World Ice Art Championships 2026 in Alaska

The World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska are considered the largest ice sculpture competition in the world. Every year, more than 100 artists from around 30 countries gather there to create impressive works of art from massive blocks of ice.

All the more reason for us at SIK Holz to be delighted that we were able to support our long-time employee Julia Abheiden in attending the World Ice Art Championships 2026 in Fairbanks as part of an educational leave.

Julia has been a valued member of our company for more than ten years. In her case, passion and profession come together in a very special way. At SIK Holz, she works as an instructor in wood sculpture, passing on her skills and experience to the next generation with great dedication and enthusiasm.

Although she has only been active on the international ice carving scene since 2024, she has already gained valuable experience and continues to expand her artistic spectrum.

In Alaska, she first worked in the so-called “BootCamp,” creating various sculptures for the visitor park. Afterwards, she took part in two competitions.

In the MultiBlock competition, she worked together with international teammates to create an almost four-meter-tall steampunk giraffe riding a penny-farthing bicycle, accompanied by a skateboarding turtle – all carved from a total of 18 tons of ice. With this impressive work, the team achieved 6th place.

In the subsequent DoubleBlock competition, she teamed up with German chainsaw carver Sylvia Itzen to create the sculpture “Icarus in Ice.” The delicate depiction of a flying Icarus gives the massive material a remarkable sense of lightness. Among 21 international teams, the sculpture was awarded 8th place.

We are proud to have such a talented and dedicated wood sculptor as an instructor in our team. With her skills, passion, and commitment, she not only shapes the craft itself but also inspires and supports the next generation of wood sculptors.

It gives us great pleasure to have supported her on this journey and in gaining such a valuable experience. It is especially rewarding to see that not only our products find their way into the world, but also our craft and the people behind it gain international experience and carry our tradition beyond borders.