. Once finished, the sculptures are sprayed with a mixture of 90 percent Elmer’s glue and 10 percent water. The finishing coat acts as a shell to preserve the sand.
“Each participant has a shot at winning seven grand if they take first place and get selected as the People’s Choice,” Grady said.
The People’s Choice winner will take $1,000 home, and voting will be on Saturday, June 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. This year, $6,000 goes to the first-place winner, with $4,000 going to second place, $3,000 for third, and $2,000 for fourth.
Last year’s first-place winner was Abe Waterman from Prince Edward Island, Canada. Waterman created a figure which he named “Empty,” a 10-foot-tall woman’s head with tears streaming down her face. On the ground in front and in back of the sculpture were frustrated people curled up in fetal positions. Waterman explained that his breakup with his wife inspired him to design the imaginative piece.
“Not all of my sculptures are based on personal themes, but the better ones are,” he said.
He also took first place in 2018 in Hampton with his “Temptation” sculpture, an enticing woman morphed as part of a bottle of liquor. A small scaled devil was perched on the backside of the sculpture. Waterman began his craft by competing in snow sculpting contests in Prince Edward Island before moving on to sand sculpting, and he’s been participating in the Hampton Beach Classic now for a few years. The best part for him, he said, is being in the company of other great sculptors.
“We enjoy what we do,” he said. “We’re all good friends. We’re like a family.”
Waterman suggested that people take time to watch the sculptors at work instead of just showing up to view the finished figures.
“Check out the headway of how we build these sculptures,” he said. “It may look like we’re moving slowly, but trust me, we’re making good progress.”
Waterman said he feels that the judges have a very difficult task, as each sculpture is different in theme and design.
“It’s not just a matter of which one is better,” he said. “The judges may disagree completely based on their own personal tastes. Being a sculptor is much easier than being a judge,” he said.
This year’s judges include Gov. Chris Sununu, local artist Denise Brown and Greg Grady Sr.
Also on Friday and Saturday, professional sculptor Darlene Duggan will be giving free sand sculpting lessons from 1 to 3 p.m. Interested people must sign up starting at noon the day of the lesson, and young participants ages 8 through 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Duggan has been teaching the basics of sand sculpting for over 20 years and shares her experience with the public as part of the event.
The Sand Sculpting Classic’s main sponsor is the Hampton Beach Village District, an organization that puts on many events at the beach, including free concerts on the Seashell Stage, fireworks, movies on the beach, and Children’s Week in August. According to Chairman Chuck Rage, the sand sculpting competition attracted over 100,000 spectators last year.
“It’s family-friendly, it’s free, and people get to see museum-quality sculptures right here at the beach,” he said. “It attracts international sculptors and it’s a great event.”
Grady invited everyone to come and see the amazing artists and their sand creations. Volunteers will be walking around during the event to answer questions and distribute brochures. The sculptures will also be lighted for evening viewing through Sunday, June 26.
— Betty Gagne
Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic
When: Thursday, June 16, to Saturday, June 18. The area will be illuminated for viewing through Sunday, June 26.
Where: Hampton Beach, 180 Ocean Blvd., Hampton
Cost: Free admission for viewers.
More info: hamptonbeach.org
Courtesy photo.
