SUMMARY- 2002 WORLD SANDSCULPTING CHAMPIONSHIP

 Aloha Gang!
This Link will let you see some of the first photo's of competition
(the
quality ain't great) and I haven't developed mine yet.
The World Sandsculpting Championships! Yes, it's everybody's chance
to
win the title of "World Champion," but for many of us it's like a class
reunion with partying every day and night The airport pickup this year and
the two hour travel time to Harrison was accented by a limo pickup. OK, it
wasn't a brand new limo, but it did make an impression that this years
competition was going to be something special! Besides myself, there were
four "Euro-sculptors" included in the pickup, naturally, with me in the
Limo,
we had to make a few stops; a grocery. hardware, and liquor store. What
made
it fun, was that the driver would pull up right up front and wait for us.
OK,
we had to do the "No Pictures" hand waving when we got out at the grocery
store (come on you would have done it too)!
I arrived early this year (with many other sculptors) to help out
with a
(non-entry) sand tribute for the late Mayor Don Ramsay. It turned out
great.
A special thanks to everyone who helped!
Arriving early also allows one to grab the good forms and tools. Each
truck load was like piranha to a piece of meat. OK, it wasn't that bad. But
the early arrival was a great opportunity to greet everybody as they
arrived.
This year I was fortunate to put together a team (2 Dutch, & 1 French)
from the three European projects I did this summer. And just as luck would
have it we were split into three different hotels. Showing my team the city
of Harrison took all but 29 minutes, with the lake and the stunning
mountain
vista taking 10 of those minutes.
The doubles competition is three days before the solo and team
competition, and always a good time to watch other master sculptors and
maybe
pick-up a new sand trick or two. The contest was a virtual who's who in
sand,
and I was thankful not to be called on to be a judge this time. With the
doubles competition finished and judged (winners announced on Sunday) It
was
now time for the teams and solo's to begin!
This being the first competition for my team. It was agreed on that
they
would use it as a learning experience, and just have fun. I did however,
promise them that we would try to win "best handpacked" (knowing that any
win
at the World Competition would look good on their sand-resume's). Trying to
explain to a "Euro" the minds of the "North American Sand-Public" and what
is
funny or a winning idea, is like them trying to explain to me how the
"Hanza"
Period was the precursor to the European Union (don't ask). Every
questionable idea of mine in sand, was blown away with the giggles and
laughs
by the crowds, and Martijn (my teammate) smiling and shaking his head, and
then looking quickly at me to see if I caught him at it (caught him
everytime, even when his back was turned). Oh, your probably wondering what
we created. The title was "Melanoma Beach" (did you just shake your head)?
Yes, it was a beach scene with a lot of the crazy thing you've witnessed
yourself on a beach or two. With four out of the six teams competing doing
massive poundups of 12 feet or more, with ours, and the two-man team of
Walter and Kirk's little handpacked sculptures sitting in their shadows.
OK, this story's getting to long, Yada, Yada, Yada, the solo's and
teams
finished, judging, nail biting, the awards. We got Second! Let me say that
again, WE GOT SECOND IN THE WORLD! And best Handpacked! $6500! I was
shocked!
Our lowly handpacked beat Poundups! For those of you who don't know what
that
means in sand. That's like a guy with a cast, taking second in the
marathon!

Yada