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Gregory Grady - First Place Winner 2000
Local Master Sculpter/Consultant/Organizer
Hampton Beach, NH
Well here we are once again for our 11th year celebrating the art of sand sculpture in Hampton with some of the best the world has to offer. Although this year had its obvious share of bumps in the road I know that on June 25 when that final horn sounds it will have been worth every rattle. Be sure to vote for your favorite and support our sponsors and thank you to all for making it possible once again...enjoy the gallery folks! Contact us at NHSandsculptors@aol.com for your own lesson, event or promotion.

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Marielle Heessels
Rijen, Netherlands
Hampton A sculptor and a painter, Marilelle's work is based on studying nature, in amazement of its wisdom and beauty. Trying to unvale the inner quality of life by recreating the appearance, to tell what can't be spoken. "Sculpting sand gives me the opportunity to travel the world, meet beautiful people and do what I love to do most, create sculptures and share them." Although traveling to more than 17 countries, which have included North America, since leaving Hampton last year she has won first place at the World Championship Team Division with team Macha's at Federal Way, WA. www.marielleheessels.nl

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Karen Fralich - First Place Winner 2005, 2006, 2008
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Karen is a professional sand sculptor with 17 years experience. She began her sculpting career at age 14 in a pottery studio in Guelph, Ontario in 1983. In 1994, a professional sand sculptor hired her to help him on a small sand sculpture in a local mall. Karen was immediately addicted and spent the next 4 years learning the rudiments of sand sculpture while still working full time in restaurants. In 1998 she entered her first international contest and by 2001 she was working full time as a free-lance sculptor. Her work takes her around the world, collaborating and competing with many fantastic sculptors and friends at fabulous competitions and exhibitions. To date, Karen has competed in 81 masters level sand sculpture contests and is a 3 time World Champion and 3 time North American Champion. www.sandqube.com

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Lucinda "Sandy Feet" Wierenga
South Padre Island, Texas
Lucinda has won a modest amount of international fame with her sandsculpting skills, competing at major events all around the world for the past 25 years. She has taught literally thousands of people how to build a better sand castle in lessons, workshops and team building exercises and has written three books on the subject, the latest of which - "Sandcastles Made Simple" - has just recently come out in paperback. She recently opened what may well be the first and only sandcastle academy resort vacation rental on beautiful South Padre Island, TX... check out sandboxinn.com For more info: www.sandyfeet.com

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Michel Lepire - First Place Winner 2003
Charlesbourg, Quebec, Canada
Michel is a sculptor of sand and ice as well as a sculptor of fruit, vegetables for the culinary world. Michel is the organizer of the International Sand Sculpture competition of Quebec and the originator and artistic director of the project Sand of Time at Expo Quebec for that city's 400th anniversary. In 2000, he was joined by his son Marc, in the family sand sculpting business. Michel Lepire, sculpteur, is owner of 'Sculptures Michel Lepire Inc.', visit www.sculpturesmichellepire.com

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Marc Lepire - First Place Winner 2003
Charlesbourg, Quebec, Canada
"My name is 'The Worst' from Quebec, Canada. I love Hampton Beach. I have come here for the sand contest every year since the beginning with my whole family. All my life, I have carved ice, sand, and wood. I work with my father, Michel Lepire. I come to Hampton Beach because the organization is great and my family has a lot of fun." I am bringing my family with my new baby girl and want to win in the 'Worst' way!", visit www.sculpturesmichellepire.com

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Guy-Olivier Deveau
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Guy-Olivier Deveau, 28 years old, is a sand, ice and snow sculptor from Quebec City, Canada. He has been carving for over 6 years and has taken part in many international sculpture events in North America and Europe. Guy especially likes sand as a sculpting material for all the fine details you can put in it. He often trys to make art that is creepy and scary if can be, but don't worry, he is a very sane person!

