Thomas Koet won the solo category at the 2025 Parksville Beach Festival sand sculpting competition, completing his entry 'The Juggler' in 30 hours. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

works of art

Juggling mermaids, acro-bats take top honours at Parksville sand sculpting competition

Jul 14, 2025 | 5:29 AM

PARKSVILLE — There were a few tense moments right down to the final minutes, but around 20 sand sculptures are standing tall for the next five weeks.

Winners for the 2025 Parksville Beach Festival’s Sand Sculpting competition were announced Sunday, July 13, ending the head-to-head battle between some of the world’s best sand artists and opening a long viewing window for the public.

Florida’s Thomas Koet won first prize in the solo category for his piece ‘The Juggler’.

“I wanted to focus on one thing that I could make that would be very beautiful and I thought I would make this juggler,” Koet told NanaimoNewsNOW after his win. “But, in order to tie it into the water theme I made the juggler into this beautiful mermaid, the ringmaster.”

Koet’s ‘The Juggler’ took out top honours for the solo division. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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The award-winning construction was made from around 12 tonnes of sand, compacted together with water to create his canvas.

Koet said he worked extremely hard to get everything done inside the 30-hour time limit.

“Every time when you make a sculpture, there’s something that’s got you holding your breath a little. For me, it was the point when I took the bottom form off and there were these little cracks appearing that made me afraid if it’s going to last or not, but it’s lasted.”

It was Koet’s third time at the Parksville event, competing once before as a solo artist and another time in a doubles pairing with his wife.

He said the atmosphere of the Oceanside event is what keeps drawing him back, as well as relationships he’s developed with staff and volunteers at the annual summer staple.

Jakub Zimacek (left) and Fred Dobbs (right) pose in front of their piece ‘Acrobats’, which won the doubles category. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

While Koet’s experience at the event helped propel him to first place in the solo category, a brand new team took out top honours for the team division.

Canada’s Fred Dobbs and Czechia’s Jakub Zimacek were competing together for the first time, combining their respective, distinguished carving careers.

Their entry, ‘Acrobats’, came from numerous brainstorming sessions.

Zimacek initially suggested some sort of bird as the central character, before Dobbs suggested an (acro)bat to play off the ‘Circus by the Sea’ theme.

“It was probably idea number seven along the way, then as it developed we had some modeling clay at the hotel and we put together this concept,” Dobbs said. “I’d been excited about Kuba (Zimacek), he goes with a lot of abstract shapes and for us to put this triangular shape in the background, then we decided to put a hole through it because that’s what sculptors do, we try and make things that are scary even scarier.”

Additional details included a moon texture to further tie in the bat theme.

‘Acrobats’ featured a detailed bat and moon. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Dobbs said they also had some issues with cracks in the base upon removing the final base form on Sunday morning, but were able to fill and stabilize the structure.

The central hole through the sculpture was an adventure, according to Dobbs.

“It’s adding more of a challenge for the sand to stay up. It’s 14 feet tall, 12 feet wide but only about five feet deep, so that’s not much when you think of the verticality you get with that, so putting a hole smack dab in the middle of it, it does create a potentially dangerous situation.”

Zimacek said he’s competed in the past with another partner, but he and Dobbs came together for this event after meeting years ago at an event in Australia.

Dobbs and Zimacek also earned the support of their peers, winning the Sculptors Choice award in the teams category.

Canadian Damon Langlois won peer recognition in the solo category for his piece ‘TGIF’, after finishing third in the judges’ results.

Sculptures will remain up for public viewing until mid August. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Parksville Beach Festival Society president Cheryl Dill said with the sculptures up, they can have a little bit of time to breathe.

She said the feedback they receive from competitors year after year is amazing.

“This means everything to hear the positive comments from our sculptors about what we do for this quality of sand sculpting competition, and also to take care of them and make sure they have a unique time here in Canada and in Parksville. They love the small town feel, they love the hospitality and they love chatting with the visitors here.”

Sculptures are available for daily viewing at Parksville Community Park until Aug. 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Entry is by a suggested donation of $5 per person with cash and card accepted at the gate.

This years theme, Circus by the Sea, took a variety of interpretations. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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