‘Sandcastle Man’ to Build Sand Sculpture in Honor of ‘Moana 2’ Film

In honor of the upcoming release of Disney’s “Moana 2,” Bill Pavlacka or “The Sandcastle Man,” is building a three-dimensional sculpture out of sand on Mission Beach.

He will start the project at 6 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, and anticipates it will be completed at noon.

From 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., visitors can receive free promotional items from the film – screening Wednesday – and view Pavlacka’s masterpiece.

Go on an epic adventure with #Moana2, only in theaters November 27! #CheeHoo🪝 pic.twitter.com/EDHHsIaQnQ

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) October 8, 2024

Pavlacka, an award-winning artist, started his own business building sandcastles after work in the construction industry grew scarce, according to his website. Now he builds the sculptures for weddings, engagements, parties and other events.

After being raised in New Jersey, the artist made his way to California where he spent time playing on San Diego beaches with his family and developed a skill for sand sculpting.

It typically takes him two to three hours to complete a commission. He begins by finding a good spot of sand where there is no seaweed or obstructions, he said. He wets the sand and begins to build up, compacting it every 2-3 inches.

He then starts at the top and carves a little at a time making his way to the bottom. He uses plastering tools during the process, but like any kid at the beach, he also digs and shapes with plastic forks and spoons and rakes and shovels.

Pavlacka said he improvises a lot as he’s sculpting. For the Moana sculpture, he said there are certain details he needs to include so he has a rough sketch for reference. The more time he has to work, the more detail he’ll add, he said.

He doesn’t typically build in honor of films, so this is a unique circumstance, but he has created works inspired by “Green Lantern” and “The Wizard of Oz.”

Most of the time, he sculpts for fun. He’ll often go to the beach and shape random structures that say “happy birthday” or “happy anniversary,” so that people walking by who happen to be celebrating a big day can take pictures with it.

“That makes me happy,” he said.

He said his goal and hope for his art is to bring joy.

A tip on spotting his work: He often sculpts in front of Hotel Del Coronado, his favorite place, he said.