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The 24th annual Sand Sculpture Festival turned the Samoa Drag Strip into a packed parking lot on Saturday, as the Friends of the Dunes fundraiser attracted a large crowd to the nearby ocean beach. Nineteen teams of artists working in the medium of ocean beach sand competed for fun, cash prizes and various awards, while attendees who made donations got flags to post in the sand and “vote” for their favorites. (Dig the photos of the sculptures and sculptors below.)

“We created this event as a way to share the dunes with our community in a fun, creative way,” said Mike Cipra, executive director of Friends of the Dunes. “It’s another way to get local artists and others out here to enjoy the ocean shoreline.”

Every team that participated received recognition of some kind but here's who cleaned up the major awards:

Best in Show: Team Craghead with "Beach Cleanup"; People's Choice: Northcoast Environmental Center with "Lend a Hand, or Eight"; Golden Shovel (for participating businesses): Hunter, Hunter & Hunt with "Crunching Numbers"; Most Imaginative: Team Sandwhitches with "Make Me a Sandwich"; Most Dedicated Diggers: Let's Get Kraken with "The Kraken"; Friends of the Dunes Staff Pick: Better World Custom Tile with "Octopie"; and, Youth Award: Team Odd 4's Out with "Under the Sea."