ITHACA, N.Y. — Three ice carvers took home top prizes following a series of thrilling, nationally sanctioned ice sculpting competitions held during Ithaca’s 11th Annual Ice Fest.
With an overall score of 77.83, Oneida resident Wei-Sen Liang earned a third-place finish for his impressive mermaid ice sculpture while Marcellus’ Jerry Perum, with a score of 80.33, garnered a second place prize for his soaring pelican design dubbed Peaceful Flight.
The Ice Fest’s 2017 Championship title was awarded to Aaron Costic (no score given), a 2006 Olympic gold medal winner from Ohio. Costic’s title-winning creation, which he called Wind, was a male’s muscular upper body with fanned out angelic wings on his back. The top three winners were selected by judges from the National Ice Carvers Association.
“We thank the 10 ice carvers who participated in these high stakes contests. They certainly offered our festival guests an incredible show. We also thank the hundreds of individuals who braved the elements to attend this exciting annual affair. We trust that everyone had a wonderful time, and we look forward to seeing you all again next year,” says Gary Ferguson, executive director for the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA), a not-for-profit organization charged with organizing the event.
The DIA’s next major event will be the 19th Annual Chili Cook-Off set for Saturday, Feb. 10. Keep an eye on our Facebook Events Page for information about Chili Cook-Off and Downtown Ithaca’s other events.
