HAM LAKE, Minn. – (Feb. 12, 2014) – The City of Ham Lake had their annual Snowbowl Saturday, with great weather and an even greater turn out. The event featured ice fishing, snow sculpting, broomball, sleigh rides and even an appearance from the snow queens themselves, Ana and Elsa.
The annual festival has become a local highpoint of the winter. Chris Mickman of the Ham Lake Snowbowl committee explained it originally started with an old tradition.
“Well we started out with ice fishing which has been here for about 25 years. We started the Snowbowl 9 years ago and started out as snow golf but we found out that there are a lot of other fun things to do,” Mickman said.
The snow sculptures have been the highlight of the event for many attendees.
“Eight years ago we decided to start that and we basically just had the city pile up the great big piles of snow and nobody came and then we found out that the St. Paul winter carnival has those big cubes they make of plywood and then fill them with snow,” Mickman said.
It was those giant blocks of snow that brought out father daughter duo Adam and Addie Turner. Adam is the veteran of snow sculpting.
“I’ve been doing this for about 4 years so as soon as I get a subject matter, I have an idea in my head how I want to present it.”
Addie is the rookie. She was first influenced by her father.
“Well first of all my dad’s been doing it forever, well not forever, but like I think this is how he began starting it—began snow sculpting and I just really wanted something like this too and it’s a lot of fun,” Addie said.
Although Addie seems to be a natural, her dad said it took her a while to warm up.
“You know with kids it’s all in their time. She’s always been an artist, but she kind of does her own thing. I’ve asked her in the past if she wants to join me and it was never the right time. This year, I just said, hey Addie, I think you should really join me out at Ham Lake and she said, ‘let’s do it.’ She’s completely owned it. It’s been great to watch her,” he said.
With dad having an influence on her decision to start snow sculpting, you’d think they’d have similar styles.
“Not remotely similar- we are very very different in how we do art. I’m much more realistic, she’s much more expressionistic,” Adam explained.
But he doesn’t take any offense.
“She really relishes having her own style, and I relish it and support her having her own style, so it’s been fun watching her develop,” he said.
For Addie the fun is all in the experience
“In snow sculpting overall, I like the community, like I’ve been socializing a lot but it’s just a fun place to do this,” Addie said.
Mickman hopes people get a sense of the spirit of Ham Lake.
“We’re putting ham lake on the map, and that’s the thing, we can get out and enjoy the winter instead of sitting home on our coaches,” he said.
Next year, the Ham Lake Chamber of Commerce hopes to give out one thousand dollars in prize money to the snow sculpture winners.
