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    Fun at the beach

    5 tips to build stunning sand sculptures from 2023 Texas SandFest winners

    Celestina Blok
    May 29, 2023 | 12:00 pm

    As summer fast approaches, sandy vacations to coastal destinations are on the horizon for many travelers. For those with kids in tow, sandcastle-making might top the list of beach trip must-dos.

    But “playing” in the sand isn’t just an activity for children, as proven by the 22 professional sand sculptors from around the world who recently competed in the 26th annual Texas SandFest, held in Port Aransas in April. The internationally recognized event, started by Port A locals in 1997, is the largest native-sand sculptor competition in the nation; nearly 70,000 people attended this year.

    Competition entries featured everything from mermaids to the Grim Reaper, all intricately carved, brushed, and chiseled from sand, ocean water, and perhaps a little diluted spray glue that sculptors say helps maintain detail. The competitors work on their masterpieces during the event, allowing spectators to witness their progress from start to finish.

    “I do around five international sand sculpting competitions per year. It’s always a great challenge to compete a high level,” says Benoit Dutherage, a competitive sculptor from France who also creates snow sculptures in the French Alps during the winter.

    Dutherage took first place in the Duo Masters category, along with his sand sculpting partner Sue McGrew, for their work called “Wish You Were Here.” Comprised of two loving faces (one mystically cut in half), the sculpture was a tribute to Pink Floyd.

    “We like to reflect human emotions in our sculptures,” he says. “It is never easy to pick an idea among the thousands of ideas we have.”

    Florida resident Thomas Koet, whose sculpture called “The Prospector” won first place in the People’s Choice category, intended to create something with horses and a cowboy as an homage to Mustang Island, where the competition took place. High tides just before the event thwarted his plans.

    “The high tide washed away so much of the sand, I had only enough left for a mule or a foal,” he says. “So I decided to make an old prospector with a mule.”

    Thinking out of the box when it comes to carving sand is just one of several suggestions Koet has for recreational sand sculptors. (“Who says it has to be a castle?” he says.) He and other winners from the 2023 Texas SandFest say they are always happy to see novices get creative.

    Here are five of the pros' top tips for producing a beachfront masterpiece.

    1. Think beyond the standard sandcastle
    “Design and sculpt outside of your comfort zone,” says Abe Waterman, a sculptor from Prince Edward Island, Canada, who took first place in the Solo Masters division with his sculpture, “Sleeps with Angels.” The mega sculpture featured four angels at four corners holding a blanket carrying a sleeping woman. “While this may not lead to the best sculpture results, one will improve faster by doing this.”

    Waterman noted that there are different types of sand depending on location. Some are better suited for detailed work while others work well for verticality. “But something can always be sculpted regardless of the sand quality, the design just may need to be altered,” he says.

    Koet recommends picking something that will fit your attention span. “You can make anything you want,” he says. “You can make a cat, a shark, a monster truck, your high school mascot, a sneaker, or a shark eating an ice cream cone.”

    2. Use the right tools
    Forgo the cheap tourist shop plastic bucket and shovel set. “You definitely need proper tools to get a good result: A solid shovel, a few trowels – not too big – and a wall painting brush to clean your sculpture,” says Dutherage. “You’ll also need buckets.”

    Think big painter’s buckets, he says, used to make what’s essentially “sand mud” consisting of lots of water and sand. Which leads to the next tip ...

    3. Create a form mold
    Consider this the secret to head-turning sand sculptures. Whether it’s a 10-foot-tall wooden box with sides that come off, or a plastic bucket with the bottom cut out, a “form mold” is an open-top vessel used to hold packed sand and water to create a carve-able structure.

    “It’s a very useful thing to have in order to get a solid block, and to go high,” says Dutherage. “If you are a handyman, you can build your own forms. But a quick solution is to take a bucket, no matter what size, and cut out the bottom. Then put that bucket upside down on the sand. Add a few inches of sand, some water, mix with your trowel and compact that layer. Repeat until the bucket is full. Then gently pull the bucket up and surprise! You will get a nice block of sand ready for a sandcastle full of windows, arches, and gates.”

