COUNTYWIDE : Sandcastle Artisans Bring Fantasy to Life

Anyone who says a solid foundation can’t be built on sand should talk to Dave Henderson and Brad Goll.

The two artists have erected a 20-ton sandcastle and ocean scene at the Ventura County Fair, using the fair’s “Seaside Fantasy” theme. The display will remain in the Crafts community tent throughout the fair, Goll said.

The pair are among the artisans who work with Sand Sculptors International, a company founded by Todd Vander Pluym about eight years ago, Goll said. The company’s sand creations have been built all over the world, including a 19,000-ton “sand city” that was constructed on Treasure Island, Fla., in 1985. According to a company brochure, the structure broke a world record for its size.

Goll, a 27-year-old Laguna Beach resident, said he has traveled extensively with the sand-sculpture firm to places such as Japan, Australia and Canada. A self-professed beach bum, Goll said he doesn’t regret quitting his career as a printing press operator three years ago to build sand castles for a living.

“I quit a better paying job to do this,” he said. “I love it.”

Remarkably, few of the company’s sculptors have any formal art training. “Most of us just picked it up at the beach and went from there,” Goll said. He said he started small and worked up to the competition level.

Goll and Henderson are not using photographs or models to build the fantasy scene. Instead, they rely on creative teamwork and experience.

“We might even have a dragon or a sea monster surfing,” Henderson said.