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Perfect conditions await as snow sculptors prepare to begin carving

Photo

Photo by Dan Plutchak

Brian Quigley of the U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Championships set-up crew walks past cylindars of snow in front the the Riviera in downtown Lake Geneva Feb. 2, 2010. The competition, part of Winterfest, begins Wednesday.

Brian Kazprzak, top, and his brother Mike, part of the set-up crew for the U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva load a form Tuesday that will be used as part of the student exhibition. Dan Plutchak/staff.

LAKE GENEVA -- "Perfect." That's how organizer Don Berg described snow conditions Tuesday in Lake Geneva while setting up for the U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Championships.

The competition, which draws teams from throughout the country is part of the city's annual Winterfest celebration.

For complete coverage, visit the Big Event blog.

Berg and his set-up crews spent the day putting the finishing touches on the large blocks for competitive teams, as well as a variety of smaller blocks that area school students will carve.

Always looking for a new touch, donated pin wheels fluttered from the top of each cylinder.

It's been a good week for making snow, which comes from the Mountain Top ski hill at the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa. "They're our savior," Berg said.

Sometimes, the snow is icy, or can get marbled, Berg said, but this year's snow is really good for sculpting.

Sculptors from the 15 teams invited met in the Riviera Ballroom Wednesday at 9 a.m. to go over rules and any last minute details, then, the competition begins.

Then, the organizers stepped out of the way, and the competition began.

"Some start right away, others, well, everyone has a plan. We're just here to facilitate," Berg said.

The forecast is promising, Berg says, with daily high temperature below freezing through Sunday.

That's in marked contrast to last year's event, when unseasonably warm temperatures gave the sculptors an added challenge, and many of the sculptures collapsed shortly after judging.

The competition is the centerpiece of Lake Geneva's annual Winterfest celebration, a festival of family and fun along the banks of Geneva Lake. Weekend activities include horse-drawn carriage rides, helicopter rides, children's entertainment in the famed Riviera Ballroom, a "meltdown" sale in the town's downtown business district and a winter carnival at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa's downhill ski facility.

Sculpting team puts in more than 120 hours each to create intricate, gravity-defying sculptures from three-ton, 9-foot-high cylinders of snow. The sculptors, men and women of all ages and from all walks of life, relish the opportunity to work side-by-side with the best in the business, each hoping to be crowned national champion.

All participating teams consist of members 18 years and older from the same state. No assistance is allowed at the sculpture site, except that given by competition organizers and ground crews. No media other than snow, ice or water are used in the snow-sculpting process. Armatures, molded shapes and colorants are not allowed in the competition, and only hand tools are permitted.

Read more in the next edition of Weekender HERE.