‘The sandcastle builder’ turns mounds of sand into momentary monuments
Chris Crosson was, as usual, up to his elbows in wet sand — only this time it wasn’t on the beach.
The Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa Huntington Beach was the venue for an Andersen Windows event where guests were welcomed by a 9-cubic-foot sandcastle sculpture.
“The first thing you see when you enter the lobby is the sandcastle, with the theme title ‘Go Beyond ... what’s possible.’” said Crosson, whose beach creations are usually about a third that size. “There are lights in the back of the glass windows that illuminate it.”
Crosson, known as “the sandcastle builder,” has had his hands in the sand ever since he was a child growing up on Balboa Island. He attended Corona Del Mar High School, married his high school sweetheart 45 years ago and is a father and grandfather.
“All three of my kids have been proficient sandcastle builders since an early age,” said Crosson, who lives in Irvine. “Just imagine a father on the beach with his kids — it’s such a natural activity.”
The joy of sandcastle building, always close to his heart, ultimately became an essential link to Crosson’s entrepreneurial business establishment. “My wife and I started the Doggie Walk Bags inc. in 1988 with one product and now have over 300,” said Crosson, who saw a need to clean up sidewalks from dog nuisances. “We were first to market and had good years before competition.”
Thinking of ways to promote his doggie bag product, Crosson entered the annual Newport Beach Sandcastle contest held at Big Corona beach in 1994. “The sculpture, a winner, had two dogs, a little dog with a large pile, and a huge dog with a little pile behind it,” chuckled Crosson. “The first couple of years we did dog-themed sculptures, and 30 years later we are now one of the sponsors.”
“About 15 years ago my first [paid] gig was a sculpture for a photo shoot for Phat Bikes,” said Crosson. “I thought it would be easy [to build on the peninsula] until I found out the difference between the sand qualities of the Balboa peninsula and Balboa Island.“
Crosson needed the right consistency to make the sand adhere. “The peninsula sand is all round like marbles and has no sharp edges, so we moved to Big Corona for the job.”
“When I became a professional ‘sandcastler,’ I came out with my sandcastle building kit about the same time,” said Crosson, who sells the instructional kit with tools for $350. He also gives lessons. “I’m committed to build on Balboa Island every weekend to become more proficient,” explained Crosson. “Sometimes I put in my sense of humor, like during the toilet paper shortage, I did a stack of toilet paper rolls.”
Among the commissioned installations on Balboa Island, “Will you marry me” has been requested four times, but the request from Manchester City FC was a first. As Crosson was carving the Martin Luther King, Jr. sculpture before the holiday, UK resident Colin Broadbent stopped to request a specific sculpture.
It seems Broadbent was a devoted fan of Man City, the Premier League football club, which was established in 1894 and whose players wear sky-blue shirt colors. The club has won three trophies called treble (Premiership, F.A. Cup, Championship League champions of Europe). “Only one other team has won treble, and they are our biggest rivals Manchester United,” said Broadbent, who visits Balboa Island for one month every January and September. “My grandad was a “Blue,” my dad was a “Blue,” I am a “Blue,” my two sons, Ted and Jack, are Blues.”
Apparently the football rivalry stretches far, as Crosson claimed that Manchester United fans, in a “Ted Lasso” moment and all in fun, called him a “wanker” at least three times after they saw the Man City sculpture he had built.
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