Outside the sandbox

Many people go the beach with sand chairs and bodyboards. Whenever he heads makai, Jeff Peterson is loaded down with shovels, buckets and a bag full of tools.

Since he moved to Kauai five years ago, Peterson, a licensed contractor, has gotten as much pleasure and satisfaction from building structures from sand as he does from building real ones.

"My family spends a lot of time at the beach," Peterson said. "One day, my kids and I decided to make a sand castle. Of course, it wasn’t elaborate, but we had great fun doing it. Since then I’ve done a lot of research about sand-sculpting techniques, and I’ve sharpened my skills. Sand is not easy to work with, but as you learn the techniques, you can control it to some extent."

When his dad visits from Utah, Peterson collaborates with him on sophisticated structures. They once built a lighthouse that was 81⁄2 feet tall. They’ve also created a 7-foot-tall castle, complete with doors, windows, towers and staircases on different levels.

"It took us seven hours to build, and when we finished, we realized we had forgotten our camera at home," Peterson said. "We left the castle on the beach for a few hours, so others could enjoy looking at it, then went back to photograph it. I have a digital folder filled with pictures of sand sculptures that I’ve made over the years, with and without help — everything from Santa’s sleigh and snowmen to dragons and giant birthday cakes."

Peterson regularly peruses sand art websites for inspiration. In 2010 he attended the pairs competition of the World Championship of Sand Sculpting in Federal Way, Wash., which attracts 30,000 artists and spectators from around the globe. That year, eight pairs of award-winning sand artists were invited to compete.

"Each pair worked on one sculpture for a week," Peterson said. "My favorite was a sculpture of an old Indian chief sitting by a lake smoking a peace pipe. The smoke from the pipe turned into wolves that were surrounding him and howling at the moon, which was rising above his head."

According to Peterson, water is key for any sand creation. He uses at least 100 gallons of seawater for each of his designs, and he has spent more than $200 on tools, including dental cleaning picks and cake decorating knives, to carve details.

"When I’m working, I get funny looks from passers-by who are wondering why a grown man is playing in the sand," Peterson said. "I always bring spare tools to share with people who want to try making sand art. Kids always gather around to watch what I’m doing. Pretty soon they start building something on their own. It’s great to see them having fun outdoors."

One weekend in June 2010, Peterson was at Hana­lei Bay, putting the finishing touches on a 41⁄2-foot-tall castle when Julian Miller stopped to admire it.

"It was ornate, excellent work," recalled Miller, a software developer. "I complimented Jeff and we started talking."

For years, Miller had wondered why he had seen very little sand art on his beach walks. Hawaii’s lack of sand-sculpting contests also amazed him. One day a friend who had heard him comment about this once too often turned to him and said, "Why don’t you do it?"

That frank question took Miller by surprise; organizing a contest was something he hadn’t considered. He stopped ranting and started thinking about how to make it happen.

"There are numerous contests on the mainland and in Europe with prizes exceeding $50,000," Miller said. "It seemed to me that Hawaii, with its great beaches and creative people, should have at least one contest of that caliber. But I couldn’t do it alone; I needed a partner."

His chance meeting with Peterson got the ball rolling. "Jeff agreed it was a shame there wasn’t more interest in sand art here," Miller said. "We talked a bit more, then I said goodbye and started walking away. I took three steps, turned around and asked Jeff if he would be interested in partnering with me on an experiment — launching a sand-sculpting contest on Kauai. He said yes, we’ve been close friends ever since and our experiment has gone way beyond our expectations."

Miller hoped five people would participate in the inaugural Hawaii Sand Festival at Hanalei Bay in July 2010. Two hundred people registered. Last year there were 300 participants, and he estimates 3,000 others came to view the creations. He’s expecting an even bigger crowd this year.

"Everyone is invited," Miller said. "It’s a fun way to get exercise, realize your creative vision and enjoy the sand, surf and sun with your family and friends. Even better, it’s free, and we’ll be giving away great prizes."

The rules are simple. Contestants mark the boundaries of their work area. A typical space measures 15 by 15 feet, but it could be larger or smaller — whatever they feel they need.

They can compete as individuals or in teams of any size. Once team members have been determined, however, no additional people can work on the sculpture.

Sand and water are the only materials allowed; nothing else (for example, glue, paint, sugar or flour) can be added. Also banned are props and decorations, even natural items typically found on the beach such as shells, coral, seaweed and driftwood.

Only hand tools such as rakes, shovels and trowels are permitted. Sprayers to keep the sand moist are a good idea, and molds may be used to help shape the structure, but they must be removed before judging.

Come midafternoon at the Hawaii Sand Festival, nearly 100 eye-catching sculptures decorate the shores of Hana­lei Bay.

"It’s like browsing in a giant art gallery, albeit a temporary one," Miller said. "The next day, because of the wind, rain and sun, the sculptures have crumbled into mounds of sand. By the third day you can’t tell anything was there at all. The beach has returned to being a blank canvas, ready for future sand artists to let their imagination run wild."

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.