Sculpt the Ultimate Sand Palace

How can you catch her eye on a beach strewn with tanned, buff bodies? How about creating a giant sand sculpture of the NASA space shuttle or a characterture of Gene Simmons?

We’re sure that’s what scientists at the University of Amsterdam had in mind when they conducted a recent study appropriately titled, “How to construct the perfect sand castle” published in the prestigious journal Nature. (We’re pleased to report that scientific journal editors loosen up in Summer Friday season, too.) By using a similar mathematical equation civil engineers use to calculate the stability of buildings, they found the most steady sandcastles to have a water content of about 1 percent. (Click here for the best celebrity summer beach bodies!)

So how can you build a lofty castle (or sports mascot, marine mammal, or kraken)? To help you get started, we talked to the men behind I.B. Posse—the two-time reigning champs of the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition. (Yes, that exists.)

Gather your gear

The basic tools you’ll need are garden shovels, buckets of various sizes (5-gallon to 8-ounce), masonry trowels, and spoons. To carve your design, simple kitchen utensils should suffice. For extreme detail, use a straw to remove the smallest amounts of sand by blowing it away with your breath.

Devise a plan

Have a general concept of your desired outcome so you can focus your efforts. Sketches help. Claim some real estate within 20 feet of the tide line. Then take a stick and carve your blueprint. (Make sure to protect your eyes while you’re out there with The Best Summer Sunglasses.)

Start digging

Pile up sand in a volcano shape, dowsing it with buckets of water as you go. The mound will need to be packed down tightly to create a surface hard enough to be carved. Master sand sculptors complete this step with the aid of rigid wooden or plastic forms to keep the sand in place and to build height in multiple levels.

Be creative

Once you have a good structure, start carving at the top of the pile and work your way down so the sand you cut away doesn’t fall on sculpted areas below. Also, be ready to improvise. Sand is not a very forgiving artistic medium. If part of your sculpture crumbles, just roll with it.

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