Let it Snow!

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by Maasai Amewa

The City of Chicago has announced the 3rd Annual Snow Days Chicago. The festival is being held at Chicagos Navy Pier. Snow Days Chicago will feature an Artistic Sculpture competition, the Green Valley Dog Drivers sled races, family entertainment and a snowboard competition. At Navy Pier families will have the opportunity to learn about dog sledding as they watch Huskies race against each other as well as watching Snowboarders perform Air to Fakies, Ollies, 50/50 Grinds, and Backside 720s in the Rail Jam competition. The main feature of Snow Days Chicago is the Ice Sculpting Competition.

The Ice Sculpting segment is the brain child of Fran Volz. Volz, a self-taught sculptor from Menasha, Wisconsin, began his sculpting career in 1987 ---originally setting out to build a snowman, but ending up with a cartoon Smurf.

Encouraged by passing motorist, he knew he had something special. The Smurf lead to the creation of Snow Visions Inc. a company dedicated to producing snow competitions throughout the year. Volz Decided to bring the competition to Chicago, it features has international appeal. It also features 12 sculpting teams from Chicago High-schools.( )

The sculptors start with a 10ft, 3 ton block of ice. Using, chisels, ice picks, hammers, teamwork, and artistic ingenuity the artist turn ice into masterpiece. Each year, Volz and an artistic committee accept submissions for the competition. The task is for the committee to envision how the sculptors will turn out. To do this they review submission drawings, models, resumes and competitive history.

Snow Days Chicago will be held on Jan. 28 30, at Navy Piers Gateway Park located west of the entrance. The hours are 11:00 A.M 8:00 P.M Friday and Saturday, Sunday 11 6. The Sculptors will begin carving down the 10ft 3 ton blocks on Jan. 26th.

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