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Justin Gordon - First Place Winner 2010
Groveland, Massachusetts
Justin has been sculpting for 37 years and sculpting sand for 32 years. After graduating from UMass in 1983 with an engineering degree and 9 years in corporate America, he became a professional sculptor in 1991 and now carves wood, wax for jewelry, clay, ice, sand, snow for ski areas, foam for Story Land, and stone. Justin also does the 55 ton sand sculptures at the Topsfield Fair. He now concentrates his work on commissioned fine wood carved figures, architectural carving, and custom clock cases and restorations. Justin's sculpting company is Elwin Designs based in Groveland, Mass. Justin also teaches carving classes in Groveland and Randolph, Mass. You can see much more of Justin's work on his web sites: www.ElwinDesigns.com and www.CustomCarvedClocks.com.

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Carl D. Jara - First Place Winner 2002, 2007, 2009
Lyndhurst, Ohio
What else can I say about sand sculpture, it is real. It is an impossible feat under impossible conditions, by people with impossible talents, made for you, right before your eyes. It's not a magic trick, or a special effect, or 3-d computer graphic, there's no internal lattice, or special additives, or mirrors, just sand and water. We're just doing what we do, what we love to do, for you, so you can experience it with us, not us locked away in an ivory tower of unimaginable euphoria with majestic melodies softly cooing in the background, well, ok, maybe we are, but you're here, with us, sharing our passion, our gift, our drive. Like a symphony or dance, or jazz, or theater, we are giving to you something you cannot imagine, that we can't explain, and that you will never forget. By the way...Hi...I'm Carl...and I make stuff... www.artcleveland.com

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"Attilio" Steve Topazio
Tiverton, Rhode Island
Steve grew up on the beaches of Rhode Island as an avid surfer and it is where he started to dabble in sand sculpting. He graduated with a fine arts degree from URI in painting and commercial art. At that time sculpting was of no interest to him. While on a 2001 vacation, he and his family entered a sand sculpting contest and they won. At that point Steve proceeded to find out all about this art form and discovered there where two Master Sand Sculptors living in New England. He made contact with Greg Grady and Justin Gordon. Through their teachings of serious sand sculpting techniques, Steve became a professional. He was given his first opportunity to compete as a Master here at Hampton and has never looked back. He heads Sandtasia, a sand sculpting co based in R.I. www.sandtasia.com

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Greg Grady
New England
"The art of sand sculpting has taken over my life. I couldn't be happier being able to do what I love. I am a veteran of the Marine Corp. and a self taught artisan who has been on the beach playing in the sand since a young child. I follow in my father's footsteps as a professional sand sculptor, creating my own path. I work on sand sculpture events locally and around the world. For 10 years, I have worked on commercial sand sculpture projects for a wide range of clients, learning the art from my father and other professionals. For 3 years, I have competed at the "Masters" level in professional competitions across the country. In the winter, I sculpt snow and wood and carve pumpkins. I embrace all forms of creativity, but look forward to another adventure that starts with a pile of sand." For sculptures, lessons, quotes, questions, photos www.GregGrady.com

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Darlene Duggan
Essex, Massachusetts
Coming from the business world, I understand the commitment Hampton takes on every year producing this event, especially in such hard times as these. I congratulate everyone involved in keeping this tradition of bringing New Hampshire a 1st class event to a now 5 star beach! So relax and enjoy the sculptures, beach, shopping and food and maybe stop by for a lesson to complete your day, you never know, you may find yourself loving it like me, saving thousands on therapy just "playing in the sand".

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Carissa Porcaro
Portland, Maine
This will be Carissa's fourth professional year teaching others the art of sand as well as spreading smiles among the crowds that come to see her. Very active in school with track and field hockey, she also has a knack for drawing, watercolors and sculpture in other mediums. At 16 she has already won her share of leadership awards and medals, she also got offered a membership in The National Society Of High School Scholars for her outstanding academic achievement. We look forward to watching her future progress in the world of art and sand.