Snow Sculptures Create Outdoor Art Gallery in Breckenridge, Colo.

Download the high-res version Team Sweden – USA works on their 2011 sculpture, "Perpetual Motion." Photo is for editorial use only and must credit GoBreck.com / Carl Scofield	Download the high-res version Team Mexico practices in sand and won Gold in 2011 with the mythical piece “Alebrije” (foreground). Photo is for editorial use only and must credit GoBreck.com / Carl Scofield

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Snow Sculptures Create Outdoor Art Gallery in Breckenridge, Colo.

Decorated artists to compete in International Snow Sculpture Championships Jan. 24-28

BRECKENRIDGE, COLO. - Jan. 6, 2012 – Fifteen teams with artists from 12 countries will compete in the 22nd annual International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colo. Jan. 24-28, 2012. During the competition, each team creates an enormous work of art from 12-foot-tall, 20-ton blocks of machine-made Colorado snow. Artists achieve finished pieces after a total of 65 intense hours of work without the use of power tools, internal support structures or colorants.

At the close of sculpting, the judges – a panel of well-known artists and arts patrons – select first, second and third place sculptures. Additional award categories include People’s Choice, Kids’ Choice and Artists’ Choice. There are no cash prizes; artists compete only for recognition. Pieces remain on display through Feb. 5, 2012 and give rise to a free outdoor sculpture gallery in the center of downtown Breckenridge, Colo.

Of the 35 countries invited to apply, those competing include Australia, Canada-Ontario, Canada-Quebec, Canada-Yukon, China, Finland, Germany, Greece/USA-Idaho, Latvia/Estonia, Mexico-Ulises, Spain, Switzerland, USA-Alaska, USA-Breckenridge and USA-Wisconsin-Franklin. Many of the artists have medaled in Breckenridge and at other major snow sculpting events around the world; all 2011 Breckenridge medalists will return for the 2012 competition.

Snow carving in Breckenridge began in the late 1960s as a local pastime during the town's winter carnival, Ullr Fest. The founders of Breckenridge’s International Snow Sculpture Championships are still involved in the event, which is today attended annually by more than 30,000 people.

International Snow Sculpture Championships Stay and Ski Lodging Packages
Stay four nights and receive 25 percent off Breckenridge lodging and lift tickets; package available through Feb. 10, 2012. Call Breckenridge Central Reservations at 877-864-0868 or visit GoBreck.com for more information on the 2012 International Snow Sculpture Championships and January lodging packages in Breckenridge.

GoBreck is the destination marketing organization for the Town of Breckenridge. Connect on Facebook or Twitter for destination news and updates or download the Breckenridge mobile application by texting BRECK to 25827.

Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships news facts

• Sculpting week runs Jan. 24-28, 2012; sculptures remain on display through Feb. 5, 2012.
• Breckenridge Ski Resort makes the snow and the Town of Breckenridge Public Works department hauls it to the event site with dump trucks. With each of the starting blocks weighing in at approximately 40,000 pounds (two tons), that’s about 320 tons of snow.
• Using front-end loaders and a huge blower, snow is transferred from dump trucks into wooden molds. Five to 10 volunteers – snow stompers – climb into the block and stomp the snow to help pack it down. The process is repeated until the mold is full and packed into a full-size block.
• Snow carving in Breckenridge began as a local pastime during the town's winter carnival – Ullr Fest – in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
• To reinvigorate the grassroots snow sculpting community, event founders in 2008 started the Breck Snowflake Challenge, an amateur snow sculpting competition that takes place during the holidays.

Editor's notes

• Additional photos and broadcast-quality b-roll of 2011 snow sculptures are available for editorial use.
• New photos will be available during and following the Jan. 24-28, 2012 competition; contact Rachel Zerowin at rzerowin@gobreck.com to receive daily photo updates