Obama Visits the Jersey Shore, Says 'Work is Not Over'

President Obama checked out a record-breaking sand castle, played a football boardwalk game and "high-fived" lots of kids during a short visit to Point Pleasant Beach early Tuesday afternoon before speaking in Asbury Park.

The message from Obama and Gov. Chris Christie was clear: The Jersey Shore is back and open for business, but there is more work to be done.

"I came back to let people know we're going to keep going until the job is done," Obama said in a short speech to the crowd who gathered along the boardwalk and beachfront in Asbury.

Obama delivered his remarks in front of Convention Hall.

"When I was here seven months ago, Sandy had just hit, but you kept going...The Jersey Shore is back in business, but the work is not over," Obama said, recalling the storm that causing billions in damages.

In announcing Obama's visit, Christie noted that he made a point to the president that work remains to be done at the Shore, as the two toured different beach-area towns this morning. Just prior to speaking in Asbury Park, Obama and Christie arrived at the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk and were met by a wet but cheering crowd. The president flashed his signature wide grin and said, "We'll be back."

He went to talk to Ed Jarrett, a sculptor building the "Sandy Castle," a record-breaking sand castle on Jenkinson's beach. Jarrett said later that Obama had apparently learned about the castle and asked him specific, detailed questions about the process and when it would be completed.

"I got five minutes of fame with the president, I felt honored and humbled," said Jarrett, looking amazed and awed shortly after Obama left. "It wasn't until this morning that I was told he was coming and that he wanted to meet me.

"He asked me, 'What is your biggest concern with building this?'" Jarrett said.

"I smiled and said that until today, it was thunder and lightning," Jarrett said. "But this morning a bulldozer moving sand on the beach shook the ground and I lost the top eight feet and we have to do that again.

"I didn't interview him, he interviewed me, that's awesome," Jarrett said.

Before losing that eight feet, Jarrett was already 14 feet beyond his last world record, which was for a castle he built in Connecticut.

Obama and Christie then played "Touchdown Fever," a boardwalk game across from the giant sand castle and a few doors south of Jenkinson's Aquarium. Obama pulled out his wallet and paid for the game.

Obama then shook hands with folks waiting behind police lines on both sides of the boardwalk. He greeted, shook hands and "high fived" groups of children who had gone on field trips to the aquarium and then stuck around for the extra bonus of meeting the president.

Local and state police covered the area in anticipation of the president's visit. Point Beach police and numerous other law enforcement officials were outside a house next to Jenkinson's Aquarium on the boardwalk this morning.

Obama promised the people of the Jersey Shore that work will continue to restore damaged property and that FEMA will be available to assist. In his remarks, he also quoted Jersey Girl in saying, "down the shore everything's alright," lyrics that had the crowd going wild earlier in the event when the famous Bruce Springsteen song was played.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said Obama won a stuffed bear in the boardwalk game.