JAUNTS : Beachfront Art Comes and Goes With the Tide : Sand sculpture contests on nature themes are a regular Saturday event at Carpinteria State Beach.

The beach was alive with animals--an octopus with flowing tentacles, a dinosaur lazing under a palm tree, a seal clutching a fish for her baby.

But they were gone with the next incoming tide at Carpinteria State Beach where rangers hold a sand sculpting contest every Saturday throughout the summer.

The contest, a tradition at the beach, has been known to draw as many as 200 people who built everything from a 30-foot whale to an intricately crafted Native American princess with flowing seaweed hair.

“I try to encourage family participation as much as possible,” said Lisa Starr, the ranger in charge of the free contest. A few minutes before the 2 p.m. start she walks down the beach holding a sign that says “Sand Art” and tells people about the informal competition.

Most of those who compete are camping at the state beach, but anyone can sign up. On a recent Saturday, about 50 people, working in 14 groups, gave it a try.

Starr told them the theme: anything related to Carpinteria State Beach. Then she gave them a deadline: 40 minutes.

For Joe Garcia of Saugus, the time crunch was too much. He gave up after a few minutes, having created only a big mound of sand.

“It was supposed to be an Indian,” he said. “Now it’s just modern art. In New York I’d win something. This is the first time I’ve ever tried this. I stink.”

Kevin Rainey, 14, of Rancho Cucamonga was an old hand. He and his pal, Kyle Luke, 13, molded a 3-foot-long sea otter floating on her back with a baby at her side. The otters clutched rocks for breaking open urchins or mussels.

“We come here every year,” Kevin said, and the sand sculpting contest is eagerly anticipated. His father, Jim Rainey, said that three years ago his family was among seven pitching in to build a seven-foot mermaid.

The boys went for detail with their sea otters. Stones formed the facial features, and twigs served as whiskers and claws. It all paid off because they took first place, winning a certificate with their photos on it.

Second place went to two young sisters from Monrovia who built a mama seal with a pup. And third went to two teachers and their children who created a dinosaur with rock spikes on his tail.

“I teach high school--I don’t do things like this,” said Brenda Blecker of Riverside.

No one brought along any fancy tools--just the usual plastic shovels, water buckets and a spray bottle or two. Midway through the work a crowd had gathered.

The contest is staged by a lagoon at the beach. The only requirements are to stick to the theme and use only natural materials like seaweed, rocks and shells.

For Lisa Kermode’s family that wasn’t a problem. They carved out a grove of coconut palm trees, using strips of seaweed to form the bark and terrain, and rocks for the coconuts.

“It was a spur-of-the-moment thought,” Kermode said. That didn’t matter to family friend 9-year-old Erin Rench: “This is so neat.”

Details

* WHAT: Sand sculpting contest.

* WHERE: Carpinteria State Beach, the end of Palm Avenue, Carpinteria.

* WHEN: Saturdays during the summer at 2 p.m.

* COST: Free.

* PHONE: 684-2811.

* FYI: The overnight camping fee at Carpinteria State Beach is $16; day use per vehicle is $5.