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Winterfest celebration begins Wednesday in Lake Geneva

Video

Snow Sculpting Championship, 2009

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

The Wisconsin team of Chris Vogt, Neal Vogt and Jon Dietz work on their entry at last year's U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Competiton. The team will return this year to Winterfest, which kicks off Wednesday. File photo by Dan Plutchak.

LAKE GENEVA -- The U.S. National Snow Sculpting Championship begins Feb. 3, part of Lake Geneva's annual Winterfest celebration.

Weekend activities include horse drawn carriage and 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.

For complete info, visit the Big Event Blog: 2009 Winterfest.

Traveling from as far away as Alaska, the teams labor for three bone-chilling days and nights to create intricate, gravity-defying sculptures from three-ton, 10-foot-tall 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.

Each snow-sculpting team consists of three 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. Additionally, armatures, molded shapes and colorants are not allowed in the competition and only hand tools are permitted.

“It’s not uncommon to see the sculptors working late into the night on Friday,” said George Hennerley, executive vice president of the Lake Geneva Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“In fact, most of the teams will forego sleep to ensure their sculptures are perfect for judging Saturday morning.”

According to Hennerley, spectators shouldn’t fret if snow is scarce, as all of the snow utilized in the competition is produced and supplied locally by Grand Geneva Resort & Spa’s Mountain Top ski facility.

“The sculptors prefer artificial snow as it melts slower than natural snow and carves extremely well,” Hennerley said. “The lack of foreign objects is also a big plus. There are no surprises.”

For information on Lake Geneva,call the chamber office at (262) 248-4416 or go to www.lakegenevawi.com.

Read the full story in the Jan. 31, 2010e-edition of Walworth County Sunday, HERE.