Hampton Beach, NH Sand Sculpture Classic Names Winners

Organizer Greg Grady said the 21st Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic was among the best in its history.

Twelves master sand sculpters from the U.S. and Canada built their creations over three days with the winners being named Saturday night during a presentation hosted by Grady at the Sea Shell.

"The competition pieces themselves really blew me away. Deciding between first and second was one of the most difficult years I have ever had," Grady told Seacoast Current on Sunday morning. "Everybody brought in their A-game. The quality was really up there. In twenty-one years that I've had of judging down there, it's probably the standout point of the year."

The Hampton Beach event was one of the few held in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions on travel and gathering.

"Although they had to wear masks and space out six feet while they were viewing, everybody did everything last year with a smile on their face. This year's everybody's smile was bigger," Grady said.

The sculptures can be seen on a dedicated beach cam courtesy of the Hampton Beach Village District or in-person until Sunday, June 27. Grady said each sculpture is built using just sand and water but once they are complete they are treated to preserve them.

"We spray it with a solution of 10% Elmer's glue and 90% water. It crusts over like an M&M shell so it doesn't dry up and blow it away," Grady said.

The solution is reapplied if it rains.

The winners are:

1st Place: Abe Waterman, Prince Edward Island, Canada, “Empty”
2nd Place & People’s Choice: Mélineige Beauregard, Montreal, Canada, “Rebirth Of Phoenix”
3rd Place: Karen Fralich, Toronto, Canada, “Poker Face”
4th Place: Thomas Koet, Satellite Beach, Florida, “Multiple Piercings”
Sculptor’s Choice: Chris Guinto. Key West, Florida, “Continuum”