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Ice sculpting trio headed to Quebec Winter Carnival

Silver Star 2017 ice sculpture winners qualify for national competition.
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The ice sculpture trio of Mahina Rose, Michael Larner and Brian Rouble with one of their creations. (Photo submitted)

An Armstrong woman is part of a three-person team competing in the ice sculpture competition at the annual Quebec Winter Carnival.

Mahina Rose, 54 will join up with partners Michael Larner, of Salmon Arm, and Brian Rouble, of Kamloops, to represent B.C. at the event.

The trio earned a trip to Quebec City after winning the ice sculpture event held at Silver Star during Vernon’s Winter Carnival last year.

It was the 13th time Rose had competed in the Vernon ice sculpture event, having been a winner previously and making the trip east to Quebec City for the winter carnival.

“I know this time what I am getting into. It’s a great opportunity to rub elbows with other ice sculptors from across Canada,” said Rose.

The trio are currently seeking out sponsorship to help off-set their travel, power tool and other equipment expenses that can be transported on an airplane.

They will have a 48-hour time period, from Jan. 26-28, to create their entry working from 10 blocks of ice eight fee wide, eight feet tall and 12 feet long.

“It’s physically demanding work because you are working outside in the cold. It can be challenging working in -35 degree temperatures. You have to make a lot of glove changes,” Rose said.

“For the Silver Star event, you have 48 hours to finish and no time frame limits. In Quebec, it’s more controlled. You stop for lunch the first day and sent home the first night so clean-up crews can remove the snow and chopped up ice and allow people to walk through the work area.

“The second day you are there until you finish within that overall 48-hour time period so it can be an all-nighter.”

The connection for Rose, Larner and Rouble comes through music, as the three enjoying playing together for fun.

Rose describes herself as someone who lives an artistic life which has drawn her to ice sculpting, while she describes Larner as their artistic leader, a carpenter by trade who she says is an artist working with wood.

Their winning Silver Star sculpture was two people, one of them indigenous, aboard horses while sharing a peace pipe. The indigenous theme will continue in Quebec City as their entry reflects a Nootka legend of the universe resting on the back of a white whale.

“It was important for us representing B.C. to pick a sculpture idea representing our own province,” Rose said.


 


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Barry Gerding

About the Author: Barry Gerding

Senior regional reporter for Black Press Media in the Okanagan. I have been a journalist in the B.C. community newspaper field for 37 years...
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