Sandcastle of Hogwarts to take 1st place at competition
Judges critique each sculpture for its artistic merit, technical difficulty and overall design. Winners receive cash awards ranging from $100 to $5,000.
The 24th annual competition drew large crowds and 33 teams in masters and amateur divisions. Sculptures ranged from aliens on Mars to a war memorial.
Teams had five hours to complete their creations.
It was the final stretch of the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition yesterday, and though much of the day was marked by friendly banter, setbacks such as this one brought on nail-biting tension. The team Arch-I-Sand team from Orange County, which has competed for more than two decades, attempted to replicate Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from the Harry Potter series.
The Hogwarts entry won first place in the masters division for large teams.