STILLWATER, Minn. – Minnesotans may be sick of shoveling and scraping their driveways this winter, but there are some people who are using the abundance of snow as an opportunity to compete in the second annual World Snow Sculpting Championship in Stillwater.
The event officially kicked off on Wednesday and runs through Sunday with 12 teams from eight different countries competing for prize money and the World Champion title.
“Teams started to carve on Wednesday morning and they will conclude Saturday at 2 p.m.,” said Robin Anthony, president of the Greater Stillwater Chamber. “Following that there will be the award ceremony, the closing ceremony, and then the world’s coolest block party.”
The first World Snow Sculpting Championship was held last year, but presented some challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for international travelers.
“We had challenges with international travel due to existing COVID restrictions,” Anthony said. “We had eight teams last year and our goal is to have 12. We met that goal this year and we’re really excited about it.”
The competition at Lowell Park is sanctioned by the Association Internationale de Sculpture sur Neige et Glace based in Finland. This year’s event features two new teams including a team from FInland.
“We have Argentina and Mexico here and they’ve a sculpture with sand,” added Anthony. “It’s just amazing what these artists can do with a block of snow and it turns into a piece of art.”
Spectators are encouraged to view the sculptures free of charge at the park.
While parking is available, there are free shuttle buses that run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday taking passengers back and forth from Stillwater Motors to Mulberry Point on the north side of Lowell Park.
“Our participants are loving Stillwater. We have a beautiful backdrop with the river and the lift bridge. The businesses are really coming together to do a lot of in-kind donations for food and lodging. It’s just a great economic impact for the first quarter for these businesses to have a nice weekend in January after the holidays.”
