Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic 2024: What you need to know
HAMPTON — Just a week away from welcoming 200 tons of imported sand, Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic organizer Greg Grady has one simple piece of advice for the competitors in the 24th annual contest.
Show him and the rest of the judges something they have never seen before if you want to take home the top prize.
“Absolutely, that’s part of the judging criteria, and if it’s repetitious, they’re not going to win,” said Grady. “That in itself is the most amazing aspect of the whole sand sculpture world is the people coming up with different ideas each year. That’s what really piques my interest each year.”
The annual contest kicks off June 14 with the creation of the 100-ton sponsor site, “Sand Wars – May the Beach Be With You,” and comes to a close on Saturday, June 22, with fireworks and the individual awards ceremony.
Returning to the beach this year is defending champion Me?lineige Beauregard, who is looking to become the first sculptor to win three straight titles since fellow competitor Carl Jara reeled off three in a row in the early days of the event.
Last year, Beauregard, an artist from Captain Cook, Hawaii, was awarded not only $6,000 for first place, but another $1,000 for the People's Choice Award for her sculpture, “Love is a Universal Temple.” The sculpture soulfully depicted a mother and child embracing in the shape of a cathedral.
In all, $25,000 in prize money will be handed out in this year’s competition to the top four places, along with the People’s Choice Award. Gov. Chris Sununu will give the Governor’s Award to his favorite sculpture in the event funded by the Hampton Beach Village District and various local sponsors in cooperation with the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce and the NH Division of Parks.
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Sculptors have three days to create masterpieces in the sand
The solo competition runs Thursday through Saturday, June 20-22.
Each sculptor is supplied with 10 tons of sand for their creation and will have 8 hours each day (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), totaling 24 hours to work on their sculpture.
The 10 competitors have all day Wednesday, June 19, to prepare for the contest with what they call “pound-up day,” or the pounding of piles of sand into their beginning shape.
Judging is based on overall impact, or "wow factor," and technical skill and degree of difficulty.
Voting for the People’s Choice Award will be held on Saturday, June 22 (1-3 p.m.), followed by the awards ceremony (8 p.m.) and fireworks.
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Who are the sculptors competing this year at Hampton Beach?
After orchestrating the last 23 events, Grady has shifted much of the responsibility for this year’s event to his son, Greg Grady Jr., who is a talented sculptor in his own right. The younger Grady had competed in the event the past two years but failed to place or show in either year, which meant another invitation was not extended.
“The rule of thumb is if you don’t show or place in two years that we open up a spot, and I told him, ‘Well the rules apply to you this year,’” Grady added with a chuckle, about his son, who helps him put on a handful of other sand sculpting events each year throughout New England.
Greg Jr.'s absence, along with several others has opened the door for four new sculptors, including three highly acclaimed international competitors, all of whom have yet to feel the sand between their toes in Hampton.
“I’m really happy about it because it’s going to show the viewers another side of sand sculpture,” Grady said. “Everyone seems to have their own little twist. Europeans and people from other countries tend to see art a little bit differently.”
Headlining the impressive group of newcomers is renowned Latvian artist Karlis Ile.
“Out of the whole lineup, I would say he’s the best sculptor there,” Grady lauded. “He’s a perfect gentleman, but he’s here to win.”
Also making their debuts in Hampton are esteemed Russian carver Dmitry Klimenko and British Columbia sculptor David Ducharme. The lone newcomer from the states is Andy Daily of Sarasota, Florida, who is someone Grady has been watching closely for quite some time.
“Andy is finally coming to fruition, Andy has finally got it,” said Grady of the sculptor. “Andy couldn’t believe we invited him because the caliber of sculptors is so high.”
The four new additions round out a very formidable 10-person field, which includes Prince Edward Island’s Abe Waterman, who took home second place last year with his poignant work, “Dave is Here.” The sculpture paid homage to his late friend and sculptor David Andrews.
Other familiar faces returning include Justin Gordon, known for his 50-ton sand sculpture at the Topsfield Fair in Massachusetts, and five-time world champion sand sculptor Karen Fralich.
Grady said the influx of new faces and styles should only raise the level of the annual summer staple event, which has grown to become one of the preeminent sand sculpting competitions in the world.
“It ups the game for everyone else, and I didn’t bring in slouches to begin with, so it just makes everything better,” said Grady. “The stars just really aligned this year. We had four open spots, and I brought in the four best I could find.”
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Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic 2024 schedule
June 14: 200 tons of imported sand dropped on Hampton Beach
June 14-17: Sculptors create a massive 100-ton sponsor site
June 18: Sponsor site grand finale with a master group carve
June 20-22: Master solo competition featuring 10 world-class sculptors
June 22: Judging and People’s Choice Award voting from 1 to 3 p.m.
June 22: Awards ceremony, 8 p.m., Seashell Stage
June 22-26: Sculptures will remain on display, illuminated at night
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic 2024
