LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — Lake Geneva Winterfest snow sculptors have watched their work prematurely melt away in years past. That will not happen this year because of the arctic chill over Southeast Wisconsin.
Sculptors started chipping away at their snow blocks Wednesday morning and will have 72 hours to finish their creations.
"I don't go to Florida and lie on the beach, I do this," said veteran snow sculptor Jim Malkowski of Madison. "This is our thing. We're happy doing this."
The temperature felt like it was near 0 degrees when the snow artists first got to work. Malkowski said the freeze is a relief because his team knows how it feels to lose days of work in an instant.
Watch: Lake Geneva Winterfest snow sculptors, tourists pleased with freezing temperatures
"One year for Winterfest, we sculpted a guitarist and a singer," Malkowski recalled. "A half hour before judging, they both went like two trees in the forest and just tumbled over."
Artists came from as far away as Turkey and Mexico to compete in Lake Geneva. Dedicated locals braved the bitter cold to watch their creations come to life.
"These guys are loving it," said Bill Petullo, who visited Winterfest from nearby Williams Bay. "When they give us the harsher winter, it will last a while, but you know it's going away eventually. There's a special beauty to it, isn't there?"
Tim Sheehan visited Lake Geneva from Illinois, but did not know Winterfest was happening during his trip. When he found out, he immediately checked out the works in progress and talked with the artists.
"It's neat watching them," Sheehan said. "I'm a Vietnam Veteran with Agent Orange, so I've got a lot of cancer I'm dealing with. That's the other reason we're traveling, to get as much in as I can while I can."
The sculptors have until Sunday morning to finish their projects. They will remain standing in downtown Lake Geneva until they naturally melt.
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