Hot Sand

So, you say you like it hot?  How about 2200 degrees Fahrenheit hot?  That’s the temperature inside the oven or “glory hole” at Hot Sand (www.hotsandap.com) a fun hot glass studio on the boardwalk in Asbury Park.

With the help of Hot Sand staff, children age 9 and up can blow simple glass bubbles.  You also can create glass pumpkins, a glass cast of your hand or foot, tumblers, and much more.  Workshops are offered and experienced glassblowers can rent studio time.  Several glass artists sell their delicate, colorful wares in the Hot Sand gallery.

Thomas Stevens and Paul Elyseev started Hot Sand in 2007, so named to connect the studio’s beachy location with one of the main ingredients of glass – high quality sand.  The partners say the fact that you can turn molten glass into a simple piece of glass art in 15 or 20 minutes fits right in with the boardwalk scene.

On our recent visit, the studio was packed with girls enjoying a glassblowing birthday party, shoppers and curious onlookers.  It was great to see lots of people strolling Asbury Park’s once desolate boardwalk and playing volleyball on the beach.

The cost to create a glass bubble starts at $20 with a la carte items - like color - costing $5 and up.  Hot Sand is open seven days a week during the summer.

New Jersey has a long history of glassmaking, dating back hundreds of years.  Stevens says at his modern day studio, business has been heating up every summer since opening.  He predicts a hot summer at Hot Sand, no matter the weather!

Visit www.njmyway.com to see a video of Hot Sand glassblowing in action!


Article and video contributed by Sandy Levine, freelance writer and television producer, with video shoot assistance by Caroline Fairhurst. www.sandralevine.com

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