‘B’ Street Pier
1140 North Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101

2019 Winners
Navigation Menu+

Dan Belcher

Sculpting Since: 1990

Location: St. Louis, MO, USA

Dan has been creating professional sand sculptures across the continent and around the globe for 29 years. He says he is honored to have learned from many pioneers of the art form, and now to have the privilege of collaborating with a family of many of the best new, talented sand sculptors on the planet.

Honored indeed. He is among the world’s most awarded sand artists. “Sand sculpture is a test—it can flow like a dance, or feel like a wrestling match. It is an exhilarating, physical, and creative endeavor; a wonderful process and an awe-inspiring product; a means of calm focus, and a cause of frustration. Remember— no magic, no tricks— just effort and desire.”

Dan is also an accomplished landscape architect and urban planner (degreed from Kansas State University) and is a founding partner in a microbrewery in Wentzville, MO. Carving sand. Brewing beer. Enjoying good friends. What else is there?

Notable accomplishments:

  • 2016 Grand Prize doubles, Revere Beach Sand Festival, Revere Beach, MA
    • 2nd Prize doubles, Neptune Festival, Virginia Beach, VA
  • 2015 3rd Prize World Masters Class, U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge, San Diego, CA
  • 17 world championships

On the web:

USSSC + DAE is cancelled.

It was our great honor to have produced this iconic event for 8 years.  USA Today had named it to the ‘Top 10 in the Nation’ and American Express called it ‘one of the top 20 seaside festivals in the world’.

Hundreds of millions of media impressions were registered worldwide and over 40,000 attended the festivities each year on the downtown San Diego embarcadero. 

We thank the Master Sand Artists from Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas who created magnificent sculptures from nothing more than sand and water, as well as the artists who work in other media, the entertainers, food providers, sponsors, media, staff, suppliers, volunteers and the Port of San Diego who made the event possible.

Should a title sponsor or new production company wish to bring it back to benefit local non-profits and the Southern California community at large, we will endeavor to help advise as long as we are able. 

For now, enjoy the website from years past.*

Thank you once more.

Joyce and Gordon Summer, Executive Producers

on behalf of Bruce, Tricia, Steve and the entire USSSC team.

This Website sculpted one grain at a time by Web Services Management.