Page 33 - (DK) I Can’t Believe It! 2

STRANGE BUT TRUE! 31

At the Sapporo Snow Festival, held every February, teams from
around the world compete to develop the most imaginative and FAST FACTS
incredible snow sculptures. What began on a small scale, with
school students displaying amateur efforts at the city’s Odori
Park, has grown to become one of the largest global events
on the winter calendar, featuring hundreds of sculptures.

The largest snow
sculptures can
reach 50 ft (15 m) tall Sculpting starts with trucks
and 80 ft (24 m) wide. transporting snow to the
site, where bulldozers pack
it into a firm base.

A frame is packed with more
snow to form a solid block.
The wooden boards are
removed and carving begins.

The frame is removed for the
final details. Teams have just
20 hours from start to finish
to create their art.

US_030_031_309600_Snow_Sculptures.indd 31 19/12/17 12:55 pm