- Title: BELGIUM: SECOND INTERNATIONAL WORLD ICE ART CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Date: 30th December 2002
- Summary: (EU) BOKRIJK, BELGIUM (DECEMBER , 2002) (REUTERS) 1. PAN FROM FINNISH TEAM TO AMERICAN TEAM PARTICIPATING TO THE WORLD ICE CARVING CHAMPIONSHIP 2. FINNISH ARTIST WORKING ON ICE BLOCK WITH A ROTATING DISK 3. AMERICAN CARVER WORKING ON HAND IN ICE 4. AMERICAN CARVER WORKING ON ICE SCULPTURE WITH ROTATING DISK 5. AUSTRALIAN CARVER WITH SPATULA ON ICE BLOCK 6. PAN FROM ICE SCULPTURE TO WIDE OF AUSTRALIAN STAND 7. AUSTRALIAN ARTIST CUTTING ICE WITH CHAIN SAW 8. DETAIL OF JAPANESE ICE SCULPTURE BEING FINISHED WITH A CHISEL 9. TOGOLESE TEAM AT WORK WITH CHAIN SAW AND SPATULA 10. ZOOM OUT FROM HAND OF FIGHTER WITH SWORD AND WINGS, JAPANESE ICE SCULPTURE 11. CLOSE UP OF FACE OF WARRIOR 12. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JUNICHI NAKAMURA EXPLAINING HOW HE BECAME AN ICE SCULPTOR "I am farmer for a living, but during the winter season, there isn't much work to do. By coincidence, I discovered ice sculpting and I liked it right away. Now, every winter I master myself in the art of ice sculpting. It satisfies me and I am very happy." 1.49 13. TILT FROM PEDESTAL OF JAPANESE ICE SCULPTURE TO WINGED WARRIOR 14. WIDE OF TOGOLESE ICE SCULPTURE 15. TILT ON WING 16. ZOOM OUT OF BELGIAN ICE SCULPTURE, A KID SEATED ON A BULLDOG 17. ZOOM OUT FROM AMERICAN ICE SCULPTURE, A DANCING DERWISH WITH CUPS OF TEA ON HANDS AND FEET 18. CLOSE UP ON CUPS OF TEA Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 14th January 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BOKRIJK, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Reuters ID: LVA5R1LZ3FU3MSE9HCU60R77KQHZ
- Story Text: Held only for the second time in Europe, 16
international ice carving teams are competing in the World Ice
Art Championship in the open-air museum of Bokrijk.
The ice art championship forms part of the Midwinter
Event 2002, taking place from the 26th until the 29th of
December. Sixteen international teams complete a sculpture
each day.
They come from as far away as Japan, the United States,
Australia, Russia and Canada. But also from rather unexpected
countries such as Togo and Croatia.
Junichi Nakamura, from Japan, says he developed his ice
carving skills in the off-season of his usual employment.
"I am farmer for a living, but during the winter season,
there isn't much work to do. By coincidence, I discovered ice
sculpting and I liked it right away. Now, every winter I
master myself in the art of ice sculpting. It satisfies me and
I am very happy."
An internationally composed jury consisting of eight
people walk around and inspect the pieces while the teams are
working.
Points are awarded each day and added together before the
jury selects a winning team based on the skills, creativity
and continuity of the art works. The judges also take into
consideration the amount of ice wasted and the techniques used
by the sculptors.
The sculptures are carved with a variety of electrical
gear, chain saws, spatulas, razor-sharp chisels and even
electric irons are used.
Ice carvers have to work against the clock and any warm
weather that may melt the carvings during the process. Teams
have about five hours to finish a sculpture the size of six
ice blocks, each weighing 125 kg.
These blocks are 'frozen' together in order to obtain one
large sculpture.
The event offers a unique opportunity for spectators to
see the sculptures as they take shape.
Last year, a similar but smaller ice carving contest took
place in the open-air museum of Bokrijk and attracted some
70,000 visitors over three days.
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