The blocks came out of the ponds in February, and by this week they had become seahorses, rattlesnakes and a 20-foot figure called “Victory.”
The World Ice Art Championships are in their final competition days at the Tanana Valley State Fairgrounds, where Ice Alaska has been running the event since the nonprofit formed in 1989. This year’s competitions began February 16 and run through March 13, with the ice park staying open to visitors until March 31, weather permitting.
The championships draw more than 100 professional sculptors from over 30 countries, which makes Fairbanks the most internationally attended ice carving competition anywhere. Hiroaki Kimura of Tokyo and Takami Miho of Japan spent Monday working on single-block entries. Aaron Grant carved a seahorse. Tyler Sledd of Oregon used the non-judged Fairbanks open competition to carve a rattlesnake, saying he picked the subject to work on his fear of snakes. Fairbanks sculptor Steve Brice worked on “Victory,” a large piece based on a mannequin he first created in 1998.
The competition splits into single-block, multi-block and double-block divisions. Individual blocks can weigh more than 2,000 pounds, and multi-block pieces regularly clear 20 feet in height. This year, the Philippines took home 1st place with their multi-block masterpiece, “The Pact of Silk & Starlight.” Team USA took home third with the piece, “Storm of Bjorn Vaer” by Team Captain Jordan Anderson, Amanda O’Neill (Alaska), Nick Bielby (Washington), and Wade Lapp (Washington).
The ice itself is part of the draw. Locally harvested pond ice, often called diamond ice, is prized for clarity and structural strength, and the cold holds fine detail that would slump anywhere warmer. Carvers work with chainsaws, chisels, grinders and hand tools, with little room for correction.
The park is not only for the competition crowd. Three large ice slides run through the grounds, along with a sculpture garden that visitors are welcome to climb on and photograph. General park hours run from noon to 10 p.m. daily, and admission starts around $10.
Ice Alaska posts competition results and park conditions on its website as the season winds down.
