Snow Becomes Fleeting Art in Breckenridge, Colo.

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo., Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Experience the visual wonderment of the creation and exhibition of snow art. The Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships return to Breckenridge for the 20th year from January 26-31, 2010.

Thirteen teams from around the globe have been invited to compete from seven countries including Canada (two teams), China, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia and the USA. The United States teams invited include Alaska, Colorado (Breckenridge and Loveland), Idaho, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Snow Sculpting is attended annually by more than 30,000 people of all ages from across the USA and the world.

Each year, four-person teams are assigned 12-foot-tall, 20-ton blocks of machine-made Colorado snow. These teams work within a five-day period to create their sculptures. From these blocks of snow, the teams often craft enormous pieces of whimsy, although some deliver powerful political or social commentary.

The finished pieces are achieved after a total of 65 intense hours of work without the use of power tools, internal support structures or colorants - just the ingenuity of the sculptors and a medium that lends itself, if only temporarily, to the persuasion of hand tools.

When the sculptures are finished on Saturday, January 30, a panel of well-known artists and patrons of the arts serve as judges. Awards are presented to the first, second and third place sculptures on Sunday, January 31. Awards are also given for People's Choice, Kids' Choice and Artists' Choice. There are no cash prizes; the artists instead revel in the reward of hard work, forged friendships, freedom of artistic expression and the satisfaction of long hours of preparation that lead to the event.

No one would have guessed 20 years ago that the first International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge would have grown into the renowned world-class event it is today, and that the founders of the event would still be passionately sculpting for Team Breckenridge 20 years later.

Featured Lodging Package during Snow Sculptures: Ski Free, Stay Free

Plan a ski adventure to Breckenridge during the International Snow Sculpture Championships. Book three nights of lodging and three days of adult lift tickets and receive FREE an additional night of lodging and an additional day of adult skiing. Prices start at only $128 per person, per night. Package offered January 5 - February 10, 2010.

Call the Breckenridge Resort Chamber at 877-593-5260 or visit gobreck.com for more information on the 2010 Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships and January lodging packages in Breckenridge.

SOURCE Breckenridge Resort Chamber