The Ice Man cometh: Mohican Winter Fest welcomes back Gold Medal ice carver Aaron Costic
Costic put his immense skills to work on both days, carving giant blocks of ice into masterful pieces of icy art, which adorned both Central Park and the downtown area of Loudonville.
Considering the mild winter the area has seen from early December until now, it was both a blessing and curse, a blessing because the suddenly frigid, overcast and blustery weather made for excellent ice carving, which would keep the ice sculptures around much longer than if it were warmer and sunny. A curse because it forced patrons to bundle up and try to fend off the freezing conditions as they watched Costic work his magic with a chain saw, an ice pick, a file and assorted other instruments of the trade which included, of all things, a blow torch.
"This weather is awesome, it's perfect," said Costic with a chuckle, a heavy dose of ice having formed around his beard. "The one thing about this job is that you always have to adapt. Whether it is 80 degrees outside or freezing, you simply have to do what is necessary."
While the public gathered to watch Costic, fascinated as the sculptures came to life as a shark, a bear or a swan, Costic played to the crowd, always entertaining even as he worked.
Master carver that he is, the thrill of performing in front of people remains the same as it is when he is in his studio working alone.
It is the joy of doing something he loves that drives him to excel in either situation.
"I love carving in my shop as much as I do out here for the people," said Costic. "I love it when people can come out and witness it take shape, and when families can come out and see it, that is always fun. But I can get enjoyment from this all by myself because it is something I have a passion for."
The nice thing with ice carving, as compared to wood, is that with no grain to worry about, a block of ice can be transformed into a beautiful sculpture in fairly short order, which is why the chamber is able to schedule Costic's demonstrations at the top of every hour during his time at the ice festival.
Having traveled the world carving ice, whether at shows like Mohican's or at the Olympics and other international competitions, Costic comes up with his own designs for his sculptures, which range from the individual pieces he creates for Loudonville's businesses, to elaborate pieces that can take hours and even days to create.
But Costic said whether simplistic or elaborate, there are seven steps to every carving, and that is the process, plain and simple.
"It's very systematic," said Costic. "In Alaska we have six days to do a piece. In New York, there is a competition in which carvers go head-to-head in 20 minutes, but the process is always the same."
Even in competition, Costic roots for his competitors to create their best art, and if he wins, he wins. In fact, he said that finishing second is oftentimes as thrilling as winning.
"I love it when I go to a competition and someone makes a better piece than I do," said Costic. "We make our best art we can and let the judges sort everything out. It is the joy of competing and doing our best that drives us."
Costic said that learning the art has been a learning curve that continues to go upward, noting that he still learns new things every day.
For 22 years he has perfected his trade, and having known that he wanted ice carving in his life in some form or fashion since he was a youth, he feels blessed to be able to be doing something he cares so deeply about.
Whether he is carving in Loudonville for a handful of people, or creating something magnificent for the Prince of Monaco's wedding, Costic is thrilled to be able to create.
The cold weather was advantageous for the ice festival in that the colder weather helps the ice sculptures adorning Main Street stay in great shape for a longer period of time. With all of the downtown businesses sponsoring the sculptures outside of their place of business, the cold weather means more staying power for the pieces, meaning that people can enjoy them longer.
Despite the freezing temperatures and windy conditions, people still came out to see Costic in action.
Rhonda and Tim Vandoren, from Urbana, were first time visitors who had heard about the ice festival through AAA magazine. The idea piqued their interest, and they decided to check out the festivities.
"We drove a couple of hours to see this, and it was well worth our time," said Rhonda Vandoren. "It is beautiful. We went through Main Street and were just taken aback by the sculptures. They were breathtakingly beautiful."
Karen and Geoff Burkinger, from Archibold, had learned about the weekend via the Internet, and figured a trip to Mohican Country in the middle of winter to witness something like Elegant Ice would be fun.
They weren't disappointed.
"We love taking little mini-trips like this, and this sounded very unique," said Karen Burkinger. "Loudonville is such a quaint little town, and to see all of these sculptures lined up, and actually getting to watch them being created is fascinating."
While ice sculptures are the key drawing card for the weekend, Mohican Winter Fest features a lot more than that.
A train expo, horse drawn carriage rides through town, the movie Happy Feet Two at the Ohio Theatre, a vendor's show and Curious Critters book signing event with author David FitzSimmons in the Loudonville Public Library were only a few of the other activities set up for a fun weekend.
In addition, Sunday, Jan. 15 featured the seventh annual Winter Hike at Mohican State Park for the adventurous types. Plus, there was plenty of hot food and beverages to warm the body throughout the frigid weekend.
The weather may have been chilly, but the beauty and joy of the weekend was more than enough to warm the soul.
Published: January 18, 2012
