The fall competition usually begins in early September & the finished sculptures are available for viewing until early October. (There is also a 2nd competition here annually in the spring.) The world championship at Harrison Hot Springs, held here since 1990, is said to be the largest sand sculpture competition in the world, & there are many. The competition features the top sand sculptors in the world vying for the prestigious titles in solo, doubles, & team events. The event, on the shores of picturesque Harrison Lake, is set on the wide beach which is turned into a natural outdoor art gallery during the event.

Harrison Lake was is a prized locale because the sand, which is highly angular and extremely silty, is ideal for sculpting. The sand is dredged from the bottom of the lake where the current has gently deposited it since the last Ice Age. It is this sand quality that allows sculptors competing here to regularly build central pieces that are over 12 feet tall, typically using the West Coast technique of compressing sand & water into different sizes of plywood forms. In fact, sculptors here have set three, progressively-higher, Guinness World Records for the World's Tallest Sandcastle. For more information about this competition, check here: http://www.harrisand.org/

There are sand sculpture competitions held all over the world, including several more in Canada, ie Quebec City & PEI. More info here: http://www.snowsculpture.com/sand.htm

For more inforamtion on Harrison & its history, check here: http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?townID=3359

For more information about the spa/hotel, check here: Harrison Resort Hot Springs & Spa http://www.harrisonresort.com/