Artists create eye-popping worlds out of sand on a Bay of Fundy beach

The third season of the Canadian reality series Race Against the Tide is underway, as world-class sand sculptors compete to create extraordinary works of art made entirely out of sand. 

There's been some wild weather, some low-key jousting between competitors and, of course, a lot of amazing art!  

We've selected just a few of our favourites. Keep scrolling to take a look!

Mexican alebrije

In the first episode, competitors showcased their signature style. Carlos and Francisco returned to the beach after debuting in Season 1 and created an "alebrije." 

It's a creature made of several animals often featured in Mexican folk art.

"It's our identity. Funny, crazy and Mexican culture," says Francisco. 

Although it wasn't very tall, this animal was big and "full of character, full of texture, quite risky on the cut-throughs all the way down [the back spine]," says judge Karen Fralich. 

"These guys always come with big energy and big sculptures," agrees fellow judge Rusty Croft.

Two-sided face

When asked to showcase their "claim to fame" work Bob and Benjamin carved a compelling curvy sand structure. 

On one side, Benjamin created a woman with a split face and, on the other, Bob crafted an African face, a nod to his Ghanian roots. 

"When I'm creating, you can feel the emotion of the artist. It's not just sand," says Bob.

Judge Croft praised the duo, who've spent their entire careers working in beach sand. "I love the way this piece is carved a thousand per cent," he said. "Every surface on there has been manipulated and manipulated well."

Baby dinosaurs

Artists Ludo and Inese brought a machete to carve this marvellous pair of prehistoric baby dinosaurs. 

"Dinosaurs don't have one little detail, they have many details," says Ludo. "Their skin is not soft, smooth skin, but they are like bubbles."

"This is a fabulous sculpture," says Fralich. "The consistency of carving overall is very, very good." 

"Ludo and Inese created a magnificent prehistoric creature," Croft agrees. "It's very crunchy on top. Contrasted with the smooth bottom, it makes the dinosaur pop, and the movement is nice."

'Dude': Creature from another realm

Sand artists David and Dimitry call this character from another realm 'dude.' Inspired by nature, he combines mammal, bird and reptile parts. 

"You can just see the attitude coming off of this guy. He's got a big belly," says Fralich. 

"This character transports us inside the mind of David and Dmitri. It's a very interesting place!" says Croft. 

Alien condo

For this season's architectural challenge, Quebec artists Marie-Line and Isabel created a stunning 12-foot-tall alien condo. 

And if creating a piece of art on the beach in six hours wasn't hard enough, they had to do it in the rain, increasing the chances of a collapse.

"It's the biggest one on the beach!" marvels Croft.  "These dormers add some instant contrast and interest. In the circles, they've represented the four phases of the moon affecting the tide." 

"The aliens built a new moon," says Marie-Line. "So they can control the tide so they don't have to race against the tide," adds Isabel.

Flying dragon dream house

David and Dmitri are back with a fantastical flying dream house made to transport them to sculpting competitions around the world. Shaped like a dragon, it has two giant wings.

"David and Dmitry's sculpture was exquisite from top to bottom. The detail was near perfection, and it was the tallest sculpture on the beach," Fralich says.

Angry man on a telephone

Tasked with sculpting an emotional face, Alex and Thomas went with a massive angry man holding a telephone – something guaranteed to have universal appeal. Even the mouth is carved out, increasing the risk of collapse.

"I love the wrinkles and the expression," says Croft. "This guy is angry!" 

Swamp creature looking for dinner

For the last qualifying challenge, teams had to create a scary gruesome creature that would be illuminated by five lights at night. 

Thomas and Anique sculpted a giant 4.5 metres long and 2.5 metres high monster crawling out of the swamp to chase a bunny. With fangs and warts, that bunny doesn't stand a chance.

"Great character, great emotion!" exclaims Croft. And with the arm up in the arm with that huge cut through, "the technical risk is off the charts!" agrees Fralich.

Now that the qualifying rounds are over, Race Against The Tide finalists Thomas and Anique, Marie-Line and Isabel, Alex and Thomas and David and Dimitry will move on to the semi-finals. 

Who will win the biggest battle on the beach? 

Watch Race Against The Tide now on CBC Gem.