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Day two: Sculptures begin to take form

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2010 U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition

Sculptors from around the country are in Lake Geneva this week for the U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Competition, part of the city's annual Winterfest celebration.

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Snow Sculpting Championship, 2009

Highlights from the 2009 U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva, Wis. Click to play

Neal Vogt begins work on his team's sculpture, "Where Eagles Dare," at the U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva, using a model in the foreground as a guide. Dan Plutchak/staff.

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LAKE GENEVA -- As teams begin work Thursday on the second day of the U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva, what began as large cylinders of snow are slowly taking shape as works of art.

Neal Vogt, along with his brother Chris and Jon Dietz, spent last weekend tuning up at the Snow Days Chicago snow sculpting competition tuning up for this week's event.

"We were third in People's Choice and fifth overall, so we did pretty well," Vogt said as he began chipping away Wednesday at the huge ice cylinder.

The sculpture, "Where Eagles Dare," is one of 15 under construction on the grounds of the Riviera along the lakefront downtown.

Vogt's is one of many teams that are making repeat visits to Lake Geneva this year.

Team Maine last qualified for the national competition two years ago. The state's qualifying completion, The Maine Snow Sculpting Contest, takes place in Portland the week after Lake Geneva's event so after they won last February, they had to wait nearly a year for a return visit to Wisconsin.

Teams began work about 10 a.m. Wednesday on the blocks of packed snow measuring eight feet in diameter and nine feet tall.

They'll continue -- sometimes working through the night -- until the official tool-down time of 11 a.m. Saturday.

Spectators are welcome to watch throughout the week, and voting for the Peoples' Choice Award is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Ballots are in the Winterfest Souvenir Program Book and also are available on site.

The individual artists will judge the sculptures, and winners will be determined based on creativity, technique and the visual force of the message.

The top honor is the U.S. National Competition Champions Award, which comes with an invitation to compete in Association Internationale de Sculpture sur Neige et Glace sanctioned International Snow Sculpting Competition.

Second place is the State of Wisconsin Award and trophy.

Third place is the City of Lake Geneva Award and trophy.

The Gene Kempfer People's Choice Award is determined by public vote.

The Klaus Ebeling OMM Award is given to a team or person that promoted the spirit of the event.

The award is named after Klaus Ebeling from Watertown, New York, and gives thanks to all that is good, friendship, food, weather, art and behavior.

This award is decided by previous winner.