Andy West, of Harrington, Delaware, has been building sandcastles for nearly 20 years – but not the kind with plastic buckets and simple towers. A competitive sand sculptor, Andy enters semi-pro contests across the tri-state area and will compete this November at the Siesta Key Crystal Classic in Florida.
“Some contests can be six hours, others up to 30 hours over three days,” he says.
Andy is known as “The Delaware Sandman,” a name he shares with a sand character he created in 2017.
“He’s kind of a goofy self-portrait, inspired by my kids’ Lego people. But he’s cooler than me – always has big cheap sunglasses and an anchor tattoo. He’s my signature.”
When he’s not carving castles, Andy serves as editor-in-chief of Delmarva publications at Delaware State News and BaytoBayNews.com, where he’s worked since 1990. His journalism career actually led him to the sand, when he organized the Rehoboth Beach Sandcastle Contest from 1993 to 2004.
“I had no idea what I was doing. I watched and thought, ‘This looks fun.’”
After turning the contest over in 2005, he entered himself and scored 10 Top-10 finishes.
Andy uses unexpected tools – PVC pipe, souvenir cups, makeup brushes, even straws – to sculpt his designs. “The bristles on makeup brushes are soft, so they clear loose grains and make the sand kind of shine.”
To help castles last, he sometimes seals them with a homemade mix of Elmer’s glue and water. “If it’s protected, it can last for weeks, even months,” he says. “I did one at the Delaware State Fair that lasted almost a year.”
This year marked the seventh time Andy and fellow sculptor Darrell O’Connor built a massive sculpture for the Delaware State Fair, which draws over 300,000 visitors. Together, they’re founding members of the “Sand Bears,” a group that builds winter sculptures for the Special Olympics Delaware Polar Bear Plunge.
“My whole life, everything I create is temporary – the news, the sand, all of it. But while life is temporary, it’s also a series of moments of joy. Thank God we have the pictures.”
Follow Andy on Instagram @delaware.sandman to see more of his creations.
CRUSH QUESTIONS:
What’s your favorite part about living in coastal Delaware?
Andy: “The proximity to the beach. I’m half farm boy and half beach bum.”
Tell us something about yourself we wouldn’t otherwise know.
Andy: “I am the sole owner of Harrington Beach,” he laughs. “After one of the State Fair builds, I asked them to drop the sand off at my house. It was 20 tons, and they dumped it into my backyard! So now I can build sandcastles in a cornfield – it’s great practice and really fun.”
By definition, a crush is a brief infatuation with something … what are you currently crushing on?
Andy: “My first granddaughter, Lowen! She’s 2 years old, and the Pop-Pop experience is everything it’s cracked up to be!”
