Featured on BBC Radio York talking about taking part in an international snow sculpting competition

I’ve just been featured on BBC Radio York Jonathan Cowap Show talking about taking part in an international snow sculpting competition, located in the Austrian Alps and sharing a bit about what we’re up to and how I ended up here https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl90

A massive thank you to Jonathan Cowap and the BBC Radio York team!

I’m here with my sculpting partner, Justin Scott, who’s a trained figurative sculptor. My journey into snow sculpting started back in 2016 when Justin’s usual partner couldn’t make it, and he asked if I’d help out. I had no experience in sculpting—my background is in business consulting and fitness coaching—but I figured I could lend a hand, or at least shovel some snow. Since then, I’ve been learning the craft, and now, every winter, I find myself out here, carving massive sculptures out of snow.

This year, we’re working on something pretty special—a giant snow sculpture of Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards. The theme for the competition is winter sports, and as soon as we heard that, we knew Eddie was the perfect subject. His legendary jump from the Calgary ’88 Winter Olympics is an iconic moment in British sports, and we wanted to capture that in our sculpture.

Sculpting with snow is a bit like wood carving, but on a much larger scale. We start with a huge snow pile, about 100 tons of it, and carve it down into the shape we want. It’s a bit different from building a snowman; instead of rolling snowballs, we’re cutting away at the snow, creating terraces and slowly bringing our vision to life. We use hand tools—saws, knives, hammers, and chisels—because we can’t exactly bring power tools on a plane. The work is detailed and slow, especially when you’re battling the elements, like wind and snow, which can undo some of the finer details we’re trying to carve.

The subject of Eddie the Eagle is a challenging one, particularly capturing the dynamic pose of a ski jumper in mid-flight. But that’s part of what makes this project so rewarding. It’s a privilege to work on something that celebrates such a beloved figure in British sports history.

We’ve been here all week, and it’s been quite an experience working in this stunning but often harsh environment. The snow sculpture is coming along well, and we’re hoping it’ll stay in good condition for a while—these sculptures can last for a few months, though they start to show the effects of weather and wear over time.

I’ll be sure to share some photos of our progress, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all turns out. It’s been an incredible journey from shovelling snow to actually helping create these massive works of art.

Thanks for following along, and I’ll keep you updated on how our Eddie the Eagle sculpture turns out!