Ice sculptor keeps his cool on warm day

Frozen figurines dot streets of Oakland
Michael A. Sawyers
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Sun Feb 20, 2011, 07:53 AM EST

— OAKLAND — Bill Sandusky was as frustrated as an ice sculptor on a warm day.

And it’s no wonder, because that’s just what he was on Saturday in downtown Oakland.

The temperatures in the high 40s made it impossible for Sandusky to show off details on his frozen figurines such as the brim on a woman’s hat, the hair on a boy reading a book, the mane of a horse, a fishing pole held by a lad.

“It’s just too warm, especially on the sunny side of the street,” Sandusky said. “The sculptures on the shady side will last longer,” he said, pointing to his works across Second Street.

This is the fourth year in Oakland at the Winter Fest for the peripatetic wielder of chainsaws, burrs and brushes. He is an Erie, Pa., native now living near Colorado Springs, Colo. The name of his endeavor is The Frozen Assets Ice Carving Co.

And get this, his day job is as a tractor-trailer driver for Reddy Ice out of Dallas. BYOI is not a problem.

After only a few touches of a chain saw to a large block of ice, onlooker Allison Carl, 7, of York, Pa., figured it out.

“It’s a boy reading a book,” she said, realizing that the sculpture was outside of The Book Mark’et and putting two and two together.

A week ago Sandusky was doing his gelid thing in Old Colorado City. A week from now he will be in Alaska, competing in an international ice sculpturing event.

“His work is amazing,” said Roger McClung of Washington, who has a second home in Deer Park and drives westward every weekend to Garrett County. “The sculpture of the train down by the depot has great detail.”

A group of about 30 onlookers was showered often by flying ice dust as Sandusky applied his chainsaw to frozen hunks. Still-cameras clicked and video cameras whirred.

Sandusky has been turning blocks of ice into treasure chests (in front of banks), smartly dressed women (in front of a fashion shops), and steeds (near the horse and carriage stop) for two decades.

“The ideal temperature is 25, but I’ve carved in temperatures as high as 86 in Pennsylvania and as low as 42-below in Alaska,” he said.

“When it gets that cold it can be dangerous,” he said. “You have to add alcohol to the water you work with so it won’t freeze to your skin.”

Friday was even warmer in Oakland than Saturday.

“We got a late start and that backed us up,” Sandusky said.

Although he had planned to begin carving early Friday, he waited until 10 p.m. for cooler temperatures and worked well into the night.

Sunday, Sandusky will carve a final ice statue, at the gazebo in Oakland.

Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com

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