‘If you ain’t first, you’re last.’  This has been the family mantra since granddaddy Guinto invented fire and Chris continues to carry that torch to this day. Evident in his sculptures which millions have made pilgrimages to witness, words like “Supernatural”, “Divine providence” and “Number one on my bucket list” are often used to describe his sculptures. In a nutshell, as Chuck Norris once said: “Sculpting? I leave that to Chris Guinto.”

That was true until he met his nemesis, Melineige Beauregard. It was at that point he truly understood he might not stand at the top of the food chain anymore. Opposites attract, and like fire & water, they’ve competed for the “King of the Hill” title, pushing each other to the extreme limits of their abilities.

Sure enough, they ended up sharing the view on top of the hill, because what is a Queen without her King? Chris and Mel are now living in Hawaii. Sculpting sand and roaming the world, offering crocodiles management assistance in countries of need.

Morgan Rudluff is a beach-loving born and raised California girl who serendipitously stumbled into sand sculpting in 2007. By 2011, she was traveling full time, appearing on TV shows, giving media interviews, professionally competing, and spreading general joy through art and creativity to people far and wide. Rudluff considers herself to be quite privileged to have been able to make a living doing such fun unique work. To this day (especially post pandemic), she is grateful for the opportunity to travel and be creative.

In 2018 Rudluff made the complicated choice to put sand sculpting on the back-burner and focus on a new career in the healing arts.  She now works full-time as a massage therapist and is splitting her time between her private practice in Oakland, CA as well as a massage therapy instructor at the San Francisco School of Massage & Bodywork.  Rudluff considers all her years as a sand sculptor to have been instrumental in how she approaches bodywork: “Both of my careers have been equal parts art, design, science, composition, education, adaptability, attention to detail, creativity, intuition, and absolute love for what I am doing. Plus, I usually get to work barefoot doing both!”

When she’s not doing massages or sand sculpting, Morgan spends her time in the Bay Area taking improv classes, working in her garden, and going to see live music.

Slavian is a freelance sculptor with over 26 years of experience. After graduation, he worked at the Sculpture Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan. Since 1996, he have participated in multiple sand, snow, and ice sculpture festivals and competitions all over the world, winning numerous. Moreover, he works with bronze, stone, resin, and ice. His works have been shown in individual and collective exhibitions in many European countries.

Deborah is a graduate of the Art Institute of Boston, and feels blessed to make a living doing what she loves!  She is a full time artist working as an illustrator, muralist and sand sculptor.  Some of you who live here in Revere may have seen the 8’ x 96’ mural under the Sargent Street Bridge which was truly one of her proudest moments.  She was introduced to the sand here on the Revere Beach during the 1st year of the Sand Sculpting Festival in 2005. Deborah fell in love with it! She started out learning how to carve logos. In 2015, she decided to take a leap into competition. This year will be her 6th year competing. When she’s not creating art with her hands you might catch her as a DJ hosting for Dad & Art’s Karaoke!

“Mediocre Abe” Waterman is back again to wow audiences with a display that guarantees to be as riveting and adrenaline inducing as the sloth enclosure at Franklin Park. His one man show has been called “the best thing since Ambien, maybe even better!” If you’ve always found yourself too busy to watch the grass grow, the paint dry, or the water boil, and find yourself wondering how the other half lives, leave the kids at home, ladies and gentlemen, because you may want to stay out late, and catch what could only be called Zen and the Art of Doing ____ All.

Karen has been creating sand sculptures for 28 years! She has no formal art training, but always loved sculpting in multiple mediums before she discovered sand. Her passion, curiosity and many incredible mentors lead her to embrace this unusual career.

In 1998, she entered her first international sand sculpting contest and by 2001 she was working full-time as a free-lance sand sculptor. She specializes in fantasy and whimsical themes, but she loves a challenge!

To date, Karen has competed in over 145 Masters Level International sand sculpture contests, winning 28 First Place Titles, as well as 5 World Championship titles. Her work takes her around the world, collaborating with friends, festivals and companies in Canada, the USA, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Holland, Spain, England, UAE, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia.

Karen has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and enjoys playing any sport. She is also a mega-nerd, especially regarding Star Wars!

Representing the north is a self-taught artist and a second generation sand sculptor, Greg, a Marine vet who calls New Hampshire’s 13 mile coastline home. What started as a summer hobby on family vacations had turned into following in the footsteps of his father; a creative pilgrimage, exploration and study into the world of sand sculpture. His’ Irish luck had him apprenticing under the world’s best sand sculptors, playing in the biggest of sand boxes, and traveling to beaches across the country. This passion has turned into a career for Greg. Over the past 15 years, Greg has made sand sculptures for every event imaginable, collaborated with the worlds’ best sculptors and  competed professionally around the globe. Greg loves what he does and feels blessed to have found his niche in such a wondrous art form and creative community.

