SYDNEY — On January 10, international sand sculptors from as far away as Latvia converged on the banks of the Hawkesbury River to take part in the 2013 Hawkesbury International Sand Sculpting Championships.

Armed with 20 tons of sand, each of the fourteen contestants worked feverishly over the course of four days to complete a “Fairy Tales and Fables”-themed sculpture. There could only be one winner, but each of the incredibly detailed sculptures deserved a prize.

Jino Van Bruinessen from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, took first place for his sculpture “Two Pots – Aesop Fable,” depicting the brass and earthenware pots from the Greek storyteller’s famous tale.

Second place was awarded to “My Precious!” by Latvian sculptor Sandis Kondrats which, as the title suggests, featured the infamous Gollum from the “Lord of the Rings.” “Be careful what you wish for,” a rather surprised-seeming boy who has just released a particularly mean-looking genie from a lamp, carved by Sue McGrew from the USA, took third place.

Through January 28, two sculptors will remain on-site at the championships creating a display piece from 60 tons of sand and allowing visitors to observe the sculpting process.  

Click the slideshow to see images of the winning entries.