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Rain doesn't douse sculpting competition
By Jen Scherer
Daily News staff writer
ROCKFORD - Despite warm temperatures and drizzly rain chipping away at the icy masterpieces, a steady stream of cars inched their way through Sinnissippi Park Saturday.
Children poked their heads through windows exclaiming as they identified tea cups, lions, bears and a myriad other sculpture subjects in the 20th annual Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition.
The contest had been pushed back after mild weather and a lack of snow foiled sculptors last week.
The rain, though it didn't dampen the spirits of spectators, did make the art a little trickier this year, as the team from Pecatonica High School, who called themselves the Mad Hatters, could attest to.
“It was tough because everything was falling apart,” Maggie Hoff said. “It was like sculpting slush. We lost 5 inches yesterday.”
Hoff was the most veteran member of the team with three years experience. Team members Luke Halvorson and Andrea Dahlberg each had two years under their belt while Alex Haughton was in his first year.
They were accompanied by teacher and advisor Eric Donaldson, who has been working with the Pecatonica students all three years they've participated in the contest.
This year the team fashioned a top hat with a rabbit pulling itself out of it, and titled their creation “Nothin' Up My Sleeve.”
They had to submit a drawing of their planned creation back in November. The team explained they try to think of something people will like - “Comedy and cutesy” is how Halvorson explained it, while also making good use of the vertical space they're given.
High school teams get snow blocks that are 4 feet by 4 feet by 6 feet. Professionals get 6 feet by 6 feet by 10 feet to work with.
The team has a lot of fun and as an added bonus they get to miss two days of school working on the sculpture.
“We're the underdogs,” Hoff said with a grin, adding that if they won it would be “just icing on the cake.”
They use tools of every kind, from chisels to machetes and lumberjack saws to shape the snow. The good thing about snow is, if they cut off too much, they can pack more snow on, Donaldson said.
So what's the hardest part?
“Trying to make it look exactly like the picture,” Dahlberg said.
This year presented a new challenge in the form of weather. Still, the team agreed they were proud of their end result.
“It looked awesome this morning,” Halvorson said.
The team plans to visit the competition in Lake Geneva just to see the sculptures. Once out of high school, several of the team members already have plans to return to the competition as adult competitors.
“It gets in your blood,” Hoff said.
The Pecatonica students, as well as local residents, were awed by some of the work done by the adults.
Awards were announced as follows:
First place in the state competition went to Ted Bihlmaier, Dawn Bihlmaier and Derrick Greenlee for Horsea, which was a sea horse.
Second place went to Scott Triplett, Marak Edlen and Keith Pliml for Eight Reasons to Relax, an octopus at a dining table.
Third place went to Andy Skupien, Nate Branch, and Pete Backman for Great American Puppet Show, featuring money controlling Democrats and Republicans.
Fourth place and People's Choice went to Svenhard, Bjorn and Thorfinn Skupien for Priorities, which featured a soldier protecting oil while FEMA ignores Katrina victims.
The committee's choice went to De Profundis, or out of the depths, by Jeremiah Antosch, Deric Bloomingdale and Pier Debes.
First place for the high school division went to Guilford High School, Harlem High School took second place and Belvidere High School took third place.
Pecatonica won the Linda K. White Spirit Award.
The Pecatonica team was one of 14 high school teams to participate. Other local teams included Hononegah High School, which did not place this year.
Children poked their heads through windows exclaiming as they identified tea cups, lions, bears and a myriad other sculpture subjects in the 20th annual Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition.
The contest had been pushed back after mild weather and a lack of snow foiled sculptors last week.
The rain, though it didn't dampen the spirits of spectators, did make the art a little trickier this year, as the team from Pecatonica High School, who called themselves the Mad Hatters, could attest to.
“It was tough because everything was falling apart,” Maggie Hoff said. “It was like sculpting slush. We lost 5 inches yesterday.”
Hoff was the most veteran member of the team with three years experience. Team members Luke Halvorson and Andrea Dahlberg each had two years under their belt while Alex Haughton was in his first year.
They were accompanied by teacher and advisor Eric Donaldson, who has been working with the Pecatonica students all three years they've participated in the contest.
This year the team fashioned a top hat with a rabbit pulling itself out of it, and titled their creation “Nothin' Up My Sleeve.”
They had to submit a drawing of their planned creation back in November. The team explained they try to think of something people will like - “Comedy and cutesy” is how Halvorson explained it, while also making good use of the vertical space they're given.
High school teams get snow blocks that are 4 feet by 4 feet by 6 feet. Professionals get 6 feet by 6 feet by 10 feet to work with.
The team has a lot of fun and as an added bonus they get to miss two days of school working on the sculpture.
“We're the underdogs,” Hoff said with a grin, adding that if they won it would be “just icing on the cake.”
They use tools of every kind, from chisels to machetes and lumberjack saws to shape the snow. The good thing about snow is, if they cut off too much, they can pack more snow on, Donaldson said.
So what's the hardest part?
“Trying to make it look exactly like the picture,” Dahlberg said.
This year presented a new challenge in the form of weather. Still, the team agreed they were proud of their end result.
“It looked awesome this morning,” Halvorson said.
The team plans to visit the competition in Lake Geneva just to see the sculptures. Once out of high school, several of the team members already have plans to return to the competition as adult competitors.
“It gets in your blood,” Hoff said.
The Pecatonica students, as well as local residents, were awed by some of the work done by the adults.
Awards were announced as follows:
First place in the state competition went to Ted Bihlmaier, Dawn Bihlmaier and Derrick Greenlee for Horsea, which was a sea horse.
Second place went to Scott Triplett, Marak Edlen and Keith Pliml for Eight Reasons to Relax, an octopus at a dining table.
Third place went to Andy Skupien, Nate Branch, and Pete Backman for Great American Puppet Show, featuring money controlling Democrats and Republicans.
Fourth place and People's Choice went to Svenhard, Bjorn and Thorfinn Skupien for Priorities, which featured a soldier protecting oil while FEMA ignores Katrina victims.
The committee's choice went to De Profundis, or out of the depths, by Jeremiah Antosch, Deric Bloomingdale and Pier Debes.
First place for the high school division went to Guilford High School, Harlem High School took second place and Belvidere High School took third place.
Pecatonica won the Linda K. White Spirit Award.
The Pecatonica team was one of 14 high school teams to participate. Other local teams included Hononegah High School, which did not place this year.
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