By Julia Train
It might not be summer anymore, but sand castles can still be built.
After retiring in 2020 from being a high school math teacher for 33.5 years, Tom Jones, a Brigantine native, transferred his teaching skills to his passion for building sand castles.
“I pretty much entertain groups who want to go on the beach and play in the sand and build massive sand castles,” he said. Jones teaches families and groups of friends how to build extravagant sandcastles, but says it is more of a passion than a business to him.
During the summer of ‘93, Jones was sitting on the beach before he had to be at work to wait tables, at 3 p.m.
“I just pushed some sand around, moved it, made some walls [and] made some turrets. [I] found a plastic fork in the sand that somebody left and I broke one of the tines off. [I started] scraping [and] made some windows. Next thing I know, I had a really nice sandcastle sitting there in front of me. I said, ‘Oh my gosh. Look what I can do’ [and] took it from there,” he said.
After that beach day, Jones had a new hobby. His family often told him to turn it into a side hustle, and he always responded with, “Maybe.”
In 2007, he finally listened.
Jones took his teaching skills and applied them to his castle-making lessons.
He has a five-stage process that he walks his castle-makers through, using physics, science, geometry and algebra.
“I use the horizon. I use water and I use the sand and get it all to just go together… It’s all my skills all coming together,” Jones said.
Jones can accommodate pretty much everyone during any day of the week, at any beach, all year long. He has even traveled as far as Manasquan to instruct a family.
The entire group works together all day to create what he calls “a big, giant, finished, beautiful product.”
Although building a sand castle sounds easy, Jones said it’s definitely a workout, due to having to carry five-gallon buckets of water and dig in the sand.
Even if the family’s done and leaves to get dinner, Jones will stay to finish the castles, watch the sunset and take pictures.
The end product is a unique memory and an intricate sand castle that can be 6 feet tall or higher.
For groups and families who are interested in booking a session of sandcastle instruction, contact Tim Jones on his KampKastle Facebook page. Jones suggests that “Kastlers” pay a nominal fee for time, travel, tools and experience.
