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29TH ANNUAL U.S. OPEN SANDCASTLE COMPETITON WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Professional sandsculptures, amateur artists and thousands of spectators took the sands at Imperial Beach this past weekend to participate in the 29th annual U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition. While 31 teams competed on Sunday, July 19, for $21,000 in prize money, it was team Archisand with its tribute to the late Michael Jackson that won the top prize in the ten-person team Masters A Division and took home $5,000. IB Posse with its rock-n-roll inspired creation called “IB Rocks” took home second place and $1,000 in the Masters A Division. Third place in this category went to The Crabs.

The full list of winners includes in the three-person Masters B Division, first place winners Team Sandstorm with “Mind Over Muscle” and second place winners Santa Barbara Sand with “Teach Peace.” Best Sculpture went to Kyle’s Karvers with “Easter Island,” second place to Rando’s Commando’s with “Tidal Pool,” third to Sand Dabblers with “I Said Over the Wall,” and fourth to Coastal Carvers with “Watering Hole.” BTY Sandscrapers won first place in the Best Replica category with its “Stay Classy USA;” second went to the Bradley/Tubbs family with “Simpsons,” third to Sin City Sand Trash. Creativity flowed in the Castles of Your Mind Category with New Hope Kids taking first for “Neptune’s Castle.” Second in this category went to Sand Joaquin with “Mountain Refuge;” third to Dreamscape with “Fairies of the Willow;” and fourth to Sandsational with “Medieval Skyscrapers.” In the Executive Sandbox category, Clark Pest Control squashed the competition with its “Beach Bug” sculpture; YMCA Camp Surf came in second, Sand Quest with “Octo-Mom placed third, and H2 Crew rounded out fourth place with “(DWI) Drink Water Instead.” First place in the Creatures of the Sea Category went to Sand Wallowers and second to IB Sand Magic. The Hippo Flounders with “King Henry the Hermit” took third and Sand Surfers with “A Day at the Beach” took fourth.

This year’s competition happened July 18 and 19 and included a weekend of free, family-oriented fun along Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach. While the event did not include fireworks or a parade as in previous years, it did features two days of sandcastle-building competitions including an event for kids, live entertainment and a street fair with more than 140 vendors. It is estimated that 350,000 people were in attendance over the two days making this the largest competition of its kind in the United States.

The event was made possible through the sponsorships of Cox Communications, Honey Bunches of Oats, Subaru South Bay, California Pizza Kitchen, M&M’s Ice Cream, Clark Pest Control, Imperial Beach Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club of Imperial Beach, California American Water, Brett Alan Productions, City of Imperial Beach, Coronado Brewing Company, County of San Diego, EDCO Disposal, Leak Control Systems, Luce Forward, Neyenesch Printers, Scoreboard, IB Designz, Jammin’ Z90 and Magic 92.5.

The U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition is a nonprofit event with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of Imperial Beach. The competition originally started in 1980, when a group of Imperial Beach residents decided to form the committee and host the first event after being inspired by a similar competition in their sister city of White Rock, British Columbia. Over 29 years, the event has grown from attracting 30,000 people to more than 350,000. For more information, visit www.usopensandcastle.com and also see USOSC on Facebook.

Imperial Beach is the most southwesternly city in the United States, located 12 miles south of downtown San Diego and a few miles away from the Mexican border. Its reputation as a “Classic Southern California” town resonates throughout the city from its wooden pier, pristine beaches and world-class surf. The small town is also home to 4,000 acres of protected coastal habitats, making it an ideal place for a bird-watching experience, a nature walk and ecological study. Visitors and residents alike also enjoy the fine restaurants and retail offerings along the town’s developing beachfront. For more information, visit the city’s Web site at www.cityofib.com.

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