In 2002, I did a couple of sculptures at the World Championships in Harrison Hot Springs, BC, which helped me understand the basics of packing a good block of sand and what tools to use. The following spring, I received an invitation to represent BC at a national contest to be held in Gatineau, Quebec.
It was a doubles event; I needed a partner.
None of the artists I knew through snow sculpture were interested, so I asked a nearby artist if he would like to go. Fortunately for me, David Ducharme said yes. We were awarded both second place and People’s Choice in Gatineau.
Our successes there led to an invite to carve in Quebec City about six weeks later. We soaked up the excitement and were inspired by the quality of work surrounding us. A few weeks after that I was back at the World Championships, but with Ducharme at my side; we won the Doubles Event! David and I were a solid team and started winning a number of masters events, learning more with every sculpture.
“The genuine happiness we feel in sharing our talents with the world is palpable”
I won my first solo event in Parksville in 2006, eventually amassing six first-place wins there.
Between contests and commissioned works, it was suddenly possible to make a living as an artist.
A small, tight-knit community of master sculptors
I discovered there are relatively few master sandsculptors in the world, and we are like one big family. Amazingly, you can recognize almost everyone by just their first name!
Even though we are competing against each other, there is a positive friendship among us. We feel the pain when another artist has a collapse (yes, sand sculptures do fall down), and we admire each other’s works, appreciate pieces that push the boundaries, or find unique ways to tell the story. The genuine happiness we feel in sharing our talents with the world is palpable.
Finding the right sand for the job
Contrary to what you may think, sand sculpture is not just a beach thing. In fact, the best sand is usually not at the beach at all.
We like to work with sharp, fine-grained pit sand, which is not always easy to find. On Vancouver Island, the supply is getting short. The Parksville Beach Festival organizers save the sand from year to year, replenishing it with a bit of fresh material. It’s also important the supply pit is relatively close by, due to the transportation cost of moving all that heavy sand around.
I am fortunate to have a supply of wonderful carving sand up in the Kootenays where I live. I keep a bin of the clean stuff close at hand for creating test pieces, as well as original works from which I make molds.
These pieces can later be created in welded steel or concrete, transforming the ephemeral into permanent works.
Different from other forms of sculpture, sand sculpting requires the artist to have a clear idea of the scale of the piece when they begin.
If we are sculpting a piece taller than us, we stand on the lower forms, finishing the top areas completely before removing those lower levels.
Once this is done, those areas are no longer accessible. We must finish our work completely as we move down the piece, which also prevents sand from dropping onto finished elements. But the challenges are a part of the joy. Very few mediums allow us to create monumental works in only a few days.
“Currently, Parksville’s event is the only masters level sand sculpture contest in Canada, and it continues to attract top international artists due to the great location and wonderful hospitality”
The history behind Parksville’s world-class competition
The Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition at the Parksville Beach Festival began back in 1982 as one of those crazy “between the tides” carving contests. It required teams of helpers to bucket water from the sea, carry the necessary forms to prime spots on the beach, and shovel madly in the short time available. Due to the wildness of the crowds, it ended up getting cancelled. Thankfully, it was resurrected as a fenced “above the beach” contest in 2000. It has steadily grown into one of the top sand sculpting contests in the world.
Currently, Parksville’s event is the only masters level sand sculpture contest in Canada, and it continues to attract top international artists due to the great location and wonderful hospitality.
While I won’t be sculpting this year, I have the great honour of judging the competition.
If you miss the action, don’t worry. These world class sculptures will be on display all summer long, from July 13-August 16, 2026. See you at the beach!
