CHECKMATE: Canadian captures American Sand Sculpting solos
Canadian Master Sculptor Abe Waterman utilized one of the world’s most popular games in capturing the solo division of the 2014 American Sand Sculpting Championships at Wyndham Garden Hotel on Sunday.
Waterman, from Prince Edward Island, carved a scene from a chess match between a king and queen to gain the gold medal among the 16 master sculptors that represented nine different countries and 10 states. The sculpture titled “Who’s Turn Is It Anyway?” took 20 hours to build.
“It came to me actually the night before we started,” said Waterman, who was also selected by his peers for Sculptors’ Choice, the second straight year he was honored for that. “I was just searching for an idea. It seemed like a neat idea. It was all I had at the time, so I went with it. It evolved a bit.”
The chess game involves two locked pawns, a bishop of little us and two kings battling it out.
“Initially it was going to be two kings playing against each other,” Waterman said. “There is an endgame on here that neither player can win. They are tired, battling, but still carrying on for the sake of it.”
The Sunday awards ceremony under the outdoor tent produced the top four judged master sculptors and six category Amateur competition winners of either mixed teams or individuals. For the master sculptures, Canadian Delayne Corbett placed second with “Ocean Dream,” Greg Brady of Hampton Beach, N.H. took third with “Robo-Thought” and Canadian Bruce Waugh was fourth with “Transformation Of The Rock Fish.”
The People’s Choice Award -one can vote by placing money within the jugs near whichever sculpture you like best- will be announced this Sunday at the awards ceremony.
The American Sand Sculpting Championships will run through next Sunday (Nov. 30) when 10 doubles master sculptors (five teams) go for gold and 11 Advanced Amateurs compete for the Florida State Championship title. Overall, there are nearly 50 sand sculptures for spectators to admire, including carvings from the amateur contest.
“Thank you very much for attending,” Sand Lovers’ Bill Knight told the crowd that stayed until the ceremony was over.
The 28th annual championship event features many other competitions, including “Quick Sand” (audience-participation show where two sculptors go head-to-head for a 10-minute sculpting competition by sculpting a subject selected by someone in the audience), “Flying Colors” (Master Sculptor John Gowdy uses a blank, spinning canvas and creates a portrait of a famous person or object, timed to music in less than 10 minutes), sand sculpting lessons and demonstrations, Magician Albert Lucio, Canadian recording artist Nick Beauregard and other live entertainment, a sand vendor village, photo opportunity sculptures, a kids’ activity area and Make-A-Wish Day, where 20 percent of the proceeds generated from gate admission on Nov. 22 were donated to the organization that grants wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Waterman’s huge day included a championship victory in the “Quick Sand” competition. He defeated Daytona Beach Master Sculptor Suzanne Altamare in the speed carving by receiving the largest audience ovation for “Bigfoot Holding An Ice Cream.” Last year, he teamed with Morgan Rudluff to take top honors in the American Sand Sculpting Championships Doubles Division.
Presented by the Seminole Casino of Immokalee, the biggest sand sculpting event in the state is once again managed by Big C Events, Pinchers Crab Shack, Wyndham Garden Hotel and The Sand Lovers in coordination with the Greater Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce. Besides Make-A-Wish, charity benefactors are Teen Challenge, The Kiwanis Club and Lover’s Key State Park. The master sculptors collectively hold more than 300 competition medals and many of them are World Champions.
Tickets at the gate are $5 for adults and children 5 and older, while kids age 4 and under are free. Go to www.FMBSandSculpting.com for more information.