    The compacted layers of sand and water almost act as cement, creating a sturdy base for carving. Dutherage says folks can easily repeat the form mold process to create multiple bases, either side by side or stacked.

    4. Use plenty of water, for the sculpture and yourself
    Benoit recommends adding even more water during the sculpting process.

    “Bring a plant sprayer,” he says. “Sand needs to be wet to be sculptable.”

    Even rain during sand sculpture building isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “One of the biggest misconceptions is that rain will destroy a sand sculpture,” says Waterman. “While this is possible, most often it just textures the surface.”

    Water is also essential for the sculptor, as staying hydrated is key during the process, Waterman adds.

    Texas SandFest
      

    Texas SandFest

    Save the date for the 27th annual Texas SandFest, April 19-21, 2024

    5. Practice, Practice, Practice
    “The biggest misconception is that I do anything different than anybody who does it only for the first time,” says Koet, who’s been sculpting sand for 25 years. “Sure, I bring more and bigger tools and I spend much more time shoveling the sand high and mixing it with water. But there is no magic other than years of practice.”

    Waterman, who admits sand sculpting has taken over his life, competes in up to 10 contests a year and also creates sculptures for exhibits and corporate commissions.

    “Tricks and tips will only get a person so far,” he says. “But ultimately practice and putting the time in will get them a whole lot further.”

    Benoit agrees. “Making a sand sculpture requires a lot of work and the more you practice, the better you will get,” he says. “But first of all, you have to enjoy the fun of it.”

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    Airline News

    Dallas can now fly nonstop to Bogotá, Colombia on Avianca airline

    Teresa Gubbins
    May 27, 2025 | 5:44 pm
    Avianca airlines
    Avianca
    Avianca Airline

    There's a new nonstop out of DFW Airport: Colombia-based Avianca has launched nonstop service between Dallas and Bogotá, operating four times per week. The new route is part of a major expansion by Avianca and will offer more than 1,400 weekly seats aboard Airbus A320 aircraft, each with a 180-passenger capacity.

    Bogotá is the capital of Colombia, and its largest city, with more than 8 million people as of 2022. It's also the third largest city in South America, behind São Paulo, Brazil and Lima, Peru.

    Avianca encompasses Avianca — a Star Alliance member — along with LifeMiles and Avianca Cargo division. Founded in 1919, it's one of the oldest active commercial carriers in the world, and is the leading airline in Colombia, Ecuador, and Central America.

    It operates one of the largest air networks in Latin America, offering 150 routes, more than 700 daily flights, and a fleet of 140 Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, connecting over 75 destinations across 25+ countries in the Americas and Europe.

    The nonstop service between Dallas and Bogotá operates four times per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, with times as follows:

    • Flight # AVO188: Bogota to Dallas: 7:30 am - 1:20 pm
    • Flight # AVO189: Dallas to Bogota: 2:50 pm - 8:15 pm

    “With this new route between Dallas and Bogotá, we now offer 19 direct routes from Colombia to nine U.S. destinations, with more than 170 weekly flights scheduled for the June 2025 peak travel season,” says Avianca CEO Frederico Pedreira in a release. “This growth not only broadens our service options for travelers, but also strengthens our position as one of the leading airlines in the region.”

    Consul of Colombia in Dallas Andrés Fernando Diez Martínez says in a statement that "the launch of the direct route between Dallas and Bogotá marks an important step in strengthening the longstanding, deep and dynamic relationship between Colombia and the United States. This new connection will foster greater exchange, bringing more travelers, entrepreneurs, and opportunities in both directions, and reflects the growing importance of bilateral tourism and business ties."

    The 19 direct routes in Avianca’s U.S.- Colombia network for June 2025 include

    • Barranquilla–Miami
    • Bogotá–Boston, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Washington, New York, Orlando, Miami, Chicago, and Tampa
    • Cali–New York and Miami
    • Cartagena–New York and Miami
    • Medellín–Fort Lauderdale, New York, Orlando, and Miami
    • Pereira–New York
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