Hot comp on cool sand
Story and pics by John Hicks
Cloudy and cool it might have been but the competition was hot at Broulee’s 17th New Year Eves Sandcastle competition. Some 3000 were on hand to cheer on the 97 groups of sculpturers as the normally placid sands of North Broulee Beach erupted in a plethora of castles, wildlife, rockets and cars.
A happy infectious vibe permeated the whole event according to Deb Waser who organized it for the Broulee Mossy Point Community Association. “We are lucky to have just the best beach, best sand and best community support for the competition”, she explained.
Viewing the exhibits was tricky even dangerous. The turtles were disturbingly large. A Loch Ness hippo visited the beach for the first time. You had to avoid the shark attacking the Hewitson family’s boat or the crocodile half way through eating Robert Kennedy’s companion or the Shanahan family’s rocket set at a trajectory low enough to wipe out most of their competitors.
Perhaps even more dangerous was the task of judging . The organizers went with the theme of 'local artists and local legends' for judges in Greg (Red Kombi) and Anna (Single Fin), Dawn Ingles and her daughter Jenny, and Chris (Purushka) and Pauline Hicks. “They did a brilliant job”, according to Mrs Waser.
Locals, interstaters and overseas visitors gave a cosmopolitan flavor to the afternoon. Diotima Chrobok of Germany didn’t actually deny that she timed her visit to Cate O’Rourke and Helen Watson of Surf Beach to coincide with the competition.
The organizers paid tribute to the local businesses who contributed so wholeheartedly to the event. Broulee Surf School and Total Eco Adventures was the generous presenter of the event, which had additional support from Mogo Zoo, Single Fin Canteen & Goods, Broulee Offshore Surf Shop, Milstons Past & Present of Mogo, In & Out at Mogo/Mogo Village Centre and Fudge Shop, Broulee Beach Pharmacy, Broulee Surfers & Surf Life Saving Club.
Some $500 was raised for projects of the Broulee Mossy Point Community Association
Winners were:
Juniors
!st - “Jungle” by Jungle Girls from Broulee - Amber & Erin Domeny and Sky Wildman
2nd - “Turtle” by 3 Sisters from Melbourne - Ciara, Niamh & Aislinn Scahil
3rd - “Stingray” by Beach Babes from Canberra - Isabelle Lirtar, Siena Russel and Matt Pepper
Open Sandcastles
1st - Team WA from WA/Canberra - Patrick O’Keefe, Jenna Browne, Jack Matthews, Fleur Greaney
2nd - Soloman’s Sand Warriors from Canberra - Abott & Krugman families
3rd - Emily, Rachel & Co from Tomakin
Open Sand Sculptures
1st - “Whale” by Johnstone Family of Sydney
2nd – Shark attacking boat by Canberra’s Greg & Cameron Hewitson, and Zara Hungerford
Pictures
3137 Broulee’s Jenny and Dawn Ingles bravely judged the event along with neighbor Pauline Hicks and local artists Chris Green (aka Purushka) & Greg Mckay (aka Red Kombi)
3148 Early energy in the sculpturing process from Canberra’s Kate Corcoran, Matilda Watts, Maddie Richards and Heidi King along with Katie McDonald from Broulee
6357 An unlikely mob of mermaids emerged with Gypsy, Chaska, Harry and Rose Waterson of Surfside
3151 The Campbell and Jackson families of Tomakin contributed more than a little youthful exuberance
3157 An elephant emerged through the efforts of Broulee’s Emma, Sharee & Kim Jackson & Canberra’s Emma Moore
3160 The Shanahan family of Mossy Point had their rocket set at a trajectory low enough to wipe out most of their competitors
3162 A sensitive seahorse sculptured by Surf Beach’s Cate O’Rourke & Helen Watson with aid of Diotima Chrobok of Germany
3167 Ben Cleaver, Sam Hathaway, Steph Mangos and Amy Allpress of Canberra wiped out
3172 An androgynous rocket cum crayfish (depending which side you looked at it) by Sean and Louise Jones of Jerrabomba
3174 Sydney’s Emma Burgess, Monique Halpen, Sarah Hay, Chris Theaupa & Don Vitelli supplied a supersized pineapple
3177 Unfortunately a crocodile ate one of the contestants. Robert Kennedy of Melbourne survived.
3180 Amber Johnston looked suitable stoked by her family’s winning entry in the open sculpture with a whale erupting from the sand
3186 Second place in the open sculpture went to Canberra’s Greg & Cameron Hewitson, and Zara Hungerford who barely survived a savage shark attack
3190 A Loch Ness Hippo visited the beach, first time apparently
6330 Makayla Wade of Mossy Point (a third time veteran of the event) showed Hannah Smith of Sydney how to do it
6338 Ciara, Niamh & Aislinn Schahill of Sydney in their second time at the sandcastle competition
6340 & 6345 Vincent Benassi of Canberra did the heavy lifting for his brother Billy
6353 Amber and Erin Domeny of Broulee hard at play
Story and pics by John Hicks
Cloudy and cool it might have been but the competition was hot at Broulee’s 17th New Year Eves Sandcastle competition. Some 3000 were on hand to cheer on the 97 groups of sculpturers as the normally placid sands of North Broulee Beach erupted in a plethora of castles, wildlife, rockets and cars.
