A SNEAK PEEK AT SAND SENSATIONS BC
A sandy surprise greeted CM Finch students earlier this month on a school trip to Peace Island Park. They got a sneak preview at the plans for the up and coming 2014 sand sculpturing event. The sculptures from last year are still standing and the life-size bison carved in sand was visible enough to locate where the nose should be. At the end of their picnic and hike, the students were treated to an ice cold refreshment and a quick lesson in sand carving by the event planning committee.

SAND SENSATIONS BC kicks off this year on July 26 with a “Cowboy Country” theme. Five professional sand carvers will have already worked the previous week to “pound up” the sand forms compacting the sand. All five carvers this year hold World Champion titles in sand carving.  Susanne Ruseller from the Netherlands and Dan Belcher from the USA are new to SAND SENSATIONS BC. Ilya Filimontsev from Russia will be remembered from the first year of the event with larger-than life goldminers and their horse and cart. David Ducharme from Winlaw, BC, directs the preparations and has carved crowd-pleasing sculptures each year. And, our very own Peter Vogelaar, who lived in Fort St. John for many years and has since become famous for his snow, ice and sand carvings, will travel again from Winlaw to interact with the spectators and create amazing sandwork. From July 25-27, teams from Grande Prairie plan to join the local carving teams and have been practicing in their home town. The Family Challenge is Aug 2 which is also the weekend of the Gold Panning event at Peace Island Park.

SAND SENSATIONS BC is the only Northern BC sand carving event uniquely located on the Peace River and situated in an outdoor camping setting at Peace Island Park in Taylor. The playground of the Peace on the Alaska Highway offers all camping facilities, swimming, hiking and close to nature encounters. Easy day trips from Dawson Creek and Fort St. John make it attractive for people to return to see the daily progress of the professional carvers.

Tons and tons of sand comes from the banks of the Peace River and is provided by Nels Ostero Sand and Gravel. Poorboy Trucking transports it to the site and equipment from Brandt Tractor, Peace Country Rentals, and Conway Electric makes it possible to organize the event. The wide support from community-minded individuals and companies is vital to staging this SAND SENSATIONS B which is in its third year. Set the date on your calendar July 26- August 3 for SAND SENSATIONS BC. Admissions is free. Book a campsite early (camping fees apply). Put on your cowboy duds, bring a picnic and kick up your heels with the sand carvers at Peace Island Park. Register to play in the sand and create a sculpture with tips from the pros.

For further information: Contact Jocelyn 250-793-0272 or email  info@fsjarts.org