It's
Labor Day 2014, and I'm heading over to the Broadway Pier on the 9:30
am ferry. It's always a treat to ride the boat between Coronado and
downtown San Diego, however, today it is particularly special because
I'm going to visit one of the “ten best sand sculpting competitions
in the world.”
The US Sand Sculpting Challenge & 3D-Art Experience is normally held
on Labor Day weekend at the B Street Pier in San Diego; this is the 4th and last day of the event. It consists
of two levels of competition: World Masters, which are the best from
around the world, and local teams. The first day was
Friday, which would have been interesting; that's when they begin
carving their masterpieces from large blocks of hard sand from river
banks. They finish one day later. It's hard to believe they can
accomplish these works of art in such a short time.
 |
| Shoo-B-Doo-B-Doo By Kirk Rademaker |
I
first observed the Shoo-B-Doo-B-Doo sculpture near the
entrance. The artist, Kirk Rademaker, is known as the Sand Guy and is
one of the stars of Sand Masters on the Travel Channel. He is
a local, and is often seen at the Coronado beach where he produces
sandcastles in front of the historic Hotel Del Coronado.
 |
| SEED By JOOheng Tan |
I
continued my walk along the pier to see all of the masterpieces
including the 2014 winners. The First Place masterpiece was titled,
“Seed” or “Anything that provides Imagination
for later work.” The artist, JOOheng Tan, is from Singapore.
His works, showcased in 50 cities in 20 countries, have won numerous
awards. The London Daily Mail refers to him as the Vincent Sand
Gogh.
 |
| TRIQUETRA By Sue McGrew |
The
second place winner was awarded to the sculpture, “Triquetra.”
by Sue McGrew an American artist. She is also featured on the Travel
Channel's Sand Masters. The sculpture is in the shape of a
triangle with three large peepholes that depict a woman in various
stages of her life: young, middle-aged and old. The following
statement, that Sue wrote in long hand, was hanging in the wind near
her work of art:
“To
those looking in, life is a mystery that can never by seen in full
except by ourselves. Each day is just a sliver, a window into a stage
of our life. We can try to freeze that moment in time with a picture,
but it hardly captures the instant.”
 |
| PEACE OF MIND By Melineige Beauregard |
The
third place honor was given to “Peace of Mind,” by Melineige Beauregard. She is a world famous artist from Canada who won 2nd
place at the 2013 Sand Sculpting Challenge. She describes her art as
“a means of communication, a way to transmit the energy of life, to
affirm its vastness and its beauty.”
 |
| We need a bigger boat By John Gowdy |
The
winner of the People's Choice award was called We need a bigger
boat by John Gowdy. John is a retired fire captain from New
Jersey who is now living in Italy. He is internationally acclaimed as
an artist in several medias.
I
continued walking along the pier, enjoying all ten master works and
the many team sculptures. At the end of the pier, there's a lovely
view of Coronado and the bay with many boats passing by on this
popular holiday weekend. In addition, I had the pleasure of seeing
two tall ships: American Pride-USA and America-USA, from the nearby
Festival of Sail—shooting their cannons directly in front of me.
In
addition to the sculptures, a festive atmosphere prevails here with
live music, dozens of food vendors and art booths. I noticed the
crowds increasing as the day went on—I was glad that I arrived
early to avoid the lines.
Afterwards,
I walked about six blocks to enjoy a cup of coffee in the air
conditioned Starbuck's, located at the Headquarters. This is the old
police department complex that was renovated and reopened in 2013.
It has become one of my favorite places to stop for coffee because
of the location and surrounding architecture.
 |
| STARBUCKS HEADQUARTERS AT SEAPORT DISTRICT |
 |
| AMERICAN PRIDE-USA |
 |
| AMERICA-USA |
 |
| EMBRACED By Helena Bangert |
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