SNOWMADE

1. Canada - British Columbia
"Winter Comes"
Team captain Peter Vogelaar swept the 2002 International Snow Sculpting Competition last year in Breckenridge winning Juries Choice, Artists' Choice, Peoples' Choice and Kids' Choice. Returning with Peter this year is Carl Schlichting, an artifact restoration and preservationist for Canadian museums. Joining the team this year will be Carl's daughter Simone who is in her second year studying jewelry design and Denis Kleine, a bronze sculptor and veteran snow sculptor. Peter and his team will be sculpting in 7 countries this year on 3 continents.

2. Canada - Manitoba
"Birth of a Nation"
Emile Chartier, Denis Savoie, Rene Lanthier, and Mitch Chartier are a team comprised of accomplished artists and snow sculptors. Team captain Emile has been an artist for over 28 years and carves everything from wood to marble to soapstone. Denis and Rene are artists specializing in various mediums including oil painting and acrylics. Mitch is a self-taught artist specializing in clay, snow and stone sculpting. Paul D'eschambault joins the team as their representative but has also taken part in many snow sculpture competitions throughout Canada.

3. Canada - Ontario
"Who Spilt the Beans"
Led by captain Denis Bolohan, the members of this Canadian team represent over forty years of snow sculpting experience. The team has twice placed first in the Breckenridge Championships and won various awards at other competitions around North America. Brian Lane, who once sculpted for Team Saskatchewan, has placed first in Canada's national competition. Returning with Brian is Dan Bolohan. Dan, who is no stranger to Breckenridge, was with the team when they first competed in 1992. A new member to the team and snow sculpting is Steve Daigle. His visual dexterity will be an asset to the team.

4. Canada - Quebec
"Rêve'Olution"
Since 1971, team captain Raymond St-Laurent, has been sculpting snow all around the world. This year will be his fifth visit to Breckenridge. Valérie Beaulieu graduated in fine art and works as an exhibition designer. Professional artist and teacher, Trung Chanh Truong began sculpting snow last year and brings a fresh vision to the team. Jacques Monfette is an electrical draftsman but has been snow sculpting as a hobby for the last few years. The representative of the team, Michel Bedard is a photo reporter for a weekly newspaper and is the founder of a local snow sculpting festival in Quebec city.

5. China - Harbin
"The Love of Mother"
Team Captain Wang Tiecheng is a professional artist and sculptor who has competed in several snow sculpting competitions around the world. His most notable win was first place in the 14th International Snow Sculpture competition in Japan. Team member Li Zhishu is a well respected snow sculptor in Harbin and works as an architect. Wang Junbo is an arts and crafts designer and has competed in several snow sculpture competitions. Zheng Yudan is a chief inspector for the arts and literature column for a Heilongjiang daily newspaper. She is noted as one of the finest snow sculptors in Harbin.

6. Germany - Garmisch
"Winter"
This is team captain's Stefan Ester second time to Breckenridge. Stefan has worked as a freelance artist for over a decade and exhibited works throughout Germany. Stefan has competed in many snow sculpting competitions around Europe and North America and twice won second place in competitions in Garmisch. Holger Kunz also returns to this year's competition. Holger has worked as a carpenter for 15 years. Joining the German team are newcomers Axel Schoberth and Michael Paletschek.

7. Mexico - Tlalpan
"Morfeo's Labyrinth"
This will be team captain Ulises Moyao Garcia's third visit to the Breckenridge competition. He brings along a talented group of artists from Mexico including Omar Sanchez, a snow sculptor, photographer and graphic designer who also took part in last year's competition. Joining them is Dolores Ortiz Alhf, a lithographer who has participated in numerous international exhibits and Carlos Valadez, an accomplished architect and photographer. Diana Moyao Garcia will act as the team representative.

