Winners unveiled at B.C.\u2019s international sand sculpting festival<\/p>\n
Published 9:50 pm Sunday, July 12, 2026<\/p>\n
The duo of Hanneke Supply and Helena Bangert took first place in the doubles category of the 2026 Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition in Parksville on July 12.<\/p>\n
The three-day competition in the community park drew 30 sand sculptors from all over Canada and the world to create their best representation of the \u2018Beauties and Beasts\u2019 theme within 30 hours.<\/p>\n
\u2018Touched by the Beast\u2019 by Supply and Bangert is about staying connected to nature, rather than a screen.<\/p>\n
It features a monster which represents nature and its beauty, said Supply, who is from the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe beast is sitting down with a beautiful little girl on his lap. And he\u2019s looking at a butterfly like trying to get her attention to see the beauty,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd so the meaning is that we want to try to connect better with nature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bangert said the height was the most challenging aspect of their sculpture.<\/p>\n
The two talked over their design ideas before a day of pounding sand \u201chardship\u201d, she said, before starting to carve.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kind of danced around each other,\u201d added Bangert, who is originally from Belgium and lives in the Netherlands. \u201cSo we like it when the sculpture has one feel to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abe Waterman took first place in the single sculptor category for \u2018Walls\u2019.<\/p>\n
His entry started with a general idea of the yin yang symbol and ended up with a bulldozer smashing through a wall in the sculpture\u2019s centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes the barrier we create create between ourselves can be removed by something as simple as a bulldozer,\u201d said Waterman, who is from Caledonia, P.E.I. \u201cA bulldozer is obviously not a very subtle thing, but the piece is just about knocking down the walls that we create between each other. Getting rid of those and accepting each other and becoming closer.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sculpture\u2019s theme evolved as the competition went on, with the biggest challenge being the clock, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty hours seems like a long time if you\u2019re not used to spending that kind amount of time on a sand sculpture, but it ends up being a crunch to try and fit everything in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The competition\u2019s third and final day started with an unpleasant surprise \u2014 several of the doubles teams\u2019 sculptures had been vandalized overnight, in addition to the festival\u2019s sand berm and interactive sculpture. None of the solo sculptures were affected.<\/p>\n
Cheryl Dill, Parksville Beach Festival Society president, said organizers met and consulted with the sculptors and the master judge, and it was decided the doubles prize money would be divided among all the pairs.<\/p>\n
The sculptures will be on display from July 13 until Aug. 16, with gates open from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. During the exhibition, visitors are invited to vote for the People\u2019s Choice Award.<\/p>\n
Entry to the exhibition is by a suggested donation of $5 per person.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Suspected vandalism leaves Parksville Beach Festival Society \u2018disappointed\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n