Heavyweights Expected at Imperial Beach Event : Sand Castle Tourney Shaping Up Big

Fourteen thousand dollars and almost as many tons of sand will be at stake here at the fifth annual U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition, which is likely to lure the brightest luminaries in the sand-castle firmament Sunday.

Among those expected are the California team that wrested control of the world title on a British Columbia beach last weekend, and a cake decorator from the Royal Hawaiian Hotel who is predicted to field a fierce challenge.

At Imperial Beach, “the sand quality is excellent for sand sculpture,” said Gerry Kirk, the winning sand sculptor from Solana Beach. “It’s fine, you can compact it, it will stand up straight, giving you a vertical ability. A lot of beaches don’t have that luxury.”

The contest, sponsored by the U.S. Open Sandcastle Committee of Imperial Beach, is to begin at 9 a.m. to the north and south of the Imperial Beach Pier. Teams in the five amateur classes will have four hours to build. Teams in the more-seasoned masters class will have five.

Judging is scheduled for early afternoon by a panel including an architect, a landscape-design teacher and the wife of the city manager. Technical and artistic ability, originality, use of space and special effects will be taken into consideration.

Mary Nichols, a founder of the competition, recalls watching a sculptor carve a sea serpent’s scales with a melon-ball cutter. The Kirk team’s award-winning sculpture in White Rock, B.C., was an 11-foot Norse warrior, sword drawn, in a sled pulled by four polar bears.

“It’s a performing art, actually,” Kirk said.

Prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000 will be awarded in each of the five regular categories--best family sculpture, best sculpture, “castles of your mind,” sea creatures, and South Bay sandstorm. A $3,500 first prize and a $1,500 second prize will be awarded in the masters class. The awards are to be presented at about 3 p.m.

Nichols, who with her husband helped start the contest five years ago, said 80,000 people turned out for last year’s competition. This year, the competition is part of a three-day celebration of the 29th birthday of Imperial Beach.