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BROOKLYN WEEKLY, AUGUST 25, 2019
BATTLE BY THE BEACH
BY ROSE ADAMS
Palaces, statues, and
sculptures rose out of Coney
Island Beach as locals
faced off in the 29th
annual Sand Sculpting
Contest on Saturday.
The artists set to
work off the Riegelmann
Boardwalk between W.
10th and W. 12th streets
on Aug. 17, creating their
gritty masterpieces, including
a statue of an
outstretched woman
face-down on the ground,
which won in the individual
adult category,
and an intricate castle
decorated with flowers
and sand dye, which took
home best statue by a
group of adults.
For one sculptor, the
highlight of the event
was watching other participants
carve their creations.
“My favorite part was
seeing the competition,”
said John Sanders, a construction
worker and
poet from Bushwick who
built a sand diorama of
the 7 train riding past
Queens’ Citi Field, home
of the New York Mets.
Sanders has participated
in the contest for
three consecutive years,
and despite his auspicious
surname, he has
yet to win a prize — although
the competition
has helped him hone his
building techniques.
“I use a trowel and
a taper knife,” he said,
claiming that the tools
helped his sculptures appear
smoother and more
finished.
Sculptors may have
spent hours carving their
sandy creations, but the
judges had their work cut
out for them, too.
According to one of the
BEACH BUILDING: More than 200 contestants worked to build 70
sand sculptures at Coney Island’s annual Sand Sculpting Contest.
Photos by Derrick Watterson
three judges, choosing
winners from the competition’s
70 contenders was
no day at the beach.
“It was very difficult
because people do such
amazing jobs,” said Alexandra
Silversmith, the
executive director of the
Alliance for Coney Island,
which co-hosted the
event with the Brooklyn
Community Services, a
nonprofit social services
provider. “We were evaluating
everything by creativity,
difficulty, and
execution. It’s actually a
really hard decision.”
Winners of the three
categories — family,
adult group, and individual
— each took home
a $250 cash prize, Applebee’s
gift cards, and
a gift bag, while second
place won $100, and third
place snagged $50.
But for Silversmith,
the event was more about
fun than it was about
winning.
“You see the families
and the groups that came
out, and especially the
individuals who put so
much energy into their
sculptures,” she said. “I
love to see the dedication
and creativity.”
SANDY SCARES: John Woodard’s sculpture, “Two Thoughts,” depicts a monster trapped behind
bars.
Sand Sculpting Contest takes over Coney Island Beach
SAND PALACE: The winning sculpture in the group adult category, led by John M., included real fl owers,
sand dye, and stone-like detailing.
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