Conference turris::womannotes-v2

115.0. "Sandcastle Competition of '88" by CADSE::GLIDEWELL (Peel me a grape, Tarzan) Mon Aug 15 1988 22:13

First, a summary ... 

  What?     The Sandcastle Competition of '88
  When?     Sunday, August 28th  (8 days before Labor Day)
  Where?    Steep Hill Beach, Ipswich, Massachusetts
            (Steep Hill Beach adjoins Crane's Beach)
  Who       
  Sponsors? The Museum of Science
              The Creative Club of Boston
                The Children's Museum
                  The Boston Society of Architects           
                    The Friends of Sandcastles, Inc. (which
                    exists solely to sponsor this event)
 
  How Much?  With advance reservation,  $12 per car & $25 per bus
             At the gate, day of event, $15 per car & $30 per bus

I went to the '82 or '83 contest and it was Wonderful.
Enchanting.  About a hundred people (and groups of people,
families, and kids) built castles and sand sculptures, and a 
thousand or so people walked around and admired the castles,
basked in the sun, and swam in the ocean. 

If you want a day-at-the-beach, a great place to take the kids,
and a great reason to use the camera and/or sand bucket, this is it.

While this event is not associated with DEC or NOTES, I think it
would be fun to make it a "community" event. So if you plan to
come, why not reply to this note. That way, your friends et al
can look for you when they arrive and take advantage of your ice,
your beach blankets, and your company. You can also pitch
together to build a castle.

Two comments:

1. I've posted this message in CADSE, WOMANNOTES, and NETPARTY.
   But it's a public event, so feel free to forward it to friends.

2. The rest of this message contains the full text of the contest
   announcement mailed out by the Friends of Sandcastles, plus
   some extra info that will be handy to know -- such as
   directions and beach rules.

------------------------------------------
  Contest announcement mailed out by the Friends of Sandcastles.

Friends of Sandcastles, Inc.
c/o Boston Children's Museum
Museum Wharf/300 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210


THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD

The Friends of Sandcastles, Inc.
announces the Sandcastle Competition of '88
at Steep Hill Beach, Ipswich, Massachusetts
on Sunday, August 28th.

Builders and dreamers are invited to assemble once again on the
well-worn strip of sand to practice the arts of construction and
magic.  Since 1973, the Friends have held eleven competitions
and one reunion.  During these years, the beach has assumed the
forms of castle and moat, Venus and shell, man and manhole,
dragon and mudhen.  For 1988, the Friends have chosen a theme
that is in harmony with its time, and the sand awaits the fates
to be visited upon it this summer. 

Consider the number eight. Once in a century, we get a year with
two of them; the last time (when, of course there were three)
they brought a blizzard. The number is magic.  How otherwise to
explain its ubiquity -- in the very organization of the planet
(eight continents, eight seas) and its physical properties (eight
colors of the spectrum), in our moral codes (the eight deadly
sins, the commandment to rest upon the eighth day), and in
countless expressions of art and culture.  (Salome and the Dance
of the Eight Veils, The Eighth Seal, The Eighth Cross, Eight Days
in May, The Eight Year Itch, The Magnificent Eight, The Eighth
Voyage of Sinbad, The Inn of the Eighth Happiness, The Eight
Little Foys, Eight Brides for Eight Brothers, and Eighty-Eight
Sunset Strip). 

The Theme is the Eighth Wonder of the World

Almost everyone knows of seven wonders (the Great Pyramid of
Cheops, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Lighthouse at
Alexandria, The Colossus of Rhodes, Sneezy, Doc and Bashful), but
no one has yet explained the most mysterious -- the eighth
wonder. participants are invited to explore this mystery -- by: 

  - Devising a truly wonderful eighth item of a series previously
    known to include seven, or

  - Treating a recognized wonder in a fresh and surprising
    manner, or

  - Creating a Wonder hitherto unknown to the known world.

Judges will be rare people who have distinguished themselves as
visionaries, persons of principle or friends of Friends, and
their decisions, however flawed, will be final.

Rules

To guide participants towards more harmonious solutions, the
Friends herewith republish the Eight Ironclad Rules and
Regulations.  Entries deemed not to honor the EIR&R will not be
judged. 

Judging

Awards will be given in Eight Categories:

C a s t l e s :
  Design Professionals
  Families and Friends
  Just Kids
  None of the Above

S c u l p t u r e s :
  Design Professionals
  Families and Friends
  Just Kids
  None of the Above

1. All Sandworks shall respond to the 1988 Theme:
   The Eighth Wonder of the World.

2. Sandworks should not only stagger the imagination, but must
   possess human scale, either real or imagined.

3. Participants must enter in one of the categories listed above.
   Design professionals  _may_ compete against children and/or
   ordinary mortals if they desire, but in so doing risk public
   ridicule and possible censure by their respective professional
   societies.

