Parksville Beach Festival Society has unveiled a list of seven teams and 15 individual sand sculptors who will compete in its first event since 2019 as part of the community’s Beachfest celebrations.
Competing teams include: Seveline Beauregard and Guy Beauregard, Sue McGrew and Dmitry Kilmenko, Fred Dobbs and Ted Siebert, Susanne Ruseler and David Ducharme, Edith van de Wetering and Wilfred Stijger, Abe Waterman and Joris Kivits, and Brian Wigelsworth and Matt Long.
Competing solo are: Guy-Olivier Deveau, David Kaube, Jo Hollick, Bruce Waugh, Yoshiko Matsugi, Peter Vogelaar, Damon Langlois, Francisco Valdez, Brett Stocker, Craig Mutch, Dan Belcher, Matthew Deibert, Sandi Stirling, Bert Adams and Andrei Kudrin.
Parksville is known within the sculpting circuit for its hospitality and beautiful location, the society says.
READ MORE: Parksville Beach Festival expected to return in 2022
The sand sculpting is part of the larger event known to locals as Beachfest, a five-week long family festival running from mid-July to mid-August that includes: the Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition & Exhibition; Tim Hortons free Summer Concert Series,; daily buskers, an artisan market and a special weekend evening light-up of the sculptures.
For the popular sand sculpting competition, the society sends out open invitations to past competitors, in addition to any lesser-known sculptors who have expressed interest. The top three singles and doubles from the previous year receive an automatic entry into the following year’s competition. The competitors’ travel, meals and accommodation are paid for, on top of an appearance fee.
READ MORE: $5M dream to create B.C. eagle sanctuary poised to become reality
A number of the sculptors will be featured on the second season of CBC’s Race Against the Tide on July 10.
The sculpture festival runs from July 14 to July 17 and is open to the public on July 15. Sculptures remain open for viewing through to Aug. 21.
Plan your adventures throughout the West Coast at westcoasttraveller.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thewestcoasttraveller. And for the top West Coast Travel stories of the week delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our weekly Armchair Traveller newsletter!