| Spectacular Sandsculptures on the Beach |
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| November 15, 2007 |
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I attended my first sandsculpting event on November 8th and 9th, 2007 and discovered that sandsculpting is a lot more than just building sandcastles on the beach. Artists from all over the World participated in the event and produced some incredible works of art in the sand. The VISITFLORIDA video crew met me at the event to help create a short video of the sandsculpting, which you will be able see right here on the VISITFLORIDA.COM website - stay tuned.
The event was the 21st Annual American Sandsculpting Championship Festival and is held on Fort Myers Beach, Florida. It was hosted by the Outrigger Beach Resort and the Holiday Inn Fort Myers Beach. Half of the sandsculpting artists carve sand at the Outrigger, while the other half are at the Holiday Inn.
The two hotels are about a half-mile apart, but you can easily see the artists at both locations by taking a walk on the white sandy beach. And the walk is made easier by an oasis of vendors located at the halfway point. You can buy something cool to drink, have some ice cream, or just browse the selection of crafts.
We interviewed a number of the Master Sandsculptors and found them to be very passionate about what they are doing and very happy to talk about their craft.
I asked the sculptors if they had any tips they could suggest for building better sandcastles or sandsculptures on the beach. Each sculptor said that the more water you use, the better. Get that sand wet! Other suggestions were to be creative and try out new techniques, new tools, and different designs. Don't be afraid to mess up! And have patience. Lots of it.
Many of the sculptures were nearly 10 feet tall. The artists use wooden forms to help support the base, and then used various tools and techniques, beginning at the top, and working their way down, adding form and detail. We saw sculptures of dragons, monkeys, sandcastles, abstracts, movie characters, historical figures, and lots of other eye-catching manifestations of the artists' creative energy.
The sandsculptors worked all day on their creations for three days before the judging. Fortunately the weather was perfect (mid 70's during the day with clear blue skies and a refreshing north breeze)and kept everyone energetic. And all the artists we talked with said that the sand here on Fort Myers Beach is some of the best sand you can find for sculpting. Dave Walker, a sand sculptor from St. Augustine, Florida said that the sand on Fort Myers Beach has grains that are angular, as opposed to worn and rounded, which helps the sand hold together well.
Of course seeing such great work inspired the amateurs and there were many fine creations made down near the water by children and adults. We even found one large sandcastle that was the work in progress of three families.
Jeanne Bigos, Director of Sales & Marketing at the Outrigger Beach Resort, and Georgia Reinmuth of the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce helped us find parking for the huge VISIT FLORIDA RV that carries the video crew. Jeanne was also extremely helpful in helping us get some great video and she gave us lots of interesting info about the history of the event and some other details that you might find interesting. Be sure to look for the Beach Expert video on Sandsculpting right here on VISITFLORIDA.com.
I had a great time at the sandsculpting festival, and so did the 60 to 70 thousand other people who attended this incredible 5-day event.
So the next time you're at the beach feeling creative, why not try your hand at creating a masterpiece in the sand!
See you at the beach! |
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| It's all about the sand! Sand sculpture at the Annual American Sandsculpting Championship in Fort Myers Beach. |
| Credit: David McRee, VISIT FLORIDA Beaches Expert |
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