By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A trio of teachers with Rockford roots won the Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition with an intricate design and a playful pun for a name.
“Antreader,” a depiction of an anteater in a rocking chair reading a book about ants to an ant, was selected for both the People’s Choice Award and as the winner of the statewide competition. There were 11 teams that competed and an additional sculpture made as an exhibition in honor of the late George Harnish, a long time supporter of the Rockford Park District and a champion sculptor who died last year at age 64.
Kyle Wolfe, Kelly Madison and Brian Hierstein — who go by the team name Cave People from Space — won the statewide competition for a third time. It was their second time getting the People’s Choice award, which was conducted this year through an online vote on Saturday.
Related: 15 below zero. No problem for Rockford snow sculptors
The team spent nearly every waking hour of the past three days chipping, carving and chiseling away at their 10-foot block of ice with handheld tools. They worked from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. Friday to 1:30 a.m. Saturday before working another three hours on Saturday morning before it was time for all teams to put their tools down.
“We put in the hours. We worked really hard,” said Madison, a Rockford native who now teaches in Algonquin. “We knew we had a difficult design, but we wanted something that was challenging enough to go into the design and start carving away that negative space.”
Wolfe and Hierstein both teach at Roosevelt Community Education Center.
Their first-prize sculpture included multiple hollow areas that provide the illusion of depth without sacrificing stability.
“I knew if we could get the level of detail we wanted we could do well,” Madison said.
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Photos: See all the 2022 state snow sculptures at Sinnissippi Park in Rockford
There were also 11 teams competing in the high school division. First prize in that category was taken home by Rockford Christian High School for its sculpture “Navy Seals.”
Just like in the statewide competition, the people agreed with the judges’ selection. Rockford Christian also won the People’s Choice Award in the high school division.
It’s team was advised by Mark Miller and the student sculptors were Bjorn Carlson, Elena Granzeier, Courtney Park and Cassidy Proper.
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The competition started off with frigid weather with wind chills on the first day pushing temperatures to minus 15 degrees. But the cold weather helped the snow conditions for sculptors.
They are now on display in Sinnissippi Park, 1401 N. Second St., until they melt away. Unfortunately, that could happen sooner than later. The forecast calls for a high of 40 degrees on Tuesday and a 60% chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
“It looks like the weather’s going to get a little balmy, a little bit if rain,” Madison said. “So make sure you come out to see them before they get all smushed.”
State awards
People’s Choice Award: Cave People from Space, “Antreader”
3rd Place: Windy City Snowmen, “Old Soles”
2nd Place: Two Blondes and a Burnette, “Fee Fi Fo Fum”
1st Place: Cave People from Space, “Antreader”
High school awards
Linda K. White Spirit Award: Belvidere North High School, “An Udder Cow-tastrophe”
Fred Gardner Award: Guilford High School, “No Porpoise in Wearing Pants”
Artist’s Choice Award: Rockford Christian High School, “Navy Seals”
People’s Choice Award: Rockford Christian High Schoo, “Navy Seals”
3rd Place: Rockford Lutheran High School, “The Tree of Life”
2nd Place: Keith Country Day School, “Spaced Out”
1st Place: Rockford Christian High School, “Navy Seals”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas .