Sand sculptures damaged by vandals at Parksville Beach Festival

The damage was discovered early Sunday by volunteers, say organizers of the Parksville Beach Festival.

Vandals damaged four sand sculptures in the annual Parksville Beach Festival competition over the weekend, knocking the tops off two, almost destroying a third and kicking another. Event manager Wendy Sears said the vandals targeted entries in the doubles category — made up of two sculptures that go together — likely because they are at the front of the display. Also damaged, likely by a shovel, was the berm that had sponsors’ logos on it.

The sculptures damaged “are the ones that had the most height,” said Sears, adding some rebuilding was underway on Monday. While rocks have been thrown at the sculptures at times during previous years’ festivals, the damage has been limited, with nothing of this scale seen for two decades, she said. The damage was discovered Sunday morning, which turned into “a huge day” in terms of crowds, Sears said.

“I think people kind of rallied around and came because they knew that we had some vandalism.” This year’s entries feature a total of 14 solo sculptures and eight doubles, all created in a designated time of 30 hours over four days, Sears said. Winners in the doubles category have decided to share their prize money with the sculptors whose work was damaged, she said, calling it an “amazing” gesture.

No winners were officially announced in the category. “They’re like one big family,” she said of the competitors, who come from around the world. “It’s a very small world — they’re all friends.”

Prize money in the doubles category includes $3,600 for first place, $3,100 for second and $2,600 for third. Solo entries earn $1,800 for first place, $1,550 for second and $1,300 for third. This year’s solo winner is Abe Waterman from Prince Edward Island, followed by Manuel Campos from Colombia, Todd Pangborn from the United States, Victoria’s Damon Langlois and Thomas Koet, also from the United States.

Sears said the sand used by the sculptors is brought in from a pit in nearby Whiskey Creek, with this year’s load totalling 350 tons. Doubles sculptors get 15 tons of the special sand and singles get 10 tons, she said, “It has a high clay content so it’s kind of sticky.” The sand sculptures will be on display daily through Aug. 16, with the festival running daily.

Admission is by a suggested donation of $5. Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call the Parksville Beach Festival Society at 250-954-2678 or Oceanside RCMP at 250-248-6111.