Follow his travels on the sand-trail: 

greg.grady82@gmail.com 

ItsJustSand.com 

IG:g2grady 

Matthew Deibert was born and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  Living close to the beaches, Matthew spent many days playing in the sand.  As a child Matthew showed an interest in the arts. Living close to the beach, and number 7 of 8 children, family trips to the beach were frequent. Sand was a medium readily available and affordable.  Sandcastles, large decorative walls, tunnels and motes were some of his favorites.  Through the school years he returned to the beaches, abandoning sand as an art form, but to serve the public along the beach as an Atlantic City lifeguard.  It was the birth of his first son Ian and their early trips to the beach that sparked a new relationship enjoying the sand.  This enjoyment transformed into a passion after studying the Art of sand sculpture and discovering the history of sand sculpture and its connection with Atlantic City.  At present Matthew holds a BA from Mercyhurst University with an emphasis in Graphic Design.  He is a retired Atlantic City Firefighter Captain, where he met John Gowdy, who was very influential in his sand career. Matthew is married with six children. His two oldest sons, Ian and Matt Jr. have joined him on the sand pile. He is the creator and owner of SandCreation LLC. He has been competing and working with sand professionally since 1999.   During his free time, he can usually be found with family and friends on the New Jersey Shore.  He also enjoys playing golf…one place where he tries to stay out of the sand.

Matthew has worked with other sculptors, some of the large events are:  Beach Fest Atlantic City, Super Bowl Tampa Fl., Bloomberg Manhattan, NY, Sun Fun Fest Myrtle Beach, SC, Grand Opening South Carolina Aquarium, Summer Fest Winter Haven, Fl., World Record Attempt Wildwood, NJ, Schenectady NY, The White House Commission on Remembrance “ Sands of Remembrance” 60th Anniversary D-Day, Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, Wawa Welcome America in Philadelphia, Atlantic City Beerfest and Downbeach Seafood fest, Margate Beachstock, Somers Point Bayfest, Tropicana Casino and Ocean Casino.

Matthew has competed in solo and team events.  Some of his honors were:  3rd Place team-Expo Cite Quebec 2000, 1st Place team-Expo Cite Quebec 2001 with John Gowdy, 2nd Place solo Old Orchard Beach, ME 2001, People’s Choice World Championship-Solo Harrison BC Canada 2001, 3rd Place Solo North American Championship Virginia Beach VA 2001, 3rd Place solo-Expo Cite Quebec 2002, and 1st Place-Team World Championship Harrison BC Canada 2002 with Karen Fralich, 1st Place team North American Championship Virginia Beach VA 2003, 2nd Place Solo North American Championship Virginia Beach, VA 2004, 2nd Place Team-Expo Cite Quebec 2005.1st Place New Jersey Championship 2007 & 2008. He competed on “Sand Blasters 2007”and 2008, which was shown on the Travel Channel. 2nd place Solo 2011 North American Championship. Winner of “Sand Wars’ ‘ with Ian Deibert, March 2012 featured on the Travel Channel.  In 2018, the father and son team won “People’s Choice” at the Virginia Beach International Championships.

Biology and Arts has always been a big influence throughout his whole life. After finishing the craftsmanship of carpentry, ship interior crafts and interior design. He explored the history of old restoration methods and used these techniques in his own work. Studying at the school of Arts in Utrecht The Netherlands he worked with professionals that introduced him to sand snow and ice sculpting. For years now he can combine sculpting with the profession of photography and studying ornithology. Working now with the best avian photographers in Europe.

Twenty years ago Hanneke had her first encounter with sand sculptures when she was doing ticket sales as a summer job for a big sand sculpture park in Brugge. She was studying interior design back then, and immediately fell for the material and atmosphere of the group of sculptors working together on a big pile of sand.

After finishing her studies in 2003, she had an opportunity to sculpt sand on a project in Germany, and took it. After that she worked many different jobs to improve her skills. A couple of years later she was traveling the world doing what she loved most, making sculptures in sand, snow, ice and foam.

She met a guy who had the same passion and they circled the world together, having so much fun making sculptures and meeting the coolest people. When they had kids they took them to projects and continued their dream.

Slowly but surely in that process a new dream started taking shape.. One where she would develop her artistic skills in two dimensions as well. She still keeps on sculpting and is sure that she will never give up on that because the material is just magical. But now she is also living partly on illustration, because her kids are growing up and going to school so they can’t travel so often anymore.

Bruce has been involved in the art of sand sculpting for over 30 years. He has created sand sculptures at events and competitions from Japan to the Netherlands and Canada to Columbia. His sculpting style leans towards the abstract side but enjoys all facets of sculpting in sand.

In addition to sculpting sand Bruce is a fabricator of sculpture for other artists. He brings their concepts to life from small to very large in a wide variety of materials. One of these sculptures even seems to fly like the sculpture “the angel” that hangs 20’ up in the air, inside the main train station in Zurich Switzerland.

