HAMPTON — Sculptor John Gowdy quoted Albert Einstein as he pounded up his pile of sand Wednesday for the 2022 Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world,” Gowdy said. 

The New Jersey native was planning a sculpture that features a stack of books to represent education.

‘Greatest Show in Sand':Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic 2022

The Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic is back for its 22nd year, featuring an international field of 10 world-class master sand sculptors. With over $25,000 worth of prizes on the line, sculptors have three days, Thursday through Saturday, to create their masterpieces in the sand only using sand and water.   

Judging on Saturday is based on overall impact, or "wow factor," and technical skill and degree of difficulty. It includes a People’s Choice Award, with voting by the public from 1 to 3 p.m.  The award ceremony will take place Saturday at 8 p.m.

Wednesday was “Pound Up Day,” in which sculptors “pounded up” their sand into a solid base held up by rectangular-shaped scaffolding.

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Gowdy is a retired firefighter of 27 years. He found the love of sand sculpting while doing the thing he loves most – spending a day at the beach with his family. At one point they formed a sand sculpting team called the “Rowdy Gowdys.” Now, Gowdy continues his passion and has been a sand sculptor for the past 33 years.

Bruce Phillips might be this season’s rookie in Hampton, but he is no stranger to the world of sand sculpting. With around three decades of experience under his belt, Phillips’ passion for sand sculpting came from an exhibit he saw at a mall.

“I was blown away, I just didn’t register the size in the mass of the material he was doing,” he recalled, “And it was all sculpted by hand.”

Intrigued, Phillips began being an apprentice for that sculptor. After multiple weekends of shoveling sand, Phillips was taught different tricks and sculpting techniques.

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“I started to take more and more time off from work to do sand work,” said Phillips. “Pretty soon I just went full time with (sand work). It has given me the opportunity to travel all over the world.”

The Californian said his favorite sand sculpting competition was in Japan, an event he has been participating in for the past 22 years. 

“It’s invitation-only,” said Phillips. “It’s one of the events that when you’re asked to go, you don’t say no.”

While almost all of the sculptors are using a rectangular-shaped scaffolding made of wood, Carl Jara’s is round and made of flexible plastic sheet.

“I like to use round forms because I’m less likely to injure myself… (the rectangular base made from wood) has splinters and nails, and they’re heavy,” said Jara. “I’m struck with a round-based sculpture but I can do a lot with it.”

Jara used to compete seven or eight times per year. Now, having founded a booming business, he only competes about three to four times a year. Jara has created sand sculptures for multiple famous companies such as the Daytona 500 as well as Disneyland.

Reigning champion Abe Waterman, who won last year’s event with his sculpture titled “Empty,” said his sculpture will have to be a surprise for the judges.

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Waterman said his 15 years of experience in the industry started from “a series of bad choices” that led him to his passion. Though the Prince Edward Island native is also familiar with ice and wood sculpting, he said he is most comfortable with sand sculpting.

“Every place has its advantages and disadvantages,” he said. “The sand here is some of the best we got to work with so I really enjoy that I get to push the limitations.”

The sand the sculptors use is not from Hampton Beach. Competition organizer Greg Grady brings in 200 tons of the finest quality of sand from Hudson for the competition each year.

“You’re as good as your sand,” said Greg Grady Jr., Grady’s son and one of the competitors. “I’ve traveled the world and this is my full-time job, part of the job is finding good quality sand.”

His concept for this competition is “Wyvern Whisper,” an inspiration that came to him from the imagery of the mythological two-legged dragon known as wyverns. But much like other sculptors, he said his concept is still evolving and visitors will have to wait until the sculpture is done.

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Grady Sr. started the competition in 2000, which has now become a Hampton Beach tradition. He is the head judge and serves as the tie-breaking vote for a three-judge panel, which includes Gov. Chris Sununu this year. 

Jara, who has been sand sculpting for 22 years, said he favored competing at Hampton Beach because of the sand as well as the kind treatment.

“They have the best sand in the circuit and the organizers treat us like kings and queens here,” said Jara. “It’s one place in the world where it could be pouring rain and a great audience will still show up to watch and support us.”

2021 Sand Sculpting competition:Check out last year's winners in the Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic