Hands in the Washington sand: Team FormFinders wins Long Beach sand sculpting competition with ‘School of Fish’ scene
Published 12:24 pm Sunday, July 19, 2026
LONG BEACH — Under a bright July sun, artist William Rose used a tube to delicately blow loose sand away from the castle windows.
“Patience,” Rose said when asked the biggest secret to sculpting sand. “And a light technique.”
Rose, 72, of Astoria, along with Team Mai Tai, would ultimately finish second in the masters division for their elaborate toy-inspired scene, featuring alphabet blocks and characters from the popular animated movie “Toy Story.”
It was the culmination of five-days of sand-inspired fun during the annual Sandsations event on Saturday, July 18, along Bolstad Avenue in Long Beach, where teams of master sculptors competed for a cash prize and bragging rights while also giving lessons on a quintessential coastal pastime.
Team FormFinders reclaims sandy crown
After a second-place finish in 2025, Team FormFinders re-claimed their championship crown in 2026 with their sprawling “School of Fish”-inspired scene that featured sea creatures of every sort, including crabs, octopus and sea turtles.
“My sister-in-law is a teacher, she suggested it,” said sculptor and Team FormFinders member Craig McClelland regarding the inspiration for the ‘School of Fish’ theme.
Team FormFinders has been a consistent participant in the Sandsations event over the last several years — often battling with Team Mai Tai for the top prize — while embracing the event and sand-infused camaraderie along the way.
“We’ve been coming to this beach for 14 years now,” said Team FormFinders captain Jim Butler, surrounded by teammates. A rain storm on Thursday, July 16)made for some challenging conditions, along with working with the coarser Long Beach sand, but an enthusiastic weekend crowd kept spirits high.
“The weather, and the crowd’s always fun,” Butler said regarding his favorite part of the annual event. “The preview sculptures are always great to see and be a part of.”
Members of Team Mai Tai and Team FormFinders provided free ‘Sandcastle 101’ lessons during the week, allowing artists of every age to learn from the masters.
“It’s awesome!,” said artist and instructor Erik Wilber. “Shout out to everyone who puts on Sandsations and lets us play in the sand.”
Sand sculpting 101
Master sand sculptors gave demos and lessons in the days leading up to the competitions, drawing interest from people of all ages.
“Water, sand and swirl,” explained artist Erik Wilber upon burying his hand in a 10-gallon bucket filled with layers of sand and water. “It needs to be a soup-like consistency.”
The finer the sand, Wilber explained, the easier and more effective it is to use for sculpting, while coarser sand is more difficult and less stable.
The primary tools of sandsculpting are a palette knife (to cut away), a clay knife (to dig) and a paint brush or blow tool, to clean up details.
“That’s 90% of what we use,” Wilber said.
William Rose, of Astoria, serves as team captain for Mai Tai, who finished second in the team master competition after finishing first last year. Rose first got started in sand sculpting in 1996, after taking a lesson while on vacation in Hawaii.
“It’s a performative art,” Rose said, adding that he still sometimes gets stage fright. “But you’re engrossed and you forget.”
And the secret to sand sculpting?
“Patience and a light technique is the biggest secret,” Rose said. “Because the sand will not behave.”
2026 Sandsations Sand Sculpture Contest winners
Masters:
1st: Team FormFinders
2nd: Team Mai Tai
Team:
1st: Sand Boxers
2nd: Sea Sculptures
Doubles:
1st: The Baxters
2nd: Mimiclify
Little Beach Builders:
SeaQuest