There are five judges who tour the sites and award points to each sculpture. The very first criterion is a 10-point maximum for the “WOW Factor”.
The next 40 points are awarded for Technical merits.
-
Degree of difficulty
-
Physical difficulty: Pushing structural limits of the ice. Sculptures whose construction requires much skill and knowledge of ice characteristics will score higher.
-
Precision and surface finish. All surfaces should be complete. Joined pieces should be precisely fitted.
40 points available for Artistic Merit
-
Balanced composition
-
Appropriate proportions
-
Emotional effect. Sculptures that express emotions in the subject will be scored higher than emotionally neutral ones
-
Expression of movement. Expression of movement will be considered superior to static poses.
-
Uses of detail
Last 10 points are given for originality
-
Novel use of ice
-
New subject matter
-
New techniques advancing ice art.
The decision of the judges is final.