Featured on BBC Radio Leeds Richard Stead Breakfast show talking about how our recent snow sculpting adventure in the Austrian Alps turned out

I was recently featured on BBC Radio Leeds Richard Stead Breakfast show talking about our recent adventure in the Austrian Alps turned out. My partner, Justin Scott, and I took on the challenge of sculpting a massive snow statue of Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards for an international competition. We had just five days to turn over 200 tons of snow—about the size of a double-decker bus—into a tribute to one of Britain’s most beloved Olympic figures https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl7w

A big thank you to Richard Stead and the rest of the Breakfast show team!

When we arrived and saw the sheer size of the snow piles, we knew we had our work cut out for us. We started by terracing the snow, building the Olympic gate first and then working our way forward. Eddie himself started to take shape on Thursday, and by Friday morning, we were racing against the clock to finish. We spent about nine hours each day on the mountain, working in temperatures that ranged from a chilling -14°C to around 0°C. It was, without a doubt, the biggest project we’ve ever tackled.

The competition was fierce, with some of the world’s best wood carvers and snow sculptors in attendance. Teams from South Tyrol, Italy, and Germany brought their A-game, creating stunning sculptures. The winning team from Germany crafted a bobsled sculpture with intricate loops and arches, while the second-place team amazed everyone with life-sized ice skates. The third-place team from South Tyrol designed an inverted snowboarder that seemed to leap out of the snow.

As for us, by the time we finished on Friday, we were thrilled with what we had accomplished. Our sculpture was two to three times larger than most of the others, and what made it even more special was its interactive nature. Watching kids run up the starting gate and couples posing for photos on our sculpture was incredibly rewarding. It was a true community piece, and seeing the joy it brought to people made all the hard work worth it.

This experience has definitely amplified our passion. We’ve been invited back to compete next year, and we’re already looking forward to it. Justin is also considering exploring sand sculpting, either by entering a competition or even organising one along the East Coast. While snow has been our main medium so far, we’re excited to see where this journey takes us next.

Thanks for all the support, and if you want to see how our sculpture turned out, you can check out the pictures online. It’s been an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to dive into the next challenge!