Day Three of sand sculpting features individual work on Masters scuptors and the construction of the SandVendor Village

Nov 12, 2010 2 min read

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BECKY BODNAR Jon Woodworth waters down sand on his multi-layered foundation.

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BECKY BODNAR Carl Jara stands atop his structure made of flexible forms stacked one on top of the other.

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BECKY BODNAR John Gowdy works on the top level of his sculpture.

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BECKY BODNAR The Group Sculpture, incorporating sponsor logos, stands completed.

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BECKY BODNAR Katie Corning, the competition coordinator, has acted as a liaison with the master sculptors.

The foundations for the Master Sculptors art are up and some sculptures are taking shape. Day Three of the 24th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship Festival saw the completion of the group carve, individual work beginning and construction work continuing around the sites.

Competing in the Beach championship event at site sponsors Holiday Inn on the Beach, Gullwing and Pointe Estero beach resorts of Sunstream Hotels and Resorts are Carl Jara of Cleveland, Ohio; Lucinda “Sandy Feet” Wierenga of South Padre Island, Tex.; Jeff Strong of Tacoma, Wash.; Amazin’ Walter McDonald of South Padre Island, Tex.; Fred Mallett of Port Aransas, Tex; Sue McGrew from Seattle, Wash.; Karen Fralich of Ontario Canada; Sandis Kondrats of Latvia, European Union; Dan Belcher of St. Louis, Mo.; Bill Dow of Billings, Mont.; John Gowdy of Atlantic City, N.J.; Jon Woodworth of Leander, Tex.; Rusty Croft of Park City, Utah; Kirk Rademaker of Santa Cruz, Calif.; Matt Long of Staten island, N.Y.; and Brad Goll of Austin, Tex.

Florida State and amateur sculptors will also be a part of the five-day Beach festival event including competition days which begins today and finishes Sunday. During these three days, festival attendees can purchase a Master’s View pass for a fenced-off viewing of the Master Sculptors work. The daily rates are children and seniors for $3 each; adults for $5 each; and a family package (parent(s) with children) for $10 per day. The fee structure is also for attendance inventory (helpful for future use in getting sponsorships and Tourist Development Council dollars) and to make sure that the high level of competition continues.

Due to a strict no parking policy at event locations, the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce is providing free parking and a free shuttle service just north of Lover’s Key State Park’s entrance. Expect a lot of traffic coming over Matanzas Skybridge during the weekend.