Before the tide returns

Text A: an original contemporary practice extract.

My cousin and I entered the sand-sculpture competition intending to build a lighthouse above a ring of cottages. For the first hour, we worked as though the plan had already succeeded. Then the lighthouse folded at its middle. Its upper half slid into the cottages, leaving a damp mound where our centrepiece had been.

The deadline prevented us from holding a lengthy funeral. We flattened the remains into a harbour wall and carved the surviving cottages into boats. Our watch was buried beneath a towel, so it was a team beside us who called out that only ten minutes remained. By the time the judges arrived, our grand coastal scene had become a small, crowded port. It was less impressive than the lighthouse in our heads, but it was standing.

We did not win a prize. Even so, I valued the competition because it forced us to respond rather than begin again whenever the sand refused our instructions. Without a finishing time, we might have spent the afternoon protecting an idea that no longer worked. Next year, we will return with another ambitious plan. I hope it collapses slightly later.

Text B: an original contemporary practice extract.

From the judging area, the tallest sculptures claimed the beach before anyone examined them closely. A sea monster rose above the crowd, while a carefully carved street of tiny shops almost disappeared behind it. The judges did stop at every entry, but the loudest shapes had already announced their importance from a distance.

Spectacle belongs at a sand-sculpture competition, and it would be absurd to apologise for attracting attention. However, when a single award is expected to recognise scale, detail, imagination and skill, size becomes a useful shortcut. Competitors soon learn what can be seen from the judging path. Next year, they may build higher rather than look more carefully.

Separate awards would not remove competition. Prizes for detailed work, inventive ideas and overall impact could make the judging more exacting, not less. The event should continue to produce the enormous creatures that gather a crowd, but it should also encourage visitors to bend down and notice a doorway smaller than a hand. A beach full of different ambitions would be more interesting than a row of sculptures competing to cast the longest shadow.

Compare how the writers present their ideas and perspectives about sand-sculpture competitions. Support your comparisons with detailed references to both texts.