20-minutes of fame for a snowman

Three Canadian Teams to Compete in Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships, Jan. 25 – Feb. 6, 2011

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (Jan. 11, 2011): Three Canadian teams – Yukon, Québec/Sainte Julienne and Québec/Québec City – will travel to Breckenridge, Colo. to compete in the International Snow Sculpture Championships, Jan. 25 – Feb. 6, 2011. Each of the three Canadian teams brings extensive snow sculpting experience and a group of artists with the talent and skill necessary to execute complex pieces. For the 21st annual event, sixteen teams from around the globe have been invited to compete from nine countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States.
Attendees of the Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships can see the artists at work Jan. 25-30, 2011 when teams work with machine-made blocks of Colorado snow weighing some 18,144 kilograms and standing roughly 3.6 meters tall. Artists achieve finished pieces after a total of 65 intense hours of work without the use of power tools, internal support structures or colorants – just the ingenuity of the sculptors and a medium that lends itself, if only temporarily, to the persuasion of hand tools.
“The Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships offers the opportunity to witness living sculptures, fleeting works of art that don’t stick around. That’s the joy of it,” said Rob Neyland, one of the event’s founders. “It’s the transitory nature of the art form that makes this event so special.”
Sculpting begins with a shotgun start and finishes with teams working through the night to hand-carve anything from enormous pieces of whimsy to powerful social commentary. Judging commences with awards presented to first, second and third places, along with designations of People’s Choice, Kids’ Choice and Artists’ Choice.
Snow carving in Breckenridge began as a local pastime during the town's winter carnival – Ullr Fest – in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The founders of Breckenridge’s International Snow Sculpture Championships are still members of Team Breckenridge and today, the event is attended annually by more than 30,000 people.
International Snow Sculpture Championships Stay and Ski Lodging Packages
Four people can stay four nights in a 2-bedroom and get four days of lift tickets included for as low as $110 per person, per night. Available Jan. 4 through Feb. 10, 2011 excluding Jan. 16-18. Call the Breckenridge Central Reservations at 0808 234 7362 (International) or 877-864-0868 (U.S.) to reserve this package. For more information on the 2011 Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships and January lodging packages in Breckenridge, visit GoBreck.com

Editor’s notes, contact Rachel Zerowin for details and opportunities:

§ Professional photos and b-roll of last year’s event are available for editorial use
§ Journalists on assignment are eligible for a press trip