THE HARRISAND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF SAND SCULPTING

Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia
by Susie Lee

The Harrisand Sand Sculpting Competition is the biggest and most prestigious Sand Sculpting Competition in the World. This invitational tournament attracts the best artists from around the globe. Because all competitors have either won this event in the past or have been personally invited by the organizing committee, visitors can expect to see only the best sculptures each year. This annual spectacle is usually held after the Canadian Labour Day weekend in September at the charming village of Harrison Hot Springs.

THE SAND

According to Harrisand organizer, Karen Bell, the sand found at the beach at Harrison Hot Springs was dredged from the bottom of Harrison Lake in the 1970’s. As a result the sand is angular and contains high contents of silt, making the Harrison sand stack much better than sand found from the ocean. This creates an ideal situation for the master sculptors as they are able to push their creative limits as they build their master pieces. Incidentally, The world's tallest hand-built sandcastle was created at the Harrisand World Championship Competition and was recorded in The Guinness Book of World Records.

THE SCULPTURES

As I entered the competition site at the beach, I felt like I was walking inside a museum or art gallery. There seemed to be an atmosphere of reverence and quietness. It seemed as though the spectators were in their own world of interpretation as they gazed and admired the amazing sculptures.

During my visit, I met master sculptors from various parts of the world including Russia, Holland, Mexico, Belgium, Canada, and the United States. The sculptors are allotted certain number of hours to work on their sculptures, depending on which category they are in. The Solo's are given twenty-two hours, the Doubles are given fifty person-hours and the Teams (two to ten people) are given one hundred person-hours. Though they are working against the clock, many of the artists still graciously took time to answer questions from curious onlookers like myself.

To create their works of art, sculptors are permitted to use any non mechanical tools like shovels, spades, knives or buckets. I found it most intriguing to observe some artists using unconventional tools like straws and balloon pumps to help shape the intricate details in their sculptures. For me, watching the artists create their sculptures was just as fun and interesting as observing the finished pieces.

STANDING THE TEST OF TIME

On the last day of the competition, I witnessed a sand sculpture crumble to pieces. When I spoke with the artist, she said her sculpture fell because she had not compressed it enough at the beginning. She calmly and quickly modified her sculpture just hours before judging. I learned that a crucial component to sand sculpting is compressing and pounding the sand in the beginning stages in order to establish a solid foundation so that the art work will be able to stand the test of time.

When sculptures are completed, the artists will spray their pieces with a biodegradable and environmentally friendly glue-like substance. This final touch will help seal in the moisture and protect the sculpture from the natural elements. Amazingly enough, many of these sculptures can stay up for weeks and even months, allowing people to enjoy this outdoor art museum for months after the competition is long over.

THE WINNERS

I shared in the excitement as I congratulated “The Revolutionaries” for their first place finish in the team category for its masterpiece, “Jungle Book”. This team was unique as the members were internationally united from Russia, United States and Canada. I also had a chance to talk with the winners in the doubles category, Kevin Crawford and Dan Belcher. When I asked Kevin about the meaning behind their piece “I Shall Fear No Evil”, he told me that it was not for the spiritual aspect, but rather that he just wanted an excuse to carve “evil stuff”! It was extra special for Dan Belcher as he also won first place in the Solo category for his Samson & Delilah piece. Dan said he appreciated the movement, story and strong features of biblical and mythological characters.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It was magical to be able see the grains of sand come alive in forms dragons, cities, fairies, legends, people, and fantasies. Each sculpture captured the essence of the artist's imagination, dedication and hard work. I believe this event was more than just a competition amongst rivals but rather it represented a time of reunion of masters as they expressed their skills and talents.

FUN FACTS

How are they able to build them so high? They use wooden forms. The bottom form is filled with sand & water and the next one, usually slightly smaller, is put on top of it. The one underneath is then used to stand on as they go up. When the desired height is reached, they take off the top form and carve it, take off the next one & carve it, all the way back down, again using the bottom forms as a ladder. (source: www.harrisand.org)

ADVENTURE TIPS

• Every year, the contest starts the Tuesday after Labour Day. The final judging is on Sunday afternoon and the exhibition of finished sculptures continues until Canadian Thanksgiving/Columbus Day in October.
• Bring a camera or video camera with extra battery and memory cards (guarantee you will take tons of pictures)
• No dogs are allowed at the beach
• Be sure to supervise young children, you don’t want them to accidentally topple down someone’s work of art.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Harrisand 2008

+ Part 1: HARRISON HOT SPRINGS
+ Part 2: WORLD SANDSCULPTING COMPETITION
+ Part 3: FRASER RIVER STURGEON FISHING

+ Download PDF One-sheet
+ Harrisand 2008