April 28, 1985 - World's tallest sand sculpture built at Treasure Island
Hidden among a string of St. Petersburg-area beachfront communities, the city of Treasure Island decided it needed to make a big statement. The town's chamber of commerce paid $25,000 to renowned sand sculptor Todd Vander Pluym and his Sand Sculptors International to build a world record sand castle on its beach, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
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The result, a 37-foot-high creation called Bluebeard's Castle, took 12 days, six front-end loaders, 4,000 tons of sand, 12 workers, and 500 volunteers to complete. It attracted 150,000 sightseers in its first weekend and was featured on the network morning news shows and newspapers throughout the world. It was also 8-feet taller than the former record-holder built by Vander Pluym's company the previous year in San Diego.
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But the new record didn't last long. Another group of sand sculptors built a taller structure at Treasure Island the following year and the city has continued promoting sand sculpting events ever since. In 2001, local leaders convinced then-Gov. Jeb Bush to bestow upon the town the title of "Sand Sculpture Capital of Florida." The town is also home to Sanding Ovations, whose founders Dan Doubleday and Meredith Corson sculpt commissioned pieces around the world. Sand Sculptors International remains in business today, building state-of-the-art sand edifices for corporate clients, shopping malls, Hollywood studios and anyone else with an open wallet. Meanwhile, sand sculpting has ascended to reality-show levels. The current record holder, nearly twice as high as Bluebeard's Castle, was built by Eppo Vogel at the 12th Gotone China Zhoushan International Sand Sculpture Festival in Zhujiajian, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, China, on September 29, 2010, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
• Read the story in the Orlando Sentinel: Treasure Island's Fame - Daddy of Sand Castles
• Read the story in the St. Petersburg Times: A title made in sand
• Check out Sand Sculptors International's web site
• Check out Sanding Ovations' web site
• Read the story in the Orlando Sentinel: Treasure Island's Fame - Daddy of Sand Castles
• Read the story in the St. Petersburg Times: A title made in sand
• Check out Sand Sculptors International's web site
• Check out Sanding Ovations' web site