Sandcastles

Cynthia Lopinto Then & Now Leave a comment 2,207 Views

By CYN LoPINTO
Editor-in-chief, gerontologist

A favorite activity of my childhood summer beach vacations was sandcastle building. We always brought along a few pails and shovels and added to that whatever “tools” we could find. These were usually cups, plastic cutlery and maybe a toothpick. Decorations were always natural beach discoveries, such as seaweed, shells and driftwood. The fun part was using whatever we happen to stumble upon.

I don’t remember building with a rigid or planned out theme. My siblings and I would just start on a section and then make up additions as we went along. It was an open ended activity, with everyone contributing a piece of themselves. Often kids from other vacationing families would join us and sometimes the adults would even pitch in. I loved the whole process. The only sad part was knowing that once the tide came in, our masterpiece would be gone. Such is the curse of temporary art.

Today sandcastle building has grown to include sandcastle festivals across the country and worldwide. Some of these events are low key and more for children and families just looking to have a fun day at the beach. Others are pretty intense. Professionals travel to compete for trophies and cash prices. The plastic buckets and shovels from your local dollar store won’t cut it for these high end competitions. Here buckets are the 5 gallon-type and tools are very specific. Builders bring along ladders, wood frames, PVC pipes, shovels, rakes, knives, trowels, levelers, water spray bottles, paint brushes and special gloves. Some even bring along tampers (hand and/or jitterbug), like the ones used in concrete construction.

Oregon’s Cannon Beach hosts the oldest sandcastle competition in the Northwest. All levels of participation are part of this festival. Professional builders are on what is called a Master’s team and compete for cash prizes. Then there are different non-professional teams depending on the number of members and their ages. Youngest participants are all part of the “sand flea” group where everyone wins. Cannon Beach just held their 52^nd festival on June 11, 2016 and it was a big success!

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Cynthia Lopinto

Cyn LoPinto, M.A. is a gerontologist focusing on significant issues affecting older adults and their families. Her areas of interest include lifestyle enrichment, family dynamics, and caregiver support. Cyn has worked in both the recreational and healthcare industries.