4. Dogs and pets are not permitted on the beach.

5. No materials not found in nature may be used in the
   Competition; likewise, the use of power tools is forbidden.

6. Use of plant materials fro the fragile Steep Hill dunes is not
   permitted.  Use of such materials will disqualify the Sandwork.
   It is, however, permissible to use plant materials washed up 
   by the tide.

7. No food or beverages will be sold on the beach, and
   participants are encourages to bring their won picnics.
   However, NO alcoholic beverages are permitted on the beach.

8. The construction of sandworks in the shape of Volkswagens
   continues to be strictly forbidden.  This year, in the spirit
   of fairness, it shall also be forbidden to build Toyotas,
   Datsuns, Hondas, Subarus, and Hyundais.

Awards

Judging criteria (not necessarily in this order) are:

1. Imagination/Vision/Creativity
2. Interpretation of Theme
3. Technical Brilliance/Mastery of Medium
4. Mood and Atmosphere
5. Delight of Builders in their Enterprise
6. Sense of the Ineffable
7. Congeniality
8. Bribes

Awards will be the usually rare and esteemed objects,
certificates and ribbons. Professionals will compete for the
coveted Golden Shovel (for castles) and the Equally Desirable
Golden Bucket (for sculptures).  Special awards will be presented
by the Museum of Science and the Creative Club of Boston. 

Times, Tides and Tees

Gates open at 10:00am
Judging at approximately 3:00 pm
Awards at approximately 4:00 pm

Entertainment by various strolling players throughout the afternoon.

Concert immediately preceding the awards.

High Tide at 12:29 pm
Low Tide at 6:36 pm

The official 1988 Sandcastle T-shirt will be available for
purchase on the beach. 

Registration

The registration fee is:

$12/car   advance reservation
$25 per bus

$15/car   at the gate, day of event
$30 per bus

Registration tickets may be obtained by mail or over the counter
at:

Sandcastles
c/o Concertix
12 Arrow Street
Cambridge, MA 02138  Please make checks payable to Concertix

or by telephone charge at:
Concertix 617-876-7777
subject to $1.25 ticket service charge

Parking space at Steep Hill is limited, and preregistration
guarantees you a place at the event, which usually sells out.
All persons attending the event must pay for parking, whether
competing or not.

Rain Policy

The Friends of Sandcastles spend months by dark of night to
conjure the assistance of Nature.  Should nature, at the last
minute, withdraw her support and interrupt the proceedings with
hostile weather, the event will be rescheduled to the following
Saturday, September 3, at the same time and place. Should nature
remain unfriendly on that data as well, the event shall be
canceled and, as the Friends will have already spent the month
(as well as dumped the T-shirts at Building 19) no refunds will
be given.

Participants should note that the Friends have provided for a
special telephone line for weather advisories On The Day Of The
Event Only: 

  Sandcastle Storm Center Hotline: 617-654-8151

Sponsors:

The Museum of Science
The Creative Club of Boston
The Children's Museum
The Boston Society of Architects           

Friends:

Russ Bradley, Donna Brescia, Fred Golinko, Eileen Martin,
Annie Grear, Emily Hiestand, Fenton Hollander, Joel Hoo, 
Pam Montgomery, Wendy Prellwitz, Seth Reed, Felice Regan,
Betsy Shane, Mercia Tapping, and Kristen Wainwright. 

 ** end of Contest announcement from the Friends of Sandcastles **
=====================

Some extra info from me (Marie Meigs Glidewell, dtn 287-3335)

Getting In

Parking is sometimes gone by mid-afternoon. So you should
probably come in the morning or reserve a ticket.

Directions

The contest is being held at Steep Hill Beach, which is adjacent to 
Crane's Beach.  (On foot, there is no way to tell when you have 
crossed from Crane's to Steep Hill.)  To get to Steep Hill Beach,
where you pay admission to the contest:

1.  Take 128 North to Exit 20 North. This puts you on Rt 1A North.
2.  Follow 1A North into Ipswich.
       When you come into Ipswich, you will see two car
       dealerships, on the left and right side of the road.
       About a mile past car readers start watching for signs to
       Crane's Beach and Castle Hill.
3.  Follow the Crane's Beach and Castle Hill signs to Argilla 
    Road.
4.  Once you are on Argilla Road, watch for signs to Steep Hill
    and Great House.

