A refuge from the sun
without leaving the sand
Recycled driftwood, palm trees provide relief for sunbathers
By nicole c. vaccaro
Staff Writer

CHRIS KELLY When the sun beats down on beachgoers in Sea Bright, they can take a break in the hut that Andrew Mencinsky has built there from driftwood and palm trees that local businesses needed to dispose of.

What started out as a project to stabilize a portion of the public beach three years ago has now become a popular hangout for area beachgoers.

It’s Sea Bright’s very own version of the "tiki hut" — the kind you’d see if you traveled to Brazil, Australia or Hawaii — and it’s located on the public beach just north of the beach clubs.

Not only does the hut provide shelter from the sweltering sun, but it also creates the illusion of being on a tropical island for those 20-some people who gather there on a regular basis.

Builder Andrew Mencinsky, 34, an avid surfer, environmentalist and artist, lives across the street from his creation and says that nothing gives him more pleasure than watching people enjoying it.

"It’s become a sort of landmark around here," Mencinsky said. "People from the beach clubs will go for walks and use it as a turning-around point. And fishermen use it as a point of reference too."

On weekends, Mencinsky himself, along with family and friends, enjoys beating the heat in the cool shade of his island digs. And, as in seashore villages around the world, he never turns visitors away.

"It’s a public beach, and the hut can and should be enjoyed by everyone. I’ve never had any complaints or word to the contrary," Mencinsky said.

As a matter of fact, he added that he’s been approached on many occasions by vacationers from other countries, telling him how authentic the hut really is.

"I’ve done quite a bit of traveling over the years and noticed these huts on beaches all around the world," he said. "People want to enjoy the beach, but the sun is just too hot."

Mencinsky decided that before he could build a hut, he needed to stabilize the public beach first. He would do this by creating a dune close to the water.

He began by purchasing and planting Christmas trees along the beach, which he researched and found made excellent barriers for catching and containing sand. Dunes are built up from sand moving around when the wind blows. Essentially, the trees were able to contain the blowing sand, allowing piles to form, he said. Mencinsky then planted grass, which eventually formed the dunes that exist there today.

"I have been researching the beach-erosion process for close to seven years now," he said. "And I made it a personal goal to improve, protect, and clean up the public beach."

Mencinsky added that once he cleaned up the beach across from his own home, more and more people were coming out to enjoy it. With that, the idea for building a hut was born.

"Plastic umbrellas just don’t cut it," he said. "People should feel protected from the sun without feeling isolated."

The catch to building the hut, however, was to find a way to do so without taking away from the environment. "Instead of making it out of plastic like everything else in New Jersey, I decided to use recycled materials from the beach," Mencinsky said. He then set to work collecting driftwood as it floated ashore. "That took longer than anything else," he said. "But once I gathered enough of it, the actual building part was easy. It only took a couple of hours a day here and there."

Mencinsky also asked nearby beach clubs if they would donate palm trees for wood, instead of throwing them out at the end of the season. "Donovan’s, especially, was very accommodating," he said.

Now nearly two years old, the hut offers passers-by many "island-style luxuries," whether it’s the chance to take a load off on one of its hanging swings or just sit back and let the ocean breeze blow.

Signs outside the hut point toward destinations near and far — Mencinsky has been to most of them, or would like to go. "I can assure you the mileage is accurate."

Signs posted to the hut itself, such as "you’re being watched" also make for an interesting conversation piece, as does the hut’s rooftop deck which is accessed by a hidden stairway. "It’s used mostly for storage," Mencinsky said.

Mencinsky, who has lived in the Sea Bright/Highlands area for close to 13 years, has been surfing for almost 20 years.

He and his wife, Lori, run a small graphic-design business in their home; however, Mencinsky also enjoys making and selling furniture made of driftwood — as well as dabbling in other artistic endeavors.

In his spare time, he serves on the steering committee for Surfers’ Environmental Alliance. He also has sketched some of the redesign proposals for the sand-pumping project at Big Cove in Sandy Hook.

He is coordinator for Clean Ocean Action North Seabright for beach cleanups, as well as a former member of the Seabright dune grass project.

"Over the years, I have tried to do my part in making our beaches more enjoyable," Mencinsky said, "but this hut has really had a positive impact on this community in a way I never imagined it could."

He concluded, "It’s a prime example of what we can accomplish working with nature, rather than against it. And if people take a lesson from that, then this hut serves a much larger purpose than just providing shade."