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The Ice Cool World Ice Art Championships, Alaska

Published on January 05, 2012 by Mona Rae, Writer

Country: United States

The Experience

You can find various ice sculpting contests in the Northern Hemisphere, but none are as cool as the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska. It’s run by the non-profit organization Ice Alaska, and is recorded as the largest ice sculpting contest in the world.

Ice freezes quickly and thickly in Alaska’s interior during wintertime temperatures, adding only a very light glacial blue shade. It's so clear that you are able to read a newspaper through a four-foot ice block. Sculptors claim that Fairbanks’ ice is the finest on the planet for sculpting.

Ice sculpting was recently included in the Winter Olympics as a cultural contest. The World Ice Art Championships has served as the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1993 and 1997. While many different contests make use of ice blocks manufactured commercially, the World Ice Art Championships utilize huge blocks of naturally-produced ice, obtained through the nearby wetlands. The blocks measure 3’ x 8’ x 5’ and weigh four to five tons. The ultimate masterpieces in the Multi-Block Classic contest could weigh as much as twenty tons, and be up to twenty five feet tall.

Sculptors in many competitions are usually chefs making decorations for banquet tables. They create the ice sculptures by gluing ice cube portions with a slushy mortar of ice chips mixed with water—so their creations last only a few hours.

In the course of the World Ice Art Championships, the majority of the ice is sawed, chipped or brushed off as if it was a block of wood or stone. It can take a couple of days to create the ice art. The slush mortar joins the portions together, and fewer joints are required when compared with the smaller ice sculpting contests. The World Ice Art Championships involves three separate activities:

Single Block Classic

Two individual groups build up ice blocks of 3’ x 5’ x 8’ for sixty hours.

Multi-Block Classic

Four individual groups build up twelve ice blocks of 3’ x 3’ x 4’ that are carefully stacked by forklifts at the artist’s guidance. Scaffolding is also made available. A few artists perform the job around the clock, adding fine and elaborate carvings with a dentist’s drill.

Fairbanks Open

The Fairbanks Open has novice artists working alongside the world’s top ice sculptors.

Ten below zero during early March usually makes the greatest sculpting and watching conditions for the Ice Park Display. While some other high-quality features on the statues could very well melt in the course of the month, the portions hold up very well about three to four weeks following the contest at the Ice Park, close to the banks of the Chena River. The Ice Park effectively makes use of the spruce trees as protecting shade and a backdrop for these sculptures. The Ice Park commonly includes ice sculptures created for youth to enjoy, like alligators for sliding down, and twirly-tops to spin and crawl through.

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Puzzle

When to Go to World Ice Art Championships

The World Ice Art Championships takes place in Fairbanks Alaska is the months of February and March. As this is the coldest time of the year to visit Alaska, you must make sure to wear and bring enough warm clothes.

Odds n' Ends

Admission to the Ice Park is $10 for adults, children 6-12 are $5, and children under 6 are free. You can also purchase an unlimited entry park pass which range from $10 to $65 dollars.

More Experiences Nearby

Be Blown Away by the Aurora Borealis: Nature's Fireworks
Does life imitate art, or art imitate life? This is a question you should not attempt to answer before witnessing the natural phenomenon of the aurora borealis: otherwise known as the northern lights. The aurora borealis is nature’s paintbrush dipped in pastel watercolours and smeared across the night sky. It’s an astronomical oil on canvas that can be seen from terra firma in most northern latitudes, such as Alaska, northern Canada, Russia and Scandinavia. The closer you can be to the Article Circle will yield the more spectacular sights. In fact, people have reported witnessing the beautiful northern lights as ...2 miles away.

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300 Unmissable Events and Festivals Around the World
Alaska Eyewitness Travel Guide

Elsewhere on the Web

World Ice Art Championship - Official Site

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