The visitors from Japan emerged victorious in the eighth annual Ice Castle ice sculpting competition, the second leg of which took place at the historic Olavinlinna this week.
Hideyuki Sone and Yoshihito Kosaka’s portrayal of Japanese folklore won the judges’ nod in the event, which was aptly titled “The Happy Ending of a Fairy Tale.”
The theme challenged participating teams to create fantastic ice sculptures that portrayed a “happily ever after” ending.
The competitors began working on their oeuvres last Tuesday and completed them Sunday in time for the judges’ critical appraisal.
Once the displays are completed and the prizes awarded, the sculptures are preserved for two weeks for public viewing and are lit with coloured lights at night to maintain their magical effect.