Bruce says he has enjoyed watching sand sculpting over the years evolve into a major performing arts attraction. And performance is what he’s all about. Because some of the other media that he’s involved in are steel, iron, aluminum, fiberglass, glass, rubber, gasoline and oil…..have you guessed……rolling works of art that some people call hot rods and custom cars!

Better known as Jobi.

Jobi studied graphic design and went through a few art courses. He started sculpting as a young boy working with different mediums such as wood, clay, snow… And just never stopped doing it. He had the opportunity to work professionally with sand and ice in 2007 adding those two mediums to his work. Jobi loves the idea of making a good living from playing in sand in summer and snow in winter, just like when he was a kid!

Today Jobi is performing in sand since 9 years and has the utmost respect from fellow competitors as a very creative and competitive person. His ideas are unique and well performed. He travels the world making sand sculptures for commercial events and has competed  in many  competitions.

Rusty Croft’s public art career started off with the world record setting sand sculpture, “The Lost City of Atlantis” in San Diego in 1997. Since then he has traveled the world sculpting sand, snow and ice, winning awards and accolades along the way for corporate and private clients. In 2010 Sand Guys International was born. A TV show with Travel Channel soon followed. “Sand Masters” chronicled their adventures in sand as they traveled the globe. Working in locations as varied as New York, New Zealand and Palau, the Sand Guys have been commissioned to create sculptures in over 30 different countries. Since its premier, “Sand Masters” has been translated into Spanish, French and Italian airing throughout the Asian-Pacific rim and Europe, Sand Guys client list includes some of the highest profile businesses in the world, including Apple, Disney, Google, Facebook, Pixar and Lucas Films. In 2014 the Sand Guys achievements literally reached “new heights’ ‘ when Caterpillar hired them to create the new Guinness Book of World Records “tallest sand castle,” in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Leading the Sand Guys team Rusty is currently featured as a judge on the CBC’s new hit show Race Against the Tide. Rusty has also been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Hell’s Kitchen, The Rachael Ray Show, Sand Masters, Sand Blasters, Sand Wars and Hallmark’s Home & Family. Sand Guys have also been featured in several national publications including The Wall Street Journal, SunSet Magazine, American Lifestyles, Kinfolk, and AARP Magazine. 

sandguys@gmail.com www.rustycroft.com www.sandguys.com 

Before Joris got in contact with carving sand in 2006 Joris have worked as a freelancer in several activities: Graphic design, Art direction (and other positions in an art-department) for movies and television, Photography, making illustrations, wall-paintings and designing and technical supporting of presentations (in PowerPoint and Keynote) at congresses. Nowadays makings sculptures has become his main job. In 2006 he participated in my first project in Lommel (Belgium). The following year he got the chance to do more projects and met more sand-carvers. Through those artists he had the opportunity to take part in a competition in Berlin (Germany) in 2008.

Still amazed by the relatively small amount of time needed to make sand sculptures and the transience and beauty of the material, he will continue to create my mind and thoughts in sand. Making sand sculptures for me is like a theater-act; you can enjoy it as long as it is there and then the memory and pictures are the only things that remain..

If you like to follow his work on Instagram @ Joris_Kivits.

Ludo Roders is from the Netherlands and graduated from Rotterdam Willem de Kooning art academy. 

Not long after studying painting, drawing and print techniques, she got in touch with the world of sculptures such as sand, ice and snow. Ever since, she has been developing her skills and broadening her view by participating in festivals and competitions all over the world. 

In the winter of 2021, she was the winner of a Dutch Television show Ice Masters. A competition on TV between six ice sculptors with four episodes. It was an amazing experience that she will never forget.

Her sculptures are sweet symbioses of dream and reality. 

They breathe a magical and poetic atmosphere, something that is also often to be found in her paintings that she creates in her studio.

If you want to learn more visit: www.ludoroders.com

Instagram: @ludoroders

In her artworks she mainly work in sculpture, which is actually directly connected with her education – in 2007. She graduated with a master’s degree in sculpting from Latvia’s Art Academy. During these years she has made personal exhibitions, and has participated in many group exhibitions, art projects, symposiums, festivals and contests as well, in Latvia and abroad (Japan, Vietnam, Russia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Spain,  Italy, France, Switzerland, USA, Kuwait, Cabo Verde).

As a sculptor she works with very different materials – welding metal, fiberglass, concrete, styrofoam, ice, snow, sand, wood, bronze, aluminum, stone, some combined materials and also makes fire sculptures.

Last year she worked a lot with “short time “ materials, like ice, snow, sand and fire, which has given her a very good possibility to realize her ideas about monumental sizes, and also travel around the world and introduce people to her art. One of her favorite materials is metal, which lets her turn the hardness of big objects to lightness and transparency, while at the same time keeping the practical resistance.

One of the most popular themes in her artworks is women. Focusing on their emotional differences, reactions to the surrounding environment and fixing the well known icons. Another big influence on her work is from nature. Focusing on the different shapes of nature, what can be shown as realism and abstract objects.