Dan's Papers - August 10, 2007 - Twenty Hampton Castles are Built on the Beach in East Hampton

Last Saturday, August 4th, the Clamshell Foundation of East Hampton hosted the 16th Annual Sandcastle Contest at Atlantic Ave. Beach in Amagansett. Started by Rossetti Perchik in 1991, the goal and purpose of the corporation is to "enrich the lives of others by fostering education in health, cultural and environmental fields of endeavor." All of the Sandcastle Contest's proceeds were given to worthy organizations such as Toys for Tots, the Dory Rescue Squad, the U.S. Coast Guard for Boating Safety Week and local food pantries. With 127 sponsors, the largest of any year, Rossetti said, "This is the best year we have ever had."

It was a perfect day for sandcastle building -- the weather was warm and the sand ready for sculpting. This year's contest was a sight to see, with 68 teams registered and over one thousand people at the beach observing the castles being constructed.

"We have some of the best beaches, so it's a primal thing to do. To push something around in the sand is irresistible," said Perchik. The beach was a whirlwind of color and vibrancy, with booths set up by WBAZ, "The Light on the Bays" and Dr. Debi Warner, a renovation psychologist conducting sandcastle research.

The contest commenced at 9 a.m. and ran until 4:30 p.m. Under a yellow-and-white striped tent, each team of six or fewer filled out an entry form and paid a $10 fee. Also under the tent, raffle tickets and t-shirts designed by Frank Sofo were sold, with all proceeds donated to the Clamshell Foundation.

Fifteen prizes were awarded to the five different categories' teams: Sand Fleas (up to 8 years old), Sand Hoppers (ages 9-15), Sand Tribes (families), Sand Shapers (adults) and Sand Pros (professionals), as well as one prize for the overall winner and one prize for honorable mention. However, each builder had a reason or logic behind their design, whether they were Sand Pros or Sand Fleas. Artie Knapp, one of the Sand Pros from Massapequa, has been coming to the contest for ten years.

"This is stress relief therapy," said Knapp who had been working since 9:00 a.m. on his clown Sandcastle. Complete with a goofy hat and a defined, curvy ruff around the neck. Knapp has been carving Sandcastles as a hobby for 25 years. Also entered in the contest were Laura, Harvey and Erin Hunerberg who were in the Sand Tribe category. Coming all the way from California, it was their first year entered in the Sandcastle Competition.

"It's really cool to see everyone come and have fun at the beach. People come from all over and there are different levels of skill and ability," said Harvey Hunerberg. Representing one team of Sand Fleas were Brian Winters, Sophie Winters, Jared Zelman and Carleigh Zelman. It was also their first year at the contest and although they were some of the youngest competitors at the event, they understood the importance of going green, even when it comes to building sandcastles.

"We used burnt wood from old bonfires and seaweed. We didn't hurt the environment and we recycled," said Sophie Winters. This team worked together to create a large volcano with a flammable crater and authentic looking lava and volcanic rocks for the outer edges. Tina Piette, a judge for the contest said, "It was a lot of fun to see kids work without the help of parents and be creative on their own."

Each sandcastle was judged based on five criteria -- animation, texture, fun, originality and quality. Each castle could receive a total of five points in each category.

At the end of the day, seventeen prizes were handed out to the winners. With a first, second and third place winner for each category, all winners received not only a sandcastle-shaped trophy, but also an envelope containing gift certificates and prizes. The overall winners for the competition included Ben Latham, Kevin Foran, Pierce Kelley, Josh Brussell, and Jeremy Quitko. Their award-winning Sandcastle named, "Shark Attack" displayed a lifelike portrait of two sharks eating a man on a raft. With white shells used as teeth, the team's ability to transform a pile of sand and water into a complex and creative structure was what won over the judges. Judge Tom Steele said, "I'm really impressed by the Shark Week sculpture. It's very original and well done. I like the use of materials."

Overall, this year's Sandcastle Contest was a great success. The turnout was vast and the Clamshell Foundation raised over $30,000 for the various organizations. In other words, as Piette said, "it was the perfect day."

Sand Fleas (up to 8)
1st: Hourglass by Jocelyn Scher & Daniel Thaler
2nd: Titanic by Jack Murphy
3rd: Surfboard Roxy by Joseph & Ali Panico, Christopher & Thomas Morre, Kate Farren & Justin Holett

Sand Hoppers (Ages 9-15)
1st: The White House by Lauren & Elaina Mansley, Tara Campbell
2nd: Texas Boot by Colt Coben with Logan & Alexis
3rd: Speedboat by Johnny Mauro, Connor Kelly, Mike Demasico

Sand Tribes (Families)
1st: Sandi Sushi by Peter, Elizabeth, & Olivia Lord, Robert Cooney
2nd: Jack Spratt by Joe & Claudia Ceva, Gabrielle, Christopher & Luke Lagana
3rd: Nickelodeon's Favorite by Jodi Markoff with Tyler, Chase & Scott

Sand Shapers (Adults)
1st: Someone's Listening by Max, Heddi and Gretchen Siebel, Alex & John Felix, John Mannix
2nd: Ca-Sea-No by Floyd Linton, Mary, Caroline, Jim, Cathy & Lynn
3rd: Nonna's Garden by Lois, John, & Kathy Amicucci, Any, Leslie & Qiana Maragliano

Sand Pros (Design Professionals)
1st: Rubber Ducky by Jeff Muhs and Charles Waller
2nd: Beach Clown by Art Knapp
3rd: Roman Coliseum by Bruce Cole

Honorable Mention:
Pompeii Swimming Pool by Darren Schafer, Andrew Davison, Ken Laks & Don Halmy

Overall Winner:
Shark Attack by Pierce Kelley, Kevin Foran, Jeremy Quitko, Josh Brussell &Ben Latham