View these enchanting snow sculptures before they melt

Sarah Kuta

Daily correspondent

Many sculptors work with clay. Others build their masterpieces from twisted pieces of metal or bright pink PVC. Some blow glass in colorful shapes, while others cut pieces of wood into complicated designs.

For some artists, however, snow is the material par excellence.

Every winter the fluffy white stuff is central during snow sculpture festivals and competitions throughout the country, from the cold peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the ice -cold plains of the midwest and beyond.

Last weekend, for example, a team from Mongolia took the first place on the Snow sculptures world championship 2025 In Minnesota. The group, called Team Falcon, has made a piece with the name Voice To win the annual competition in Stillwater, a suburb of Minneapolis.

A dozen teams from twelve countries traveled to Minnesota to participate in the event, which has been going on its fourth year. Some even came from warm places like Peru, where they practiced with sand for the competition.

“We don’t have any snow in Lima,” says Sebastian Emmanuel Isrrael Peña Perez, member of Team Kawsay Arte Peru, against Karefrom Ian Russell.

The competition may be fierce, but some rival artists manage to make friendships (and even to fuel romances) in the midst of all the snow.

Joelle Gagnon from Team Canada and Arto Manninen from Team Finland met during last year’s competition and became fast friends. Then their friendship turned into a little more. Now they are engaged, but they are still competing against each other in different teams.

“I didn’t see that coming at all when I came here last year,” says Gagnon CBS Minnesotafrom Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield.

Meanwhile, the International Snow Sculptures Championships In Breckenridge, Colorado, this week also started, where 12 teams from all over the world create huge, volatile works of art in the historic center of the city. The icy event has become a beloved winter tradition in Breckenridge, where the competition has been held for more than thirty years.

Each team starts with a cube of 25 tons artificial snow that is about 12 feet long. The snow is packed in block -shaped molds by a team of volunteers. “snowstampers. “

To create their cold masterpieces, artists can only use hand tools – electrical tools are not allowed – and they only have 94 hours to bring their complicated visions to life. That often means working well into the night.

Teams must finish their creations on January 24, which marks the beginning of the ‘Kijkweek’, when visitors can wander through the life -size outdoor gallery of the Bergstadje. At night the sculptures are illuminated with colorful lights.

“These are the kind of works of art that are simply amazing, breathtaking and awesome,” said Kees MartinA professional snow and ice cream figure and old member of Team Breckenridge, said the Top daily‘s Lindsey Toomer in 2022. “They hit that emotional chord, and I have seen people coming forward and just started crying in tears because they hit them in such a way. I feel that there is just something cool about being able to make temporary art that is so great and influences people in such a great way. ”

Similar competitions will also be held this winter Wisconsin,, ” Illinois,, ” New York,, ” Connecticut And further.