Ready, Set, Sculpt (and Save) at Breckenridge's International Snow Sculpture Championships

The International Snow Sculpture Championships are well underway in Breckenridge, CO. ResortQuest's staff have been sneaking out in their breaks to watch in awe as the thirteen teams from around the world carve incredible works of art out of snow. The teams hail from Canada, China, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia and, of course, the United States — this year, there's even a joint Canada-USA team.

Sculpt!

Teams have been chiseling, sawing and smoothing 20-ton blocks of water-laden snow blocks reaching 12 feet high since Tuesday. Each team sculpts for a total of 65 hours — no power tools allowed — from Tuesday through Saturday. Founders didn't want the event to turn into a coffee-swigging, adrenaline-junky marathon, so the snow-loving artists can work only through the final night before judging.

Spectators vote for their favorites, through the Peoples' Choice and Kids' Choice awards. In addition, awards from a panel of well-known artists and patrons of the arts go to the top three sculptures.

Though the public can't touch the team sculptures, a professional artist creates interactive snow pieces designed especially for kids, such as a rabbit's head with two floppy ears, which they can slide down.

The frozen art forms remain around the Riverwalk Center until the night of Feb. 7, when town staff knocks them down. Occasionally, the town removes the sculptures earlier — when they pose a danger of collapsing. The only way the artists' hard work lives on is through photographs.

Save!

If you haven't already booked lodging for this incredible event, ResortQuest Breckenridge would like to invite you to be our guest. Take your pick of our remaining lodging and save 40% off two nights - book online today! Or, you can stay in an exquisite BlueSky Breckenridge two bedroom condo for just $249 per night. To book BlueSky, you will need to call (800) 661-7604. (Restrictions apply).