INDIANOLA — If you’ve ever wanted to tower over the pyramids of Egypt, crane your neck to look up at a giant cat, or have your picture taken with one arm draped around a bug-eyed ogre, Indianola Beach was the place to be on Saturday.
That was the site of the sand sculpture contest, the centerpiece of last weekend’s Indianola Days.
While younger kids ran cheerfully screaming from the water and the older ones attempted to surf on the shallow streams winding their way up the beach, hundreds of visitors gathered to walk among the sand sculptures or, in some cases, make their own.
The creations ranged from the traditional to the more creative. One family crafted an octopus which had pipe-thick tentacles, one curling on top of the other— another made a man crouched over a jet ski.
There was a beagle with shells for eyes; a whale threatened by a nearby shark; and a submarine rising out of the sand.
One group attended carefully to a cheerful troll, which held a banjo as his creators worked on the back of his head.
“This is educational, not humorous,” claimed Indianola resident David Weinstock.
Weinstock didn’t take a break as he talked; he continued to smooth out lines and deepen detail on the sand sculpture as he spoke.
“We want people to know that there are all sorts of trolls in the world,” he said. “And in Madagascar, as well as small pockets of Indianola, you find kid-friendly trolls.”
“They’re vegetarian,” another artist piped up.
Another sculpture, entitled “Moon Over Bainbridge,” had five crouching human figures, all of whom were pointing their posteriors at Indianola’s neighbor to the south.
The sand sculpture-contest may have been one of the biggest draws during Indianola Days, but it wasn’t the only one.
There was Stunt Night, a community performance filled with skits and songs, to help kick the event off on Friday.
Saturday saw residents crowd the beach for the sand-sculpture contest; a fun run for kids and adults; and, as the contest wound down, kids’ games on the beach.
The kids’ games started off in spectacular fashion as the youngest competitors — one year old or less — participated in a foot race.
(There were different levels of participation. One toddler took two steps, then turned around and happily jaunted back across the starting line. Another began crying halfway down the course, drawing “aaaaawwwws” from the crowd. Another child thought about it, then decided to stand unmoving at the starting line.)
More games followed.
Children raced each other; they raced while balancing eggs on spoons; they rolled eggs along the wet beach with their noses.
The last race of each event included adult competitors.
Chris Moore, who helped coordinate the races, found an innovative way to win the egg-rolling competition. He pushed the egg along the gritty ground with his tongue.
When he crossed the finish line, Moore raised his arms with triumph and stuck out a sandy tongue.
“It’s a solid technique,” Moore said. “I saw a little kid do it once about five years ago.”
“We’re having a good time. That’s what it’s all about,” he added.
On Sunday, the sculptures had been swept away by the sea, but Indianola Days continued with the pet parade, the classic car show — which included not one but two Lotuses — and finally, a pickup game of baseball on the beach.
