Beauty is fleeting

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Beauty is fleeting

Durangoan wins gold in international snow sculpture contest in Breckenridge

Local Keith Martin and his team won the gold medal at the Breckenridge Snow Sculpting Competition. He's off to compete at the state level in 10 days and at an international competiton in Canada in a couple of weeks.

How to create a snow sculpture

The steps may sound simple, but sculpting in snow takes creativity, engineering and science. Keith Martin shares a how-to for those who want to give it a try:
Create a concept. Martin likes to make a clay model to give him a scale 3-D representation.
Gather and compact snow to create the raw block. It’s ideal to collect it 24 hours in advance, so the snow can melt a little and refreeze, making it easier to sculpt.
Chop off the snow that will not be part of the final sculpture. Allow the remainder to freeze overnight so the interior of the block freezes more thoroughly.
Rough-in the shape of the final sculpture.
Carve-in the details and fine touches.
Visit www.snowandicecarving.com to learn more about Keith Martin and his snow sculpting adventures.