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

2019 Winners
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Helena Bangert

Sculpting Since: 2000
Location: Netherlands

Although Helena studied sculpting and installation art at the prestigious Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam, she admits she never considered sculpting in sand.  It wasn’t until 2000, two years after she graduated, when she was asked to create a sculpture at a retirement home for seamen, that her interest in the medium was piqued.  “It was in a small coastal village, so sand just made sense.”  “We clicked,” she said about her relationship with the material.

In 2002 she entered the Sand Sculpture Festival in Italy and won 1st prize from the jury.  Since then Helena has continued to amass prizes for her sand sculptures and has delved into snow and ice sculpting as well. While having a plan for a sand sculpture is important, Helena loves the medium’s flexibility. “I’ll start somewhere but then see something that takes me in a different direction.” What she sees invariably translates into something beautiful for our eyes too!

Major Achievements:

  • 2nd Place in Doubles with Joo Heng Tan at the 2010 World Championship of Sand Sculpting – Washington
  • 1st place in Solo Speed Carving at the 2010 Internationales Sandskulpturenfestival – Rorschach, Switzerland, 2010
  • 2nd Place Solo at the 2010 International Sand Sculpting Competition – Moscow, Russia
  • 1st Place in Doubles with Carl Jara at the 2008 Neptune Festival – Virginia Beach, VA
  • Many more

Website: http://www.helenabangert.com

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.