“The woods are lovely, dark and deep” This line from the Robert Frost poem could refer to the woods on the Tanana Valley fairgrounds. However, at 8:00am, February 17, 2024, these woods become magical. When the horn blows, the World Ice Art Championship begins. It is one of the largest competitions of its kind and features the art and skill of ice sculptors from around the world. Massive blue cubes of ice are stacked everywhere in no particular order. This ice, referred to as “arctic diamond” because it is so clear, so clear it is said you can read a newspaper through it, will be transformed magically into statues, intricate works of art.
The first contest is the Multi-Block competition. Teams of four carvers create gargantuan and amazing sculptures that take your breath away. They do this with 9 blocks of ice in 110 hours. They may work all through the night if they want to. Each block is 6’ x 4’ x 26-30”. Ice thickness is determined by weather conditions. The teams will be notified of final thickness within 1 week of the start of the competition. The allowed maximum height of the finished piece is 18’.
The energy you feel at each site during these five days is exciting. You may feel wonder, fear, awe, panic and appreciation. A few years ago, there was stunned silence when the head of a dragon sculpture cracked and then fell off just hours before the end of the competition.
At 10:00pm on the sixth day the horn will sound again, signaling the end of the carving time. All sculptors must put everything down and leave their sites. The judging will then begin.
It is fun to come everyday during the Multi-Block and see the progress, the work, the teamwork and the artistry in action. The work becomes more frantic as the end approaches. Before the horn blows, the sites must be cleaned of all working apparatus including scaffolding. On sunny days, the light shining through the crystalline ice makes the ice dazzling and sparkly. After the judging has been completed, the teams will put up colored lights to highlight their showpieces. The colored lights perform their magic spell, transforming the sculptures into pure enchantment.
Next up: Who is carving in 2014? Our Multi Block teams are…..
