"Dancing Fire" – shown here 12 hours before the United States National Snow Carving Competition's deadline on Feb. 2 (Lake Geneva, Wis.).

Last weekend, a snow-carving team featuring the talents of Eau Claire's own Winter After Hours snow sculptors Jason Anhorn and Steve Bateman – along with Wauwatosa artist Dave Andrews –   won first place at the United States National Snow Carving Competition in Lake Geneva, Wis. Their piece was called "Dancing Fire."

It was Andrews’s idea to form the award-winning squad. Bateman and Anhorn had actually competed against (and finished behind) Andrews in past competitions, but their mutual snow-carving respect brought them together after a December phone call from Andrews – a 20 year veteran of the frosty craft who has competed at the US Nationals 10 times.

After viewing two of Andrews’s concept sketches, the three settled on the “Dancing Fire” design.   Andrews completed a clay mockup about a week before the competition, which finished on February 2. As Anhorn describes it ...

"We arrived on Tuesday [Jan. 29] in the pouring rain and 60 degree temperatures, with a forecast of cold on it’s way. Wednesday morning at 9am, the event had a kickoff meeting for all of the sculptors.  During the meeting, the snow started and the temps dropped and the wind picked up and kept cooling until it was well below zero for the remainder of the event, which is perfect for achieving tight details in snow. The city of Lake Geneva treats the snow sculptors very well, with each team in its own [hotel] suite, 3 gourmet meals a day, new jackets and other perks. Our team got off and running on Wednesday just after the meeting and we never looked back, working late into every night, taking breaks only to warm up our meals. Our families arrived for the weekend and the city of Lake Geneva was very welcoming."

If that weren’t enough, along with its first place designation, the team received seed money to travel to an international competition. Anhorn says they are shooting for the 2014 Olympics in Russia and hoping for a national sponsorship.

Oh, and we should probably also mention that Bateman and two other artists snagged third place at an international competition in Frankenmuth, Mich., only one week prior to the   United States Nationals.

Anhorn (right) "rocks the block."

Bateman sets the snow on fire.

First Place proof.