SUNSET BEACH, N.C.— Hunter Gibbes creates giant mazes in the sand for all beachgoers to enjoy at Sunset Beach in North Carolina.
Playing in the sand is a staple in what makes up a perfect beach weekend.
What began with doodles in the sand is now massive sand art for Gibbes.
"This is what I do instead of sandcastles,” Gibbes said.
Gibbes said he has no plan when he begins creating his mazes, he just starts with a shape and lets the art flow
“They're all made up on the spot. I don't know what they look like until they're done. I don't know if they're good or bad until they're done,” Gibbes said.
Gibbes' favorite mazes are spirals.
“Looking across the line. Start running together. So you can't really stand on this side and trace your finger all the way around. Once you have enough circuits,” Gibbes said.
He begins right after high tide to maximize the life of each maze and he said these mazes can take up to two and a half hours to create. Many times people will stop in to ask him about them.
“This one starts out as a pattern. It's concentric circles. Then I turn it into a spiral and hopefully I don't have to make too many cuts. And then it’s frustrating for you” Gibbes said to a beachgoer.
Gibbes said he sometimes makes mistakes and makes an unsolvable maze. Kids are the first to point it out.
“The kids are honest and they're brutal. They are. You can't get out,” Gibbes said.
Gibbes' favorite part of it all is the excitement and happiness he sees in the faces of those realizing they’ve figured out the maze.
“Usually by the time they're coming out the end, they're almost running. The hands go up in the air, jumping up and down that they successfully made it through,” Gibbes said.