HANCOCK -- With almost two weeks left until Michigan Tech's Annual Winter Carnival snow statue judging, Phi Kappa Tau members are making sure they don't get behind.
With a saw in hand, they cut rough forms out of their snow blocks.
"This year we're building an upside down school bus. There's going to be a big wall back there and there will be a bunch of other slush details around it," said Scott Desotll, Phi Kappa Tau Statue Chair.
They are just one out of at least 25 groups participating in the competition. This year they had a late start because of the lack of snow. However, the recent cooler temperatures and snowfall have made the conditions a lot better to continue making their snow sculptures.
For the competition, teams will have to transform huge snow blocks into sculpted creations but without power tools. With basic tools, teams will work at least 1500 hours to build their statues. Every detail counts during judging.
"They will come around, look at the statues once, just kind of look at them, get a first impression. So what they think about the size, the uniqueness, how it looks. Then, they will come back again and give a finer detail...the whiteness of the snow, clarity, lines, and detail of work," said Steven Saliga, Blue Key Statue Chair.
The Phi Kappa Tau, are going for their sixth win.
"Starting the day before, we'll probably be out here at around 4 or 5 p.m. and work through the night to finish up," Desotll said.
Judging is set for February 7.
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