Screenshot

Screenshot

The final horn of 2025 has blown. The Single Block Ice Carving Competition is over. We will have to wait until the award ceremony on the 2nd at 8:00pm to find out who the talented winners are. The Novice Competition has also ended and we are waiting to learn 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for the students. (I wish it could be all of them.

While we wait, I thought it would be fun to find out what things the judges look for. The judges start walking the competition area as soon as the horn blows at 10:00pm for each event.

I haven’t been able to write for a couple of days so now we know the winners. But I’ll still give you some things the judges look for. First place in Single Block is absolutely stunning. It’s called “Mystic Spirit” and carved by Ross Baisas from Quebec, Canada. I love moose and this features a moose.  Second place is called “A Birth of a Winabajo” by Victor Dagatan from Florida by way of the Phillipines. Third place is “Hunter” by Hiroaki Kimura from Tokyo, Japan.
Such beautiful pieces this year. Walk into the woods now with everything complete and it’s pure breathtaking magic and awe. In fact, one of the major things a judge must consider is, does the sculpture have a wow factor. How well does it flow? Does it have a powerful silhouette? Is there an inherent amount of risk to the design? Are you moved by the sculpture or the meaning that is portrayed? There are many more items in the checklist, most of them technical, but you can see how personal each sculpture viewed by the judge must be. The third-place winner, “Hunter” moves me in a sad way because I don’t like seeing animals injured even though it’s part of nature. The first place winner just touches my heart! (I do love moose).

Next up-the collegiate winners.