Featured on BBC Radio Leeds talking about Going From A Business Consultant to Snow Sculptor: My Journey to Sculpting Eddie "The Eagle"

I’ve just been featured on BBC Radio Leeds Richard Stead breakfast show, talking about finding myself on quite an unexpected journey—from being a business consultant and fitness coach to carving giant snow sculptures  https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl7w

A huge thank you to Richard Stead and the BBC Radio Leeds Breakfast team!

Recently, I’ve been working alongside my good friend Justin Scott as we prepare for an international snow sculpting competition in Austria. Our challenge? Turning 100 tons of snow into a massive sculpture of Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, all in just five days.

It all started back in 2016 when Justin, who’s a trained figurative sculptor, found himself in a bit of a bind. His sculpting partner dropped out at the last minute, and he needed someone to help him out. That’s when he called me. I had no experience in sculpting, but I figured I could at least help move some snow around, so I jumped in. Since then, I’ve been learning the ropes from Justin, and now I’m more than just the guy with the shovel.

Justin’s an incredible teacher, and over the years, he’s taught me a lot about the art of snow sculpting. While he’s definitely the expert, I’ve picked up enough skills to contribute more creatively. We work well together, even when things inevitably go wrong, which they often do. Justin’s quick to find solutions and keeps us on track, ensuring that our sculptures look their best.

Creating a sculpture like Eddie Edwards out of snow starts with a vision. We usually begin with some sketches and plans, figuring out how to approach the project. For this one, we’re working with two massive snow piles—one for the ramp and one for Eddie himself, coming off the jump. It’s one of the biggest builds we’ve done.

Working with snow is a bit like working with polystyrene—it’s dense and requires a lot of patience. We start at the top and work our way down, carving out terraces as we go. But the tricky part is balancing the need to remove support structures without compromising the sculpture’s stability. Plus, we’re always racing against the weather, trying to finish as much as possible before the final day.

Once completed, these sculptures typically stay up for about three to four months, although they’re in pristine condition for the first month or so. As time goes on, they do start to wear down due to weather and interaction from skiers. We often design our sculptures with interactive elements, which adds to the fun but also means they eventually become less stable and need to be managed for safety.

As for our chances in the competition, I wouldn’t say we’re the favorites. Justin is an amazing sculptor, but my background isn’t in the arts. Still, we’ve managed to hold our own, and it’s always an honor to compete alongside some of the world’s best figurative sculptors. These are artists who create works that belong in cathedrals, so even placing in the middle of the pack feels like a huge achievement.

We’re heading out to Austria soon, and I’m looking forward to seeing how our sculpture turns out. It’s been an incredible experience getting into snow sculpting, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to create something special with Justin.

Thanks for following along, and I’ll be sure to share photos once we’re done!