Team Old Crow Sisterhood's entry "Unsuspecting Swimmer" took home Best of Show in the 2012 Data-Link West Birch Bay Sand Castle Contest. Photo by Sara Cassidy.



Braving misty rains and periodic gusts of wind, dozens of contestants and onlookers from all over Blaine and Birch Bay turned out for the 2012 Data-Link West Birch Bay Sand Castle Contest on Saturday, June 16.

Team Old Crow Sisterhood, comprising Blaine residents Jodie Shelton and Heather Peterson, took home the coveted Best of Show title with their “Unsuspecting Swimmer” sculpture. Both Peterson and Shelton have done well all three years they’ve competed in the contest, but had never achieved best of show until this year.

“We’ve placed each year, but gosh, never like this,” Peterson said. “We’re just thrilled.”

Peterson and Shelton’s winning entry depicted a swimmer basking lazily on an inner tube while a hungry shark lines him up for a meal. Peterson said she and Shelton have always leaned toward the comedic in their choice of sculpture subject matter.

“I think the best part of doing the contest is that it gave us so much joy to make people giggle,” Peterson said. “We wanted to do something funny to make people’s day.”

Here are the other top finishers of the 2012 Data-Link West Birch Bay Sandcastle Contest, via Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce president John Gargett:

Best of Show:

“Unsuspecting Swimmer” - Team Old Crow Sisterhood
First Runner Up: “Lions of Judah” - Team God Squad
Second Runner Up: “Time Machine” - Team Time Travellers

Individual Category:

First Place: “Couch” - Team A Little Bit Crazy (Joni Hall)
Second Place: “Canoe” - Team Undecided (Kelli Hall)
Third Place: “Heart” - Team Beach Angels (Katie and Braiya)

Business Category:

First Place: “Whale in Inner Tube" - Team Birch Bay Waterslides
Second Place: “Flaming Z” - Team Zion Church
Third Place: “Peace Arch” - Team Blaine Insurance

Team Category:

First Place: “Unsuspecting Swimmer” - Team Old Crow Sisterhood
Second Place: “Chesire Cat” - Team Flying Unicorn
Third Place: “Lion of Judah” - Team God Squad

Look for more photos of the sand castle contest in this Thursday’s issue of The Northern Light.