Hampton Beach, NH, Master Sand Sculpting Classic Winners for 2022

Despite the cool weather and clouds, another successful Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic concluded Saturday with judging and some personal pride for organizer Greg Grady.

"Everything went really good," Grady told Seacoast Current. "We had a bit of a collapse. It was the only dark spot in the competition. Other than that, everything was really spot on. Everybody had a great time, brought people to the beach in the cold and rain."

The collapse just five minutes before judging was on the sculpture created by last year's first place winner, Abe Waterman of Prince Edward Island in Canada, and falling victim to the "king tide," the highest tide of the year in Hampton Beach.

According to a video on the Hampton Village District Facebook page, the entire sculpture area was underwater Friday night.

"It happens. We'll all survive," Waterman said in the video.

Waterman said his sculpture was a commentary on social media and what happens to the relationship between a mother and child when one becomes too focused on their phone and is not aware of their surroundings.

Grandy's son Greg J. Grady's sculpture, called the "Wyvern Whisperer", was the winner of the Governor's Award for a very simple reason, according to Greg Grandy.

"Governor Sununu really liked it," Greg Grady said. "Some of the other sculptures may have been a little more detailed and museum-quality sculptures, but that's not what he was into. He was into happy things down at the beach, and that's why he voted for that. It made him smile."

The sculpture was made for Grady's grandson, who is into superheroes and the Wyvern Whisperer.

"Dragons are tamed, so it's my grandson taming a dragon," Grady said.

The Classic has a $25,000 purse, with the first prize winner receives $6,000. Second prize wins $4,000, third prize $3,000, fourth prize $2,000 and the People's Choice Award $1,000. Non-placing competitors to the invitation-only event receive $1,500.

The winners are:

The sculptures will remain on the beach until Sunday, June 26. The area will be illuminated for nighttime viewing.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH