Karen Fralich

Karen Fralich has been creating sand sculptures since 1994. She began her sculpting career at age 14 in a pottery studio in Guelph, Ontario. In 1994, a professional sand sculptor invited her to help him on a small sand sculpture in a local mall. Fralich was immediately addicted and spent the next 4 years learning the rudiments of sand sculpture while still working full time in restaurants, clothing sales and mascot costume construction. In 1998 she entered her first international contest and by 2001 she was working full time as a freelance sculptor. Her work takes her around the world. Fralich has competed in 92 master level international sand sculpture contests, is a 4-time World Champion and 4-time North American Champion and is the only woman to win the Solo Canadian World Championship.

Dan Belcher

St Louis, Missouri, USA

Dan has been creating professional sand sculptures since 1990. He is honored to have learned from many pioneers of the art form, and now to get the privilege of collaborating with, and learning from a family of many of the best and most talented sand sculptors from around the World.

During this time, he has won 14 world Championship in the Team, Doubles, and Solos categories, and competed in scores of other contests and hundreds of professional projects across the country around the world including Japan, China, Denmark, Italy, Australia, Great Britain and many other wonderful destinations. He loves the balance of the physical and creative sides of working with sand.

He is also a Landscape Architect with a degree from Kansas State University. He has been a professional brewer and has run a few marathons when his schedule allows.