Team USA Snow Sculptors create a Stormy Kromer sculpture

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - The cold weather isn’t stopping snow sculptors from making icy art. Three Team USA Snow Sculptors are putting the finishing touches on their Stormy Kromer-inspired art that’s sitting outside of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.

This is the 33rd year the Team USA Snow Sculptors have carved out time to make a masterpiece outside of the museum.

“We usually do something in conjunction with the show and we’re doing a Stormy Kromer,” said Mike Sponholtz, one of the 3 members of the Team USA Snow Sculptors.

The sculpture is inspired by the Northwoods icon Stormy Kromer, who is famous for his Stormy Kromer hat that’s popular in the Midwest.

“The snow’s got to be brought here and got to be put into form,” said Tom Queoff, the captain of the Team USA Snow Sculptors. “The snow has to be stomped into form.”

The sculptors use a maquette of Kromer to chisel their art. They said this year’s art will take about a day and a half to complete.

“We always make a model of what we are going to make. So all three of us that are on the team, we can always refer to the model so we are all on the same page,” said Queoff.

It takes talent and patience to complete the project.

‘It’s an ancient art and the tools we use we make a lot of them,” said Queoff. “I mean snow has been carved for almost probably as long as anything, you know, Michelangelo carved snow.”

The Team USA Snow Sculptors said the hardest part is dealing with the weather.

“When the weather gets warm it doesn’t want to hold and you can’t get what you really want,” said Sponholtz.

But luckily, Saturday’s weather was great for sculpting.

“When it’s like it is today, this is perfect conditions there’s no wind and we can literally carve any kind of detail we want,” said Sponholtz.