Traditional sandcastles are not very common anymore. Most contestants try for a humorous theme, usually drawing from recent movies or current events. (There were several "Lord of the Rings" puns, some "Finding Nemo" motifs, and about eight sandcastles commemorating the 41 auto-train collisions since the recent inauguration of Houston's new downtown Metro Light Rail.) More's the pity. The second one is actually titled "Castle Von Neuman," which is I'm sure a pun that made sense to them at the time. I'm probably just missing something. The arches were astounding, though. I find myself wondering how long they lasted once the sand dried out.
"Sandy Warhol"
A sand rendition of the famous Andy Warhol prints. Sadly, I wasn't able to get high enough to take a decent overhead view (this one was taken while standing on top of a three foot tall pile of sand).
The same sand scuplture, but this time modified using PhotoPaint's perspective modification tool. It came out kind of grainy at the top after such extreme distortion, but you can get a better idea of what the sculpture actually looked like.
A Giant Chain
Sometimes, the simplest themes make the most striking sculptures. This huge chain leads off into the surf, like it was anchoring Galveston itself into place. Usually, contestants provide a sign explaining the theme. This sign just had a large anchor.
Another simple theme.
This time, it's a drop of water, suspended in the act of striking a pool.
Variations on the Easter Island monoliths.
Two details from larger sites. The one on the left is, obviously, Buddha. It sat serenely in the middle of a raked sand garden. Very nice effect. Unfortunately, the camera didn't pick out the rake marks very well. The one on the right was in a grouping of several nightmarish shapes, grouped enigmatically around a giant shovel. The theme was equally enigmatic, and I seem to have forgotten it. But the giant head was amusing, anyway.
Piazza by the Slice
Giant towers of sand are always a crowd pleaser. This one shows a giant obelisk, complete with faint tracings of brickwork (which sadly didn't show up very well here). In the front is Leonardo DaVinci, with his hand casually resting on a globe. This neatly gets around the problem of making a tall, narrow column of sand, such as a free-standing man.