Macomb Community College Ice Sculptors Carve Out 5th Place Finish at Worlds

Sometimes all it takes to win is an extra hand, or in Al Bock and Brad Groszkiewicz's case – eight. 

Competing in the BP 2013 World Ice Art Championship last month in Fairbanks, AK, Clinton Township resident Bock and Sterling Heights resident Groszkiewicz took fifth place in the single-block abstract category for their ice sculpture, Octopus Garden.

Culinary arts students at Macomb Community College, the pair worked 12 to 16 hour shifts over a three-day period to complete their piece, often in below-zero temperatures. 

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The Fairbanks competition is the world's largest, boasting 53 teams from 12 countries for the 2013 championship.

Each team starts with a 5-foot by 8-foot by 3-foot block of ice and has exactly 60 hours in which to complete their sculpture.

"We set goals each day for what we wanted to accomplish," said Bock, in a press release. "We've been practicing this piece for the last seven weeks at area ice shows and competitions, so we knew how to approach our carving."

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But neither could have been prepared for the subzero conditions.

"The competition was fierce, but friendly," Bock added. "Communication was difficult, but teams lent gear amongst each other and shared carving tips."

One of the key tips was to build a hot box to thaw their equipment, which ultimately saved valuable time that would have otherwise been spent transporting equipment to and from a nearby building for the same purpose.