Steep Hill opens at 10 am.
(Cranes Beach opens at 8 am)

Beach Info

(These are the Crane's Beach rules but I'm pretty sure
they also apply to Steep Hill):

No liquor, no dogs, no pets.
No floating playthings such as rubber rafts and inner tubes.
Volleyballs are OK and there is a volleyball net on Cranes's. 
No baseball games


Notes on The Contest:
 
The Friends supply entry blanks when you arrive at Steep Hill. If
you plan to build, fill out the entry form so the judges come to
you. (If you're unsure about building, bring a pail and other
sand tools so you will be ready if the spirit moves you.) 

A description of the levels of competition:

Design Professionals: for professionals such as architects,
                      artists, designers

Families and Friends: for 1 or more families or friends
                      who enter as a group

Just Kids:            for any group of children

None of the Above:    open. for example, for individuals who
                      want to build a castle single-handedly

(The typos in this notice are mine, not the Friends.)

    I'll be there...
    
    "No materials other than those provided by nature may be used in
    the construction"
    
    Shouldn't that read "used in the actual structure"?  After all,
    I can bring a shovel, pail, etc, right?  ("No power tools"?  Ahh,
    bummer, guess I'll have to scratch the backhoe, eh?)
    
    How about "reinforcing timbers"?  A two-by-four does wonders towards
    shoring up that overhanging thigamajig...
    
    How tight is beach space?  Do I have to fight for my square footage,
    or is it a pretty big beach?

    re .3
    
    As sculptures, or sculptors?

    re .4
    
    Since the rules are more related to the sculptures, let's limit
    our discussion (but not our scope :^) to them.
    
    Bill

    Can anyone suggest a meeting spot? As .0 suggested we could "look"
    for each other, but I don't know what you look like!!!
    
    G

    re: .6
    
    May I suggest that all of you planning to attend make a simple button
    or name tag that would be noticable and identify you as a member
    of this conference?
    
    One example would be made from construction paper (bright colors)
    about 5" in diameter with some border pattern and the saying:
    
    	"Have you read NOTES today?"
    
    This would be easy to spot, for sure!  Everyone can agree on what
    it will look like and say, so that all are common.  Sound good?
    
    jimmy
    

    Since this *is* a beach, where are we supposed to pin this thing?
    
    Since I'll be bending over most of the time, tending to my castle,
    I'll probably pin it (carefully) on the highest part of my anatomy.
    
    *I*, for one, will go out and purchase one of those shiny metallic
    balloons (one that says PARTY) and will set it up near my "station".
    Feel free to use that as a gathering point...
    
    Bill

Re directions:  A noter sent me the following mail message:

  > According to the directions, I should take Route 128 north, to exit
  > 20.  Exit 20 on 128 is around the Needham/Wellesley area....??? 

TAKE THE EXIT THAT PUTS YOU ON ROUTE 1A NORTH, toward Wentham,
Hamilton, and Ipswich. 

If you are not familiar with the area, check a road map. DO NOT rely
solely on the exit number.  For one thing, Route 128, after it splits
off from Interstate 95, might use a different set of exit numbers.
Also, the exit numbers of a few major highways in Mass were revised a
while ago, and people sometimes give out 'old' numbers. 

re rules:

>    "No materials other than those provided by nature may be used in
>    the construction"  ... I'll have to scratch the backhoe, eh?)

	You're right. All manual tools are "legal," including sand 
packing molds such as buckets, tubes, cups, and bowls, but power tools
are forbidden.  "Provided by nature" means you can incorporate twigs
and seaweed and any other stuff nature has left on the beach but you
can't bring lumber or toy bricks or real bricks.  NO "reinforcing
timbers." 

	Don't laugh at the backhoe. California castle builders 
occasionally start out with a backhoe when building giant castle 
displays.  I have a coffee table book showing the backhoe heaping 
up sand on day 1 of a 5-day castle project.  :)

> How tight is beach space?  

Ummm, looking at my photos from '83, it looks as tho the Friends mark 
off plots and you build in the plot. I dunno whether you grab a 
plot or are assigned a plot.  I would guess 'grab' but the Friends 
will tell us.  It is a pretty big beach. (If you come to CTC, I have 
photos hung up outside my cube door. CTC1-2 pole E4.)

re < Note 115.8 by AKOV12::MILLIOS 

>    *I*, for one, will go out and purchase one of those shiny metallic
>    balloons (one that says PARTY) and will set it up near my "station".
>    Feel free to use that as a gathering point...
    
