Breckenridge snow art competition turns 25

January marks the 25th anniversary of the International Snow Sculpture Championships, a snow-filled competition in Breckenridge. Sixteen teams are traveling from all over the world to compete including Mexico, China, Ukraine, and a local team from Breckenridge.

This year, will compete from Jan. 27 to Jan. 31. Here are the details:

•    Teams have five days (65 hours) using only hand tools such as vegetable peelers and chicken wires to create a sculpture.
•    Sculptures start as 12-feet-tall 20-ton blocks of snow and are transformed into works of art.
•    At the end of the five-day event, a Gold, Silver, and Bronze prize will be awarded to the top three teams, as well as Artists’ Choice.
•    Sculptures will remain on display to the public through Feb. 8.

To prepare for this intense week long competition, most teams practice their sculptures in sand. For more information, go www.gobreck.com/events/international-snow-sculpture-championships or www.SculptSnow.com.