Mixed with the sound of the chainsaws this morning was music coming from a radio connected to a loud speaker. Carving to music. It seems fitting as the sculptures being created in this Double Block Competition are so whimsical and fun. Many of them are beginning to take shape and you get a hint how they will reflect their names. Names like Nectar Collector, Stayin’ Alive, Poseidon’s Valkyrie, Who Are You and Blossom.
As the temperatures once again dip into the negative numbers I thought it would be fun to move into the Volunteer Building which is the heartbeat of Ice Alaska. It is a haven for volunteers and carvers to come, warm up and get food. There is always food! And good, healthy and energy giving food too, whether it’s just a cup of hot chocolate or a full meal. Soup is always on the menu. Entrees range from meat loaf to tamales to lasagna. The carvers come in to sharpen tools, there is a glove warmer in the corner, and there is always a good conversation to be heard. There is even a very comfortable leather couch on one wall where you often see someone taking a quick nap. Right now, you can hear the sound of a hair dryer drying gloves through a pvc pipe.
There are three wonderful ladies here who call themselves Tom, Dick and Harry but are really the three ladies in Sculptor Support. Their names are actually Eva, Joan and Gisela. According to them, their job is “anything that is necessary”. Seriously, this whole event could not function as smoothly as it does without them. Some of their jobs are: registering carvers, selecting, clearing and then cleaning the sites, finding judges and calculating the results after the judging is final. They take care of lodging for all the volunteers and carvers and they coordinate all information that goes to the media. They answer all questions: “Where is so and so?”, Where are the keys to the 4-wheeler?”, “Can we get electricity to our site?”, “Where is the toilet paper?”, “Do you have a hammer, pliers, duct tape?” They provide sleds, buckets, snow scoops, electric cords, ropes and color display lights to anyone who needs them. They begin their jobs nearly two months before the ice carving competitions are set to start. They are tireless, efficient, hardworking, amazing and wonderful. Thank you, Tom, Dick and Harry.
Once again, I need to end with a word of caution. Come view these incredible works of art but please stay behind the blue ropes and do not attempt to climb on or touch any of the ice sculptures. Ice is heavy, but it is also fragile and breaks easily causing injury.
