Abe Waterman of Prince Edward Island takes first in solo category
Published 9:50 pm Sunday, July 12, 2026Hanneke Supply from Belgium and Helena Bangert from the Netherlands took first place in the doubles event at the Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition in Parksville on July 12.
Abe Waterman from Prince Edward Island took first place in the solo category of the Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition in Parksville on July 12. The duo of Hanneke Supply and Helena Bangert took first place in the doubles category of the 2026 Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition in Parksville on July 12.
The three-day competition in the community park drew 30 sand sculptors from all over Canada and the world to create their best representation of the ‘Beauties and Beasts’ theme within 30 hours.
‘Touched by the Beast’ by Supply and Bangert is about staying connected to nature, rather than a screen. It features a monster which represents nature and its beauty, said Supply, who is from the Netherlands.
“The beast is sitting down with a beautiful little girl on his lap. And he’s looking at a butterfly like trying to get her attention to see the beauty,” she said.
“And so the meaning is that we want to try to connect better with nature. ”The two talked over their design ideas before a day of pounding sand “hardship”, she said, before starting to carve.
“We kind of danced around each other,” added Bangert, who is originally from Belgium and lives in the Netherlands. “So we like it when the sculpture has one feel to it. ”His entry started with a general idea of the yin yang symbol and ended up with a bulldozer smashing through a wall in the sculpture’s centre.
“Sometimes the barrier we create create between ourselves can be removed by something as simple as a bulldozer,” said Waterman, who is from Caledonia, P.E. I. “A bulldozer is obviously not a very subtle thing, but the piece is just about knocking down the walls that we create between each other. Getting rid of those and accepting each other and becoming closer.
” The sculpture’s theme evolved as the competition went on, with the biggest challenge being the clock, he said.
“Thirty hours seems like a long time if you’re not used to spending that kind amount of time on a sand sculpture, but it ends up being a crunch to try and fit everything in,” he said. The competition’s third and final day started with an unpleasant surprise — several of the doubles teams’ sculptures had been vandalized overnight, in addition to the festival’s sand berm and interactive sculpture. None of the solo sculptures were affected.
Cheryl Dill, Parksville Beach Festival Society president, said organizers met and consulted with the sculptors and the master judge, and it was decided the doubles prize money would be divided among all the pairs. The sculptures will be on display from July 13 until Aug. 16, with gates open from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. During the exhibition, visitors are invited to vote for the People’s Choice Award.
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