This year’s Crystal Classics sand sculpting competition was held at Siesta Key with Mote Marine as the event’s beneficiary. Hundreds of people enjoyed the velvety sand and the plethora of tents selling beer and crafts while the smooth, white sculptures loomed against the horizon.  Starting on Wednesday, sculptors had about four days to build their masterpieces. Each hour was spent packing down the fine Siesta sand, carving out their figures and finishing up the fantastic details as the votes began to flow in.

On Sunday, the winners were announced. Co-sculptors Abe Waterman and Morgan Rudluff shared the competition’s first place award for their witty and quirky sculpture of a bald man locked out of his igloo-shaped home. The piece was called “Keyless.” The winners discussed the brainstorming process behind this clever creation.

“We kind of just threw around ideas between our minds until we got to this one,” Morgan Rudluff said. “At first we had the idea to have this cube, block shaped guy trying to break into a circular house but it evolved into something totally different.”

Sponsored by Margaritaville, ABC 7 news, Sarasota Herald Tribune and many other organizations, this sand sculpting competition donated all remaining proceeds to Mote Marine’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program.