8. Mexico - Mexico City
" Capilla Posa"
Team Captain Guadalupe Varela is a skillful sculptor who has competed twice in Breckenridge. Her talents also include painting and wood sculpting. Rosario Ochoa and Gerardo Langruen graduated as sculptors from the National School of Paint, Sculpture and Engraving and both have exhibited their artwork in several cities throughout the Mexican Republic. Arturo Ramirez works as a veterinarian but sculpts in his free time. This will be his third year in Breckenridge. Al Ortiz, also a veteran to Breckenridge, will again participate as the team's representative.

9. Morocco - Casablanca
"A Happy Family"
Team Captain Hassan Ibrahimi works as an architect and computer graphics artist. He sculpts wood, limestone and is a master sand sculptor. This will be Hassan's second season sculpting snow. Returning member Jamal Jabiri is a technician in architecture and landscaper and teaches fine art lessons during summer holidays to youth camp associations. Both Khalid Aouinat and Abdel Ghafour Mouradi work as technicians in architecture and town planning. Abdel Jalil Mansouf is an artist and landscape gardener. Although he competed in Snow Sculpting Championships in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Frankenmuth, Michigan with Team Morocco in 2001, he joins this year's team as their representative.

10. Netherlands - Huigsloot
"Water World"
This unique team is led by Miek Stap, a web designer and Project Manager for a flower firm, who has competed in several snow sculpting competitions around North America over the last few years. Joining her team is Carla Schippers, the most experienced of the crew with over 15 years participating in snow sculpting competitions. Bert van Herwijnen is a dedicated wood sculptor and teacher of art. 2003 marks Bert's second year in snow sculpting competition. Wout Koppen owns an advertising agency but likes to spend his time sculpting wood, silk-screen printing and painting. Eelko Koppen will act as team representative, photographer and web designer during this year's competition.

11. Italy - Sondrio
"Holocene Fossil Find #2"
Luca Bonetti leads as captain for this young, eclectic Italian team. Luca enjoys snow sculpting, painting glass and designing Land Art. Manuela Zecca is an architect and has been working with Luca for the last three years. Gianmario Bonfadini also works as an architect. Nadia Braito splits her time between her graphic studio and the vocal improvisation with her afro-Italian band. And Claudia Azzalini works as beekeeper. Together this team has competed in shows in Livigno, Italy and Valloire, France.

12. USA - Minnesota
"Whirled White Web"
Team Captain Stan Wagon, a mathematician at Macalester College in St. Paul and Dan Schwalbe, a software engineer from Minneapolis return for a fifth time to this event. Brent Collins is a sculptor from Missouri. Carlo Sequin teaches computer graphics at the University of California at Berkeley. Their joint work helped represent the USA at a recent UNESCO conference in Hungary. Steve Reinmuth owns a foundry in Springfield, Oregon and has cast in bronze many of Collins' sculptures, as well as his own designs.

13. USA - New York
"94 Hour Photo"
Team Captain Klaus Ebeling and associate Jerry Merrill have been snow art collaborators since 1985 and teammates on over 25 international snow and ice art competitions since 1990. Klaus is a sculptor, retired art professor and author of a handbook on "Snow Sculpture". Jerry is a painter, sculptor and insurance agent. Fellow teammate Bert Ebeling is a National Ski Patroller, currently a NSP Region Director and in Breckenridge for the third time. Ray McCarthy, a railroad executive, discovered his newest calling when he assisted Klaus last year in an ice sculpture project. Ray and Donna McCarthy, seasoned sailors on Chesapeake Bay, are the team's rookies this year. Donna will act as team representative.

14. USA - Breckenridge
Rob Neyland, a native of Breckenridge, is ready to represent his hometown once again in his thirteenth appearance at the International Snow Sculpting Championships. His teammates Ron Shelton, Tom Day, and Tim Schwander also call Breckenridge home. The team has won several other medals in competitions as exotic as Finland and Russia and have participated in many commercial events including the Aspen Comedy Festival, The Denver Parade of Lights and the World Alpine Championships. As co-founders of the Breckenridge Championships, we welcome Rob Neyland and Ron Shelton's team as honorary participants of the event.