sculptors from around the world compete in Hampton’s sandcastle competition

Like any artistic endeavor, sculpting a sandcastle requires patience and precision. Serious sand sculptors often spend years cultivating their own techniques, but they all tend to follow a few fundamental rules of the craft.

“The first thing you have to do is make sand stand, and what that requires is moisture and compaction,” said Lucinda Wieranga, better known as “Sandy Feet.” Wieranga came all the way from South Padre Island, Texas, to compete in the 7th annual Master Sand Sculpting Competition at Hampton Beach. As she busied herself molding a demonstration sand sculpture on Tuesday, June 19, Wieranga explained her passion for the art.

“I love being on the beach,” she said. “You sit on the beach long enough and you start doing this.” She lifted a fistful of sand and let it trickle between her fingers. “And then doing this.” She used her hand to rake some sand into a pile. “And then this.” She picked up a small carving tool and squared off the edges of the sand pile. “And before you know it, you’re making something really cool.”

Wieranga has been making elaborate sandcastles for more than 20 years. In that time, she has competed in approximately 300 contests and has written three books about the art of making sandcastles. “It’s endlessly fascinating to me,” she said. “I could probably write three more books.”

Wieranga was one of 13 sculptors to participate in this year’s competition, which marked the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Hampton Beach Village District. The village district formed in 1907, when a group of Hampton residents came together to fund the cost of a fire engine after a devastating blaze gutted the neighborhood. This year, Massachusetts native Justin Gordon sculpted an old-fashioned fire engine out of sand to commemorate the seminal event.

Other sculptors spent the day building various sandcastles engraved with the names of the competition’s sponsors. Local master sculptor Gregg Grady organized the demonstration, which was designed in advance of the actual event held over the weekend. Grady was responsible for bringing the 13 accomplished competitors to Hampton Beach from places like Florida, New York, Quebec, Ontario and elsewhere.

Grady, who has been building sandcastles since he was about three years old, helped create the first competition in Hampton seven years ago. It all started in 1999, when he was commissioned to create a sand replica of the N.H. state quarter for the U.S. Mint. The 10-ton replica generated enough public interest to convince the town to begin funding a sandcastle competition the following year.

Since then, the annual competition has transformed a fenced-off section of the beach into an outdoor art gallery for two sunny weeks each year. Hundreds of beachgoers leaned on the railing overlooking that gallery last weekend, watching the artists project their imaginations into the sand. “It’s something you physically have to see to appreciate,” Grady said.

This year’s competition kicked off with the delivery of 300 tons of sand to Hampton Beach on Friday, June 15. The competitors were supplied with 10-ton piles of sand, which they molded into intricate sculptures the following weekend. A panel of five judges, headed by Grady, appraised the sculptures based on artistic merit, technical difficulty and overall design. The winner received $3,000.

But most participants were in it for the atmosphere more than the opportunity for a cash award. Wieranga said the Hampton Beach competition is one of the best in the nation. She noted that just about all the participating sculptors know each other from prior events. She pointed out fellow sculptor Carl D. Jara, who has received nine medals in the Sand Sculpture World Championships, and has twice received honors for best recovery on the Travel Channel’s “Sand Blasters.”

As Jara worked on a life-sized office made of sand, he detailed the keys to success in sand sculpting. “Always use a lot of water. You’ve got to compact your sand,” he said. “If you don’t do both of those, you’ll just have a pile.”

Jara’s long hair, goateed face and tattooed arms were visible through an arched opening in the sand office as he carefully carved at the window frame. Ben Doubleday helped out, shoveling sand into a trough of water and sloshing it around to keep the mixture moist. Jara hails from Lyndhurst, Ohio, and Doubleday came in from Las Vegas. The pair planned to connect three walls of the office and sculpt some furniture inside.

“The ultimate plan is to test this sand and see how far it’ll go before it collapses,” Jara said. “If we can get this to stand, we can get just about anything to stand.”

The competition featured a spectacular array of mind-boggling “castles,” some carrying complex artistic messages. Wieranga planned to build a rather surreal sculpture, consisting of a figure of a woman that fanned out into a geographical, town and country landscape. All the sculptures will be lighted for night viewing through June 28.

Grady, who lives in Hampton, could not compete in the local event because he is a judge. But he still loves building sandcastles whenever he has the chance. Asked what he enjoys about the art, he offered a simple explanation. “The location, and owning a piece of the beach,” Grady said. “I just can’t lie there on the beach. I’ve got to be doing something.”