Albert Lucio, Jr. carved his first five-gallon bucket of sand in 2005 after a friend told him about a local sculpting event on the beach. A week later, Albert competed in his first sand competition, a grueling 25-hour, overnight event for which he was overwhelmingly unprepared. Despite suffering a severe sunburn and dehydration that required medical attention, he discovered a new passion.

Since then, Albert has become an award-winning sculptor, competing in open, solo, and duo competitions across the U.S. and Canada. He is the resident sculptor for Sherwood Forest Faire, the event sculptor for the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau, and serves as the Semi-Pro and Amateur Coordinator for Texas SandFest.

Wade Lapp Kelso, Washington. His artistic journey from pumpkin carving to professional sand sculpting, wood, and ice sculpting showcases his diverse skills and dedication over the past 13 years. Winning multiple competitions on a west coast sand sculpting team and earning awards in chainsaw carving competing in international world chainsaw championship and ice sculpting highlight his talent and versatility. Wade’s whimsical and magical sculptures, featured in attractions like Halloween Town in St Helens, Oregon, reflect his unique artistic vision. Wade Lapp’s success at Texas Sandfest, securing first place in his first two years as a semi-professional sand sculptor and winning the people’s choice in the masters doubles. Competing solo this year Wade battled the mouse and the snake. A few collapses later Wade continued to work to the very end to finish. Lost the mouse completely, but was able to finish with just the snake and its eggs at the end. Alot was lost in the battle but Wade came out unscaved!

Jihoon Choi, a renowned sand sculptor from South Korea, has dedicated over 20 years to transforming sand into breathtaking works of art. Born and raised in South Korea, Jihoon studied Environmental Sculpture at the University of Daejeon, where he nurtured his lifelong passion for sand artistry. His impressive career has taken him to corporate events, festivals, and competitions across South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Kuwait, Europe, and the U.S., earning him numerous prestigious awards. Beyond competing, Jihoon shares his expertise by teaching sand sculpture in his home country and has even designed and marketed sand toys for children, inspiring the next generation of artists. Now for the first time in our island, we’ll get to see him create. We are really looking forward to it!