Crew Claims Record : Sand Castle May Be King When It Comes to Height

The crew of Southern California Edison employees kept their design simple but still claimed a world’s record Saturday during the United Way’s fourth annual sand castle contest at Seal Beach.

Slick and tall, with smooth walls, the monolithic sand castle by the 12-member Edison Sand Crew stood 14 feet high, 1 1/2 feet higher than the previous record, they said.

Jerry Dye, a meter test analyst from La Verne, said it was supposed to be a “futuristic castle.”

However, someone in the crowd of thousands, who milled around the 70 or so contestants working feverishly in the four-hour contest, had a different idea.

“That looks more like a futuristic nuclear plant,” a voice called.

“Hey, that sounds good, too,” replied Dye, his grin still in place.

Such was the fun at Saturday’s event, which officially launched the United Way of Orange County’s annual fund-raising drive, spokeswoman Judy Trest said.

This year the United Way, which allocates money to 123 social services agencies in the county, plans to raise $19 million in private and corporate contributions. Trest said last year’s drive netted United Way $18.4 million.

Although many of the contestants were simply out for fun, the Sandudes, champions of the recent U.S. Open Sand Castle Contest in San Diego, had geared up for the event.

Leader Greg Lebon, a Costa Mesa architect, had sketched blueprints of the “Temple of Syrinx,” a mythical 22nd-Century temple designed to “save all the music that no longer exists,” according to a sign in front of the design. But Lebon said the group did not intend to send a message.

“We just wanted people to know that this is futuristic. That’s all,” he said.

Contestants said they liked the Seal Beach sand, considered the best in Southern California for building sand sculptures.

“This sand can hold water for hours,” Sandudes member Rick Foster said. “It’s like cement. Most sand is too finely grained.”