Great Neighbor - Chris Crosson
By: Amanda Huntsman
Summer is here, and no better time than now to check out the work of this month’s Great Neighbor Chris Crosson. If you’re a local, I can almost guarantee you have stumbled upon one of his impressive sandcastles. He creates these remarkable structures most weekends at Sapphire Avenue and South Bay Front on the Island.
Born and raised on Balboa Island, the beach has always served as Chris’s main playground. His family purchased a quaint beach cottage on Balboa Island in 1957. He was raised there on Agate Avenue, just a quick walk to the public dock with his three siblings. His mother, Bunny, was a talented artist that worked with needlepoint, beading, and knitting. She taught at Laraway’s on Marine Avenue for years, eventually opening her shop, The School of Needle. Chris recently sculpted the tribute pictured below in memory of his mother who passed earlier this year.
While raising three children with his wife, Laura, building sandcastles became a great family pastime. The Newport Beach Sandcastle Contest, held at Big Corona Beach, is the event that got him hooked. He won a trophy in their first competition back in 1995. They had entered to promote their company, Doggie Walk Bags. The idea was to use their bags to help keep our beaches clean. Twenty-seven years later, he has participated in every contest.
Growing up on Balboa Island is what also led Chris to the invention of his Doggie Bags. The boardwalk was littered with landmines of dog poop. Back then, dog walkers just dropped and walked away. In 1988, he was the first to market a bag designed to pick up after your dog, The Doggie Walk Bag. From working out of his garage with one product, the business grew as the culture changed to walkers having to pick up after their pets. They now have over 400 items related to picking up pet waste.
We asked Chris what he likes about creating sandcastles, and he passionately responded: “Building sandcastles checks many boxes for me. It's a great workout. There's lots of climbing and pounding on the sand. There is the social aspect. I meet and talk to a bunch of people. Kids, as well as adults, ask several questions. They say if you see a sandcastle, people will stop, take a picture, and move on. But if they see someone creating a sandcastle, they sometimes stop and watch for hours. I have made several friendships with people stopping by and talking to me. When I finish, there is a gravity-defying work of labor that is left behind for people to view. It is incredible to me, and others, that it’s only sand and seawater.” Chris took clay sculpting classes and studied books on carving and whittling, all to help him feel more confident with his sandcastle skills.
His love for sandcastle-making led Chris to create yet another business. While on a beach vacation nearly two decades ago, he found himself without the equipment needed to build a sandcastle, so he decided to fill that need by creating the Sandcastle Kit. The kit, all fitting into a 5-gallon bucket, contains all the tools needed to create a 5-foot-tall sandcastle.
Chris says, “Learning to build a sandcastle is a lot like learning to do a magic trick. If someone shows you how, lets you in on a few secrets, and gives you the right tools, anyone can build a sandcastle.” He teaches classes for families, clubs, school groups, birthday parties, and corporate events. The corporate event is referred to as Team Building. The participants receive an hour lesson, and they think they are finished. The group is divided into small teams competing to build their best castle. He teaches groups from 2 students to 100 people aged between 4 and 80. “It is like teaching someone to ride a bike. Once you learn, you never forget. Once you learn the secrets of building sandcastles, you will be amazed at what you can do.”
We had the pleasure of watching Chris build a sand castle for Newport Beach Living Magazine to celebrate hitting our 10K milestone on Instagram. It was fun seeing how many people stopped to take pictures and chat with Chris about his creations. A huge thank you to Great Neighbor Chris Crosson for celebrating with us!
Check out Chris’s Instagram if you want to be awed by his creations @sandcastlekit. You can also schedule a class by calling Chris Crosson Sr. at 949-735-6203 or email at Chris@dogbag.com
