Team B.C. ice carvers thrilled to be back in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Team B.C. Ice Carvers Ryan Cook and Kevin Lewis say they’re thrilled to be back in the Energetic City.

The duo returned to Fort St. John this year to represent B.C. in the 2022 Winterlude National Ice Carving Competition and will be sticking around to carve sculptures for the High On Ice Festival kicking off on February 18th.

The Energetic City is also where both of them first began honing their skills as ice carvers.

“I’ve been coming to Fort St. John for, I think it’s my ninth year. All of my ice-carving, aside from one other event, has been here,” Cook said.

“Coming to Fort St. John every year is such an honour, the [High on Ice Festival] is one of the most sought-after events in the world for many ice carvers who want to be able to create sculptures of their dreams,” Cook continued.

Both Cook and Lewis are known, not only for ice-carving, but also for being prolific woodcarvers.

Hailing from Squamish, Cook has appeared in the Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival and has a role on the HGTV series “Carver Kings”.

Lewis has been carving with a chainsaw since 1996 and has had his pieces featured in outdoor galleries in the Lower Mainland. He says the main difference between ice and wood as a medium is the planning that goes into projects.

“You got to have all the blocks sort of like a brick wall. So no straight-up lines with a few blocks, you’re going to lose structure and stability,” Lewis explained.

“Ice is the most dangerous of all the mediums that I’ve worked with because you’re building up 300-pound blocks, and there’s 35 of them. You get to build your canvas, but if that breaks into shards, it’s over,” Cook added.

Cast your vote for Team B.C. in the 2022 Winterlude Ice Carving Championships here.

Those interested can check out Cook’s work here.

View Lewis’ work here.

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