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[JCZ]

Every weekend there are multiple things to see and do here in the San Diego area.  I've never been in an area that has so much going on and it's been year around.....or at least the nine months that I've been living here on Coronado.  This weekend is no less and so we decided to go see the Imperial Beach Sun & Sea Festival 2014.

The whole town gets involved, live music every couple of blocks, street fair, food booths and of course the main feature.....the sandcastle building competition.  Imperial Beach is the southern most US city on the Pacific coast, at the southern end of Coronado and the Silver Strand Beach.

[JCZ]

I always thought they must use some kind of special sand or put some kind of additive in the sand/water mix.  Not the case.....they use the beach sand, water, their hand tools (trowels, straws, buckets, knives, forms, etc.) and that's about it.  The sand is all natural beach sand but a couple of the displays did use other items from the beach such as sea weed, shells, etc.

We arrived mid morning, set up our beach sun shade behind some of the areas that had already been staked out for the competition and walked each of them shortly after they'd begun and before the big crowds got there.  This is a timed event and at 2:00 p.m. everybody has to put down their tools of the craft.








Some early on photos....just to show some of the progression.  It was certainly interesting to watch these progress....especially those that were teams working on the same piece.  Working on different sides of the same piece and come together at some point and all are on the same scale was very interesting.

It was also very interesting to see how some of the teams were only a two man team (or in the case of The Sand Castle Man....one man show) and show as much or more detail than the large teams, in the same amount of time.





an early shot of what will become the Eiffel Tower....



Some of the displays were based on recent movies.  This one is the begining of Ratatolle...



and of course.....Transformer



And further down the beach, closer to the water, there was a beach goer trying to dig his way to China....





a couple of the teams used forms until the sand dried........



and, being a military town, the Marines were present.  They were actually doing manuvers in several locations just off shore




The Sandcastle Championships have been absent the past two years.  They just got to big for the city and law enforcement to be able to manage and control.  But now they're back and this team's theme is "Back On Track".   They were the largest team in number of people as well as the largest display.  And even though a couple of the smaller displays had much more detail, this display took 1st place in the competition.


The drawing that they were working from:










the Imperial Beach Pier




Up on the pier, it's obvious that the beach is starting to get just a bit crowded......

[JCZ]

and the Imperial Beach Pier goes out into the ocean for ever!  California has many, many piers but this has to be the longest pier I've ever been on.  They tell us there's a seafood restaurant out on the end of it.....let's go sea




Off in the distance you can see the skyline of San Diego and the Coronado Bridge...









The best fish & chips I've ever had was yesterday at the Tin Fin Seafood Restaurant at the end of Imperial Beach Pier.  It doesn't get any fresher!

[JCZ]

Back on land, it looks like the competition is heating up





The kid's competition is on the other side of the pier....







The train is getting "back on track".......right down to the smoke billowing out of the stack



Even the railroad ties appear splintered and cracked....

[JCZ]

Here is the display from the Sand Castle Man   http://thesandcastleman.com/   He can be seen live doing his art on the beach at the Del Coronado Hotel here in Coronado just about every day of the year.  He is, by far, the most small scale detailed. He uses a little eco friendly water color to accent his masterpiece.













and.....the drons were there photographing the whole thing.  Just a matter of time and these things will be all over the place much like wireless internet or cell phones.







It was a great day on the beach.  Thanks to the mild overcast, wasn't to hot.....just a great time.  I hope all of you enjoyed it....

[lowflight]

Always interesting to see what they can come up, just using sand and water.

[Jock]

Thanks for sharing the event JC.  I have always been amazed by the talent and craft of these artists.

 

[LovemyCVOgirl]

I loved all their efforts JC but my favorite was the sandcastle  Thank you so much for sharing your paradise with us!

[~The Defilippis's~]

I can't even find the time to go to the beach, let alone crafting these detailed creations.  Pretty awesome.

[screaminCVO]

Great pics......love San Diego!! Not sure how you get more than 1 pic per post. Thanks!!!

[BigLew]

Thanks JC! Enjoyed them all.

BigLew

[PinkE]

There all awesome works of art, Thanks for sharing, what a beautiful area you live in.

[JCZ]

I can't even find the time to go to the beach, let alone crafting these detailed creations.  Pretty awesome.

That's why I brought the beach to you.  I got your back Steve.    But you and Yolanda are welcome down here anytime you can get away.

And for the past four days there's been a convention in San Diego.  San Diego's largest convention....bringing in anywhere from 120,000 to 150,000 people for this freak show, depending on which news source you're watching.  ComiCon International 2014. 
     
http://www.comic-con.org/cci
 

[JCZ]

This convention has been going on for decades and while it started as a convention for comics and comic books, it quickly morphed in to a convention for comics, comic books, animaes, animations and sci-fi books, movies, etc.  Every network has spent millions advertising their next biggest movie, series, etc. and it's all capped by their respective stars doing signings, photo ops, displays or talks in the various halls.

We had heard a lot of stories about this convention for the past nine months.  It's sold out in one day, a year ago.  And even though the convention itself is sold out all the networks have plenty to see and do for the public that doesn't have the "pass".  Babe and I decided to catch the ferry over and see what all the talk is about.  Come on along Steve, Yolanda.....and everybody else....let's go see the freak show.




At the ferry landing, as we're waiting for our boat (they run every half hour) a guy catches a baby sting ray.  As soon as he landed it on the dock, the group next to him gets all excited.....he's caught a baby octapus.  In this photo he's right behind the back pack, surrying fast, towards the edge of the dock but he quickly runs into the ice chest.





We all found that to simply be amazing.  What are the odds of catching either one off of a fishing/boat dock.  And then for not one to be a baby but for both to be a baby and for it to happen that close (proximety) to each other and that close (in time) to each other.  The ocean is alive and well in San Diego bay and Coronado Island.

[JCZ]

For $8.50 we get a round trip ticket and miss all the traffic insanity of downtown San Diego.  The ferry drops us at the docks directly behind the convention center.














Half way across I notice a group of bathing beauties on paddle boards heading across the bay.  Pretty brazen considering the size of boats and ships that troll up and down the bay and how small they are.










The networks and media have spent millions advertising their movie, series, specials, etc.  I mean they wrapped highrises, trains, buses, whole building fronts (wait until you see the street side of the Hard Rock Hotel).  These are professional wrap jobs and not just banners.  They cover windows and all....



As soon as we step off the ferry and head up the stairs to the convention center it starts and doesn't end.....   They even see a camera they automatically fall into their costumed roll