Annual Collegiate Ice Carving Invitational Nov. 15

Students from HFC, the University of Michigan (U-M), Oakland Community College (OCC), Macomb Community College (MCC) and the Arts Institute of Michigan–Novi will compete in a three-hour, single block competition at the 4th Annual Henry Ford College Collegiate Ice Carving Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 15. This competition takes place in HFC’s Parking Lot 2 on the main campus.

Teams will have from 9 a.m. to noon to carve a 300-pound block of ice into a work of art. Ice carvings will be available for viewing until 5 p.m. that day, weather permitting.

“I took the ice carving class last winter and had a chance to see what the students in the HFC Ice Carving Club were doing for competition. I’m really excited to get a chance to compete this year,” said HFC Ice Club member Steve McCormick.

The main focus of the competition is to give new ice carvers a first experience in the world of competitive ice carving. In the following months, these students will travel all over Michigan and Ohio, competing in the Plymouth Ice Festival and the Zehnder’s Snow Fest in Frankenmuth, Mich.

“For most of these students, the HFC Invitational is their first taste of competitive ice carving. Pardon the pun, but it’s an ice breaker for how the rest of the competition season will be for them,” said HFC Ice Carving Instructor Jeffrey Lao.

Not only is this a competition to help student carvers become familiar with competition-style ice carving, but it is also a learning objective for the students of HFC’s Ice Carving program. Students participate in all aspects of planning and execution of the invitational.

“The ice club members put in a lot of time to make this event happen. We get to learn about what it takes to make a special event like this happen,” said HFC Ice Club President Robert Speeks.

For further information, contact Lao at 313.845.6391 or Jjlao1@hfcc.edu. You can also visit www.HFCCice.com.