World Ice Art Championships

Ice harvesting for this year's World Ice Art Championships began in late January at O’Grady Pond. Volunteers for the 22nd Ice Alaska extravaganza removed blocks of ice daily for the show which opened February 22nd and continues through March 27th. Ice is removed at the end of January, before it becomes too thick.

Artists from Alaska, the Lower 48 and over a dozen other countries are competing this year, including China, Russia, Japan and Mongolia. .

Volunteers collected 150 large ice blocks; some of them measuring 5' x 8' x 3'. Each block harvested from the on-site pond weighs more than 4,000 pounds. Ice has been harvested from O'Grady pond since the first ice art championship dating back to the late 1980's.

800 to 900 blocks, or approximately 3.5 to 4 million pounds of ice, are extracted from the pond before volunteers are finished harvesting. Some of the blocks (about 100) are set aside and stored during the summer at the park. The ice inventory will then be ready for carving early next winter before the ice gets thick enough for harvesting.

Best of all, it's right here, in Fairbanks. IceAlaska.com

The World Ice Art Championships are open daily during the competition. The best time to go is about a half hour before sunset, so that the displays can be enjoyed as they become illuminated. It's also good to go early into the competitions, as temperatures can reach 34 above during the day and signs of melting, wear and breakage may occur (as seen in my last photo).

More from the Fountainhead Auto Museum: 1912 Peerless & 1912 Rauch and Lang

1912 Peerless Model K-36 Touring

 Peerless developed the first accelerator pedal, tilt steering wheel and front mounted engine that powered a rear axle by drive shaft. Although low in production, Peerless was one of the most well known luxury cars of the 20th century.

"Peerless -- All that its Name Implies"

Factory Price $5,000.

1912 Rauch and Lang Electric Brougham

Electric powered cars were all the rage of the early 1900's. They especially appealed to wealthy urban women for their simplicity, quiet ride and elegance. Rauch and Langs were among the most prestigious electric cars.It would travel up to 70 miles on a single charge. The coach was designed for conversation with the front passengers facing the driver's seat in the rear. The tall coach provided room for the fashionable hats of the day.

"For those Who Want the Best"

 

More from the Fountainhead Auto museum: 1909 Oldsmobile, 1911 Everitt &1911 Ford

1909 Oldsmobile Model D Palace Touring

The Olds Palace Touring Car was one of the first automobiles to have any type of enclosure for the driver and front seat passengers.

Ransom Eli Olds was a giant in the early American automobile industry. Although he left the Olds Motor Works in 1904 and began production of REO automobiles, the Oldsmobile marque lasted until 2004.

The Oldsmobile marque is the longest lived of any American car company.

1911 Everitt Model Four-30 Touring. Only a few brass-era Everitts are believed to still exist.

The engine on the Everitt was positioned so far back, that the radiator was mounted behind the front axle. The Everitt 30 was among the first cars to have its engine cast en bloc. It was also one of the first cars to have a self starter.

1911 Model T Ford C-cab Depot Hack

 The original depot hacks were horse drawn wagons that transported passengers and luggage between hotels and railroad stations. Eventually, automobiles replaced wagons, although the term station wagon still persists today. Typically, a chassis was purchased from an automobile factory and a coachbuilder would fit the chassis with a custom body.

More from the Fountainhead Auto Museum: 1907 Chalmers-Detroit & 1908 Rambler

1907 Chalmers-Detroit Model K "30" Roadster

This Chalmers-Detroit has been in Fairbanks since 1912! This car had a remarkable success in race and endurance tours and became a huge advertising success for Hugh Chalmers. The car was known for its excellent handling and performance at high speeds.

1908 Ramlber Model 31 Five Passenger Touring. Thomas B Jeffrey Co. Kenosha, WI (1902-1913)

Thomas B. Jeffrey was among the first Americans to become interested in automobiles, building his first Rambler in 1887 and going into production in 1902. From then until 1908, he built bigger and more reliable models and was the second manufacturer after Oldsmobile to build cars on an assembly line.

1908 Rambler brass headlight

The original owner of this 1908 Rambler allowed the engine block to freeze with less than 1,000 miles on the engine. It was left in storage where it sat for 67 years. It is in all original condition, except for the paint and rubber products.