If you ask me, getting up early on the weekend sucks. Getting sand in your crevices sucks. And trying to build anything out of tiny grains in a windy environment is borderline insanity. Who would choose to do all of the above?
The many teams competing in this year’s Leap Sandcastle Classic, that’s who. And they’ve got motivation beyond building something beautiful: the competition raises funds for arts and architecture education in Bay Area public schools.
Now in its 43rd year, this most wholesome of competitions pits teams of local businesses against each other in a battle to build large-scale sand sculptures. Each team is assisted by eager groups of elementary school students, who make the whole process significantly more adorable. The 2024 competition raised an impressive $266,383.
This year’s teams will compete at Ocean Beach for a handful of different honors: Best in Show (Gold, Silver, Bronze), a “People’s Choice” award, several team awards, and a prize for “Best Student Participation.” There’s also a prize for the team that raises the most cash. Last year’s Gold Award went to Team Space Cat Starship for building, well, a space cat starship. This year, in honor of video games old and new, the theme is “Level Up!” — with participants allowed to interpret the theme any way they wish.
Registration for teams closed in September, but watching the event remains a thoroughly entertaining way to spend the day. This year’s competition takes place on the beach near the intersection of Balboa, and will also feature food trucks, live music by the San Francisco Rock Project, face painting, arts activities and open-play beach volleyball. For anyone feeling overcome with sandy inspiration, a “community castle” will be open to all to help build.
