Sandcastles

On Saturday, my sister and I attended the 49th Annual Sandcastle Day in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Sandcastle Day began in 1964 when a tsunami washed out the bridge into Cannon Beach and residents were relatively isolated until a new bridge could be built. That spring, families from the community gathered for a Sandcastle contest to entertain their children and attract visitors willing to brave the difficult access. Today, Sandcastle Day in Cannon Beach is one of the biggest Sandcastle days on the West Coast. Competitors of Sandcastle Day include both professionals, amateurs, and kids.

Sandcastle Day starts early in the morning when teams head out to the sand to begin building their masterpieces. The teams work all morning until judging starts at 1:00 p.m. By 2:30, the tide is quickly moving in and the fast tear-down begins. Cars are moved off the beach (It is the only day cars are allowed to park on the beach), port-a-potties are whisked away, and flags marking the areas are yanked out of the sand by a large team of volunteers. And then…the tide comes in…and those magnificent creations are washed out to sea.–left only in picture and memory.

Here are some of the finished Sandcastles from this year’s event: