PORT ANGELES — As five master sculptors wowed crowds with soaring castles and classic movie scenes, two community entries — taking part in a category offered this year for the first time in the Windermere Sand Sculpture Classic — made a proud showing in their initial sand efforts.
A team of about 20 from the Merrill & Ring forestry and land managing firm, and a team of 16 from Phoenix Dragon Martial Arts of Port Angeles, created two very different concepts, each incorporating elements of their businesses.
“None of our team has experience — nobody,” said Dave Ventura, co-owner of Phoenix Dragon.
A martial arts student provided a clay model as the initial concept; then the team made changes until they had a final design ready to make large in the sand.
“It changed drastically along the way,” said Meghan Ventura, co-owner of Phoenix Dragon.
The Phoenix Dragon entry featured a dragon holding a bokken, a type of wooden practice sword, with a phoenix rising from the dragon’s fire.
Members of the team ranged in age from 6 to their 50s, Dave said, adding that most were in their 30s.
“We’re old people playing in the sand,” he said with a grin.
The community teams got lessons and tips from the experienced sculptors, which both Venturas said was a huge factor in their being able to create their sculpture.
The team barely finished in time for the judging deadline Saturday evening, they said.
The pound-up — compacting the sand to make it solid enough to carve — took from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, and sculpting the 5-foot-tall dragon took two more full days of work, Meghan said.
It couldn’t have been done without the teamwork that comes from training together, Meghan said.
She said she was proud of the way her martial artists pitched in without needing much direction.
“People came by and asked ‘How do you guys work together so well,’” she said.
On Saturday, the master sculptors decided to give the Merrill & Ring team an award for Most Fun, and the Phoenix Dragon’s team an award for Best Design.
The Merrill & Ring team was a bit bigger and a bit faster, needing only one day for their build.
A bear raided a tent; Golem from The Lord of the Rings hid behind a tree stump, a Sasquatch, a tree stump with a face, and two boys seated on a log filled out a forest scene in the Merrill & Ring team’s entry, titled, “Who’s coming to dinner.”
Norm Schaaf, vice president of timberlands and administration at Merrill & Ring, said that his team came up with the concept as a group for their sand scene.
There was no conscious effort to work the forest business into the sculpture, it just came naturally, Schaaf said.
“It’s our experience and area of work and recreation,” Schaaf said.
All eight sculptures at Hollywood Beach — including a large sign in sand announcing the contest and its sponsors — will be on display, for free, through Thursday.
But on Friday, the specially imported sand will be removed and put in storage for next year’s event.
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
