Check out the sculptures and who won

HAMPTON — Mélineige Beauregard reclaimed top honors at this year’s Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic, earning both first place and the coveted People’s Choice Award for her breathtaking piece, “Aligned.”

“It’s about how when your emotional, mental and physical body are aligned, you can create beauty or whatever you want to create,” said Beauregard of Captain Cook, Hawaii. “It’s your center, and you can manifest whatever you are.”

Her intricate, three-piece sculpture depicts a serene woman with flowers woven into her hair, crowned by a striking headpiece that forms a unified design when viewed head-on.

The sculpture was not only awarded $6,000 for first place and $1,000 for the People’s Choice Award, but it also was selected by Gov. Kelly Ayotte as her personal favorite.

The three-day contest sponsored by the Hampton Beach Village District wrapped up Saturday, June 14, and featured a who’s who of master sand sculptors from across the globe.

This was the 25th year of the contest, where 10 sculptors competed using 10 tons of sand to bring their masterpieces in the sand to life. Entries were judged on overall impact, technical skill, and degree of difficulty.

Ilya Filimonstev of Moscow, Russia, captured the $4,000 second-place award, while Dmitry Klimenko of Saint Petersburg, Russia, earned third place and $3,000.

Considered one of the world’s leading sand sculptors, this was Filimonstev’s first time competing at Hampton Beach. He shared that he had hoped to participate in previous years, but travel was prevented by global events like the COVID-19 pandemic and war.

His sculpture, titled “The Creation of Mermaid,” drew partial inspiration from Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam fresco on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

“This is kind of a joke like Neptune created a mermaid,” said Filimonstev. “When I started, I said OK, this could be Neptune. After I compacted the second part, I said this could be a mermaid. I created the title during the work.”

Klimenko returned to Hampton Beach for the second time, having claimed second place at last year’s event with his sculpture titled, “A Step Beyond.”

“This year, I made a piece named ‘It Won’t Stay Forever,'” said Klimenko. “The lady symbolizes life, and she is holding two jugs. One is empty and cracked. The other one is full, and the water comes out and makes everything life. It all depends … like your point of view… Some people believe in life after death. Some believe only death after life exists. So that was my message to show that.”

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Hampton Beach sand art imitates life

Inspiration came in many forms for this year’s sculptors— ranging from puns to deeply personal stories and even spontaneous family requests.

Abe Waterman, of Prince Edward Island, Canada, titled his sculpture “VerTickle,” depicting a woman lying on the ground, playfully lifting a baby into the air. The sculpture earned fourth place and received the Sculptors’ Choice Award, selected by the ten artists competing in the contest.

“If you heard the title, then you already know the explanation,” Waterman said. “A really horrible pun inspired the sculpture. So horrible that it’s good.”

Karen Fralich, of Ontario, Canada, said her sculpture “Sing” shows a woman “singing and enjoying herself.”

In the back of the sculpture is a dog “howling and he’s singing too.”

“I really love to sing, and I have no idea if I suck or not,” Fralich said. “It doesn’t matter. I love singing. It soothes the soul, and I love it when I’m driving on a long road trip, I can just put on some tunes and just howl.”

Her karaoke go-to? “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver.

Karlis Ile, of Riga, Latvia, said the inspiration behind his sculpture, titled “To Touch the Stars,” was his son.

“I asked my son what would you like me to make in America, and he told me ‘Please make a turtle,'” Ile said. “I was like ‘Oh no.’ Amateur stuff is like a turtle. When you have a big collapse, then you make a turtle. Not a professional way to do a sculpture.”

Still, not wanting to disappoint, he created a soaring piece featuring a turtle with a young boy on its back, “jumping the wave and touching the stars.”

For others, their sculptures were more personal.

Andy Daily, of Sarasota, Florida, said he is known for doing sculptures that are “cute” and done “just to get a smile.”

“This is one of the first times that I actually shared something from the heart,” Daily said.

Daily’s sculpture was titled “Monkey Mind.”

“If you’re not familiar with the term, monkey mind is the inability to have clarity or freedom of thought without intrusive ideas and things popping in your head,” he explained.

The sculpture showcased a monkey face with three additional heads bursting from its brain, crowned by a flower.

“So, I’m trying to say there is calm and peace overall, but of course, there is a little crazy in there,” he said. “The bottom (or the monkey face) is what you show to the public. So, the top is what you’re hiding or what you’re feeling and don’t share. And the bottom is what you do show to the public or everyone else around you.”

Last year’s winner, David Ducharme of British Columbia, created “Resilience,” a sculpture depicting two cement blocks with roots emerging from them.

“I’m always amazed when I see life starting from nothing in really hard conditions,” he said. “Inspired with this and also how it applies to us, to people, and how we find resilience and manage in really hard conditions. (How we) make ends meet with very little and create abundance.”

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Sculptors celebrate 25 years of sculpting at Hampton Beach

Many of the sculptors return year after year for the annual contest sponsored by Greg Grady.

Sculptor Cara Jara holds the unique distinction of being the only participant to compete in all 25 years of the contest.

Meanwhile, Justin Gordon of Groveland, Massachusetts, has participated in all but one, earning top honors in 2010. His only absence came the following year when he was commissioned to sculpt a sand replica of the Stanley Cup in Boston’s Government Center in celebration of the Bruins’ championship.

“I live 25 minutes away from here, so it makes for a good contest for me to take part in,” said Gordon.

This year, Gordon’s piece, “Dream Weaver,” was inspired by the contest’s milestone anniversary.

“This is the 25th year of the event, so I just thought back in my head of all the things I learned and did in 25 years,” he said.

The result? A towering sandcastle.

“It’s a collage of my 25 years of memories doing castles,” he said. “I tried to put parts of those memories in the sculpture.”

Gordon said he also picked sculpting a sandcastle because he has yet to see one done in the competition.

“Somebody said someone else did one, but it was not nearly as big as this one if it was done,” he said.

Fralich, who has competed in 22 of the 25 contests at Hampton Beach, reflected on how the event has become one of the top competitions in the world.

“I remember the first year it was great sculptors and incredible people,” said Fralich. “But the caliber of the sculptures keeps going up and up and up. And I’m just running to catch up with all these incredibly talented people.”

Daily, who organizes a similar contest in Sarasota, Florida, agreed.

“The other sculptors on this beach, they are just very, very talented,” he said. “It’s an honor to be just in the same conversation with many of these artists. They are just incredible. They are truly gifted.”

Daily said he got his start sand sculpting in 2011 trying to “impress a girl,” who was a sand sculptor herself.

“At the time, this was her hobby, and she was pretty good at it. I was just impressed with it, and I just wanted to spend time with her,” he said. “So, I started going with her and learning what I could, and I was pretty good from the beginning. I got the attention of other local artists and started getting invited to jobs. The jobs turned into full-time stuff, and in the last five years, I have just been making a living in sand.”

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Prior to the three-day contest, sculptors worked on the 100-ton “Sand Safari” sponsor site with lions, tigers, elephants and more.

Grady said, “a safari is all about going on a journey, and that’s what we’ve been on for the past 24 years with this event. Each sculpture tells a story, and each year has brought new memories.”

All the sculptures will remain up through June 23 and will be lighted for nightly viewing.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach NH Sand Sculpting Classic 2025 winners