Brad Goll
Austin, Texas
PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNER AT SANDING OVATIONS
Titles: 10 time World Champion Team, Tournament of Champions Team Silver, Tournament of Champions Duos Silver. Brad Goll is one of the three founding partners of Sandscapes. Brad was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was raised in several parts of the country, thus preparing him for the nomadic life style of professional sand sculpture. After high school Brad entered the work force in construction, where he earned enough money to move to California. Upon his arrival in California in 1985, Brad soon found his way to the beaches. His first sand sculpture was a foot print, but now after several years experience he is now adept at carving a full human figure. Brad got involved in sand sculpture through sand sculpting competitions at the beach. After winning numerous contests, it was inevitable that he would become an integral part of early professional sand sculpture. After several years of work experience, Brad along with his two partners formed Sandscapes in 1992. Even though Brad is busy full time doing professional sand sculpture at fairs, festivals and shopping centers he hasn’t forgotten his beginnings at the beach. Every year along with his partners he competes at the World Sand Sculpting Championship at Harrison Hot Springs in British Columbia, Canada. Brad was a part each time Sandscapes has won its ten world team titles. In 2008, after the breakup of the Sandscapes partnership, he started his own company, Sandpile Creations. He will continue doing competitive and professional sand sculpting as long as he can.

Katie Corning
Fort Myers Beach, Florida
Katie is a full-time professional sand sculptor and owner of Sand Magic Sculpting and Florida Sand Productions, LLC. She was a celebrity competitor on the Travel Channel’s television hit, Sand Blasters III, The Extreme Sand Sculpting Championship. Katie has competed at these major sand events: World Championships of Sand Sculpture, Harrison Hot Springs, BC; Canadian Open, Parksville, BC; Bermuda International Sand Sculpture Competition, Southampton, Bermuda; Tournament of Champions, Harrison Hot Springs, BC; North American Sand Sculpting Championships, Virginia Beach, VA; New England Sand Sculpting Festival, Revere Beach, MA; American Sand Sculpting Championships, Fort Myers Beach, FL; Sandcastle Days, South Padre Island, TX; Texas Sand Fest, Port Aransas, TX; Myrtle Beach Open, Myrtle Beach, SC. Her work has been featured on The Weather Channel, Fox Sports Network, The Travel Channel, Good Morning America and numerous regional television newscasts, as well as in various print media around the country. Katie’s background includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Arts degree from Auburn University, Alabama. Although she has worked in metal, stone, wood, glass and clay, sand has been her focus and passion since she was introduced to it in 2004. She appreciates the ephemeral nature of sand sculpture and enjoys the physical and strategic challenges of designing and building in sand. Her work can be seen on-line at www.SandMagicSculpting.com and at www.FloridaSandProductions.com

Matt Long
New York, NY
Titles: 2 time medalist - Monmouth Sand Sculpting Competition, Medalist - North American Championships, Medalist - Sand Castle Days. This is only the third year of Master-level competition for Matt, but he has been a presence in the sand world for years.  He created “Can You Dig It Sand Tools,” a product that has earned numerous accolades including being named one of the Best Twenty Five Toys of the Last Twenty Five Years by the Parents' Choice Foundation. Matt also is a supporter and organizer of several amateur sand sculpting competitions in New York and New Jersey.  He has made many appearances on some of the most-watched national television programs, including the Today Show, Good Morning America, Oprah, and NPR’s Creatively Speaking. Website: www.canyoudigit.com

Lucinda “ Sandy Feet” Wierenga
South Padre Island, Texas
Lucinda “sandy feet” Wierenga has won a modest amount of international fame for her home town of South Padre Island, TX with her sandsculpting skills by leading sandsculpture workshops and competing at major events all around the world for over two decades. She has been the subject of numerous print articles and TV shows -- If you saw the 2008 episode of The Travel Channel’s “SandBlaster” series (where they blow up the sculptures) you would have seen her and partner Kirk Rademaker walk away with the big fat first place check. A former high-school English teacher, Lucinda has taught literally thousands of people how to build a better sand castle. The paperback edition of her book  - "Sandcastles Made Simple" - came out in 2009 and spent much of the summer at the top of the Amazon.com best seller list in the "sculpture" category.  She is sole proprietor of the Sandbox Inn of South Padre Island - a spacious beach house vacation rental where guests can hone their sandsculpting skills under her tutelage.  Most recently, she is directing her sand sculpting energies into the promotion of "beach billboards"  -- zero carbon footprint advertising for a new, greener age. See more of her sculptures at www.sandyfeet.com - or visit www.sandcastlecentral.com for sandsculpture tips, tricks and pics.