A happy infectious vibe permeated the whole event according to Deb Waser who organized it for the Broulee Mossy Point Community Association. “We are lucky to have just the best beach, best sand and best community support for the competition”, she explained.
Viewing the exhibits was tricky even dangerous. The turtles were disturbingly large. A Loch Ness hippo visited the beach for the first time. You had to avoid the shark attacking the Hewitson family’s boat or the crocodile half way through eating Robert Kennedy’s companion or the Shanahan family’s rocket set at a trajectory low enough to wipe out most of their competitors.
Perhaps even more dangerous was the task of judging . The organizers went with the theme of 'local artists and local legends' for judges in Greg (Red Kombi) and Anna (Single Fin), Dawn Ingles and her daughter Jenny, and Chris (Purushka) and Pauline Hicks. “They did a brilliant job”, according to Mrs Waser.
Locals, interstaters and overseas visitors gave a cosmopolitan flavor to the afternoon. Diotima Chrobok of Germany didn’t actually deny that she timed her visit to Cate O’Rourke and Helen Watson of Surf Beach to coincide with the competition.
The organizers paid tribute to the local businesses who contributed so wholeheartedly to the event. Broulee Surf School and Total Eco Adventures was the generous presenter of the event, which had additional support from Mogo Zoo, Single Fin Canteen & Goods, Broulee Offshore Surf Shop, Milstons Past & Present of Mogo, In & Out at Mogo/Mogo Village Centre and Fudge Shop, Broulee Beach Pharmacy, Broulee Surfers & Surf Life Saving Club.
Some $500 was raised for projects of the Broulee Mossy Point Community Association
Winners were:
Juniors
!st - “Jungle” by Jungle Girls from Broulee - Amber & Erin Domeny and Sky Wildman
2nd - “Turtle” by 3 Sisters from Melbourne - Ciara, Niamh & Aislinn Scahil
3rd - “Stingray” by Beach Babes from Canberra - Isabelle Lirtar, Siena Russel and Matt Pepper
Open Sandcastles
1st - Team WA from WA/Canberra - Patrick O’Keefe, Jenna Browne, Jack Matthews, Fleur Greaney
2nd - Soloman’s Sand Warriors from Canberra - Abott & Krugman families
3rd - Emily, Rachel & Co from Tomakin
Open Sand Sculptures
1st - “Whale” by Johnstone Family of Sydney
2nd – Shark attacking boat by Canberra’s Greg & Cameron Hewitson, and Zara Hungerford
Pictures
3137 Broulee’s Jenny and Dawn Ingles bravely judged the event along with neighbor Pauline Hicks and local artists Chris Green (aka Purushka) & Greg Mckay (aka Red Kombi)
3148 Early energy in the sculpturing process from Canberra’s Kate Corcoran, Matilda Watts, Maddie Richards and Heidi King along with Katie McDonald from Broulee
6357 An unlikely mob of mermaids emerged with Gypsy, Chaska, Harry and Rose Waterson of Surfside
3151 The Campbell and Jackson families of Tomakin contributed more than a little youthful exuberance
3157 An elephant emerged through the efforts of Broulee’s Emma, Sharee & Kim Jackson & Canberra’s Emma Moore
3160 The Shanahan family of Mossy Point had their rocket set at a trajectory low enough to wipe out most of their competitors
3162 A sensitive seahorse sculptured by Surf Beach’s Cate O’Rourke & Helen Watson with aid of Diotima Chrobok of Germany
3167 Ben Cleaver, Sam Hathaway, Steph Mangos and Amy Allpress of Canberra wiped out
3172 An androgynous rocket cum crayfish (depending which side you looked at it) by Sean and Louise Jones of Jerrabomba
3174 Sydney’s Emma Burgess, Monique Halpen, Sarah Hay, Chris Theaupa & Don Vitelli supplied a supersized pineapple
3177 Unfortunately a crocodile ate one of the contestants. Robert Kennedy of Melbourne survived.
3180 Amber Johnston looked suitable stoked by her family’s winning entry in the open sculpture with a whale erupting from the sand
3186 Second place in the open sculpture went to Canberra’s Greg & Cameron Hewitson, and Zara Hungerford who barely survived a savage shark attack
3190 A Loch Ness Hippo visited the beach, first time apparently
6330 Makayla Wade of Mossy Point (a third time veteran of the event) showed Hannah Smith of Sydney how to do it
6338 Ciara, Niamh & Aislinn Schahill of Sydney in their second time at the sandcastle competition
6340 & 6345 Vincent Benassi of Canberra did the heavy lifting for his brother Billy
6353 Amber and Erin Domeny of Broulee hard at play
