While Larry made it a homerun with a fourth day at
Comic-Con, I drove down to Imperial Beach for the
sandcastle competition. It was still hazy when I arrived at 9:00am and the builders were already an hour underway. Remember making your own sandcastle by packing sand into your pail and adding water? Well, these guys do it with trash cans and 4×4-foot wooden forms, much like a foundation for pouring cement. And along with that trade go the trowels, spades, and other thingies that dig and smooth and carve out these sculptures. Secret weapon? Keep that sculpture moist by misting it with water. Frequently. Preferably a pressurized wand and big water tank on your back. Three hours in the sun and the sand can dry out and collapse as did a wall for the classic sandcastle above.
The official website above has not posted the winners as of this writing, but I’m sure the lion and the rockscape will win a top spot. You can walk up and down the beach to see each team’s progress but it’s still amazing to see the finished piece and you still ask yourself how they did it?! One family has been sculpting in this event (its 25th anniversary) for 20 years! Other teams, “Masters” such as “Arch-i-sand”, are professional teams that can be hired out for birthdays and other special events. You don’t have to be an architect to build a sandcastle, but they happen to be.
While Larry made it a homerun with a fourth day at Comic-Con, I drove down to Imperial Beach for the sandcastle competition. It was still hazy when I arrived at 9:00am and the builders were already an hour underway. Remember making your own sandcastle by packing sand into your pail and adding water? Well, these guys do it with trash cans and 4×4-foot wooden forms, much like a foundation for pouring cement. And along with that trade go the trowels, spades, and other thingies that dig and smooth and carve out these sculptures. Secret weapon? Keep that sculpture moist by misting it with water. Frequently. Preferably a pressurized wand and big water tank on your back. Three hours in the sun and the sand can dry out and collapse as did a wall for the classic sandcastle above.
The official website above has not posted the winners as of this writing, but I’m sure the lion and the rockscape will win a top spot. You can walk up and down the beach to see each team’s progress but it’s still amazing to see the finished piece and you still ask yourself how they did it?! One family has been sculpting in this event (its 25th anniversary) for 20 years! Other teams, “Masters” such as “Arch-i-sand”, are professional teams that can be hired out for birthdays and other special events. You don’t have to be an architect to build a sandcastle, but they happen to be.