Great idea!  I'll bring a ballon too, and plunk it next to your plot, 
or if you have no neighboring plot, I 'colonize' elsewhere with my 
ballon.

Reminder ... this is the perfect event for cameras. 

If this is anything like the MTU Winter Carnival snow statues, we need something
bigger then your standard beach toys, we need something on the orders of
magnitude of garbage pails and full size shovels!

As for a design, how about something Escheristic?

What do you think?

JMB 

    
    I took part in the competition two years ago.  Two of us built a
    15' long octopus in about 4 hours.  We had one full-sized shovel
    and wished we had two.  Pails and plant sprayers (to keep the surface
    sand damp) are also useful.  

    We had a great time and will be back this year weather permitting.

    I went, I dug, I sunburned.
    
    I had a great time.
    
    Over 150 actual contestants/groups competing; I'd guess over 1000
    people (hard to count semi-naked bodies, I noticed...)
    
    For next year:
    
    - Be sure you bring one shovel per person...
    - Bring one of those pump up germicide-type sprayers, to keep your
      sculpture damp (and uncrumbling) while you work
    - Watch the time!  Several groups were judged before they were ready,
      due to their going over time
    - Look for the high tide mark before starting to work, and pay
      attention to warnings about high tide times - many works of art
      were washed out in the middle - I built a massive wall to protect
      mine, and it worked out great...
    - Cement-type rectangular trowels are great for doing buildings,
      and that type of thing, due to their straight edge, and good handle
    - Yardsticks are handy for scale
    - Rakes are good for clearing out debris
    
    And don't forget your suntan lotion - put it on AS SOON AS YOU ARRIVE,
    so you don't get caught up in your sun and fun (like I did - ouch!)
    
    Bill

This past weekend I went to Steep Hill Beach in Ipsiwich to the Annual
Sandcastle Contest.  The theme this year was the 'Eighth Wonder of the World'.

Our opinion was that the Eighth Wonder of the World, was Peace, in any shape or
form, be it World Military Peace, or moments of Peace which individual people
may feel in their lives.  We made a peace symbol shaped sandcastle.  Even though
we arrived late, it did not take us long to create our peace, and it was very
fulfilling. 

We got a lot of comments from different people as we progressed.  At first
someone thought it was a 'no-' circle and slash symbol.  Later someone thought
it was a Mercedes Benz symbol (must have been a Yuppie; kind of depressing that
someone could mistake a peace symbol for a MB symbol.  We decided we needed a
"peace" sign/legend.)  Then a couple of about young girls walked by and
recognized it for what it was.  That was very encouraging.  It was encouraging
how many different types of people did recognize it.  I hope that they were able
to give some thought to Peace being the Eighth Wonder of the World. 

Later, I tried to explain to my 3 year old son, what is was that we were making
and what it stood for.  I told him that the shape we had made was a symbol that
stood for the word "Peace", and that "Peace" meant nobody fighting, nobody being
angry or mad, and that this was an important idea.  He looked quite thoughtful,
and although I don't know how much he understood, I felt sure that it was a good
starting point for him.  He is a very intelligent boy; how many 3 year olds do
you know that can subtract or 'take away'? :-) 

My life in the past few years has been anything but peaceful.  I resolved that I
was going strive to bring more peace into my life in the future. This is very
selfish, but it is something which I feel that I need right now.  I have decided
to avoid unnecessary confrontations; not to run away from them, but rather to
avoid them altogether.  

I may feel that certain causes are worth 'fighting' for, but I also have a right
to be selfish and have some peace in my life, and that often confrontations cost
more then they are worth.  If I cannot share my thoughts peacefully is it really
worth it to me or the them?  I may be better off avoiding mental or
psychological violence if I cannot deal with them in a way which allows me to
keep my peace of mind. 

Jim. 

    
    	We were there too, at the north end of the beach.
    
    	1.  We came close to being swamped at high tide. 
    	2.  I got done in by suntan lotion in my eyes - argghhhh.
    	3.  We (three) shovelled 'til we blistered.
    	4.  We had a good time despite all the above.
    
    	We sculpted a group of 8 dolphins.  Was that ever a lot of sand
        for three people to move.
    
	The best part of the day was the response of the passersbys.  
	Friendly comments and jokes kept us going to the very end.
    
    	(Interestingly enough, every child that came by identified the 
    	biggest dolphin as "the mommy".)
    
	We'll definitely do it again.
    
					cathy


    	Bring a shovel per person, pails for water, spray bottles to
    	keep the sand moist, and lots to drink...