Treasure Island’s invitational 11th Annual Sanding Ovations Masters Cup took place November 20 through 24 on the beach at 10400 Gulf Boulevard.
Ten competitors from seven different countries and thousands of visitors helped make Sanding Ovations the largest sand sculpture masters competition in the southeastern United States.
Abe Waterman from Prince Edward Island, Canada chiseled his way into first place with his sand sculpture titled “Out of Tune.” Waterman snatched the title from four-time winner Jonathan (Jobi) Bouchard. Bouchard, from Quebec, Canada placed second with “Time to Change our Habitat.”
Hailing all the way from Ireland, Fergus Mulvaney rounded out the top three with his sculpture, “Where the West Wind Blows, the Lone Knight Follows.” Mulvaney’s sculpture was one of the tallest this year, easily reaching 8-feet tall.
In a two-hour period over 3,000 people pitched their votes for the People’s Choice award. Manuel Campos from Colombia won the hearts of the crowd with his piece “All You Need is Love,” depicting two expressive chimpanzees tightly holding onto each other.
The most coveted award, Sculptor’s Choice, went to “Fear,” by Jan Selen from the Netherlands. Selen’s emotional sculpture was minimalist in style and masterfully impacted the emotions of those who contemplated his creation.
Next year’s 12th Annual Sanding Ovations Masters Cup will take place 18 to 22 November, 2020.
