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Team Fung-icicles take home Ice Cup this year as snowcarvers leave their mark

The Fung-icicles team Maxence Jaillet, Madeleine Tetreault and Roxanne Davis, took home $1,500 and the Ice Cup as the winners of the second annual community-based snow carving contest, March 20.
Ethan Butterfield
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The Midnight Sun Toastmaster’s team, who would finish fourth, depicted both the Toastmasters logo and the sun, which is featured in the name of their snow carving. Photo courtesy of Cameron Buddo

The Fung-icicles team Maxence Jaillet, Madeleine Tetreault and Roxanne Davis, took home $1,500 and the Ice Cup as the winners of the second annual community-based snow carving contest, March 20.

“We were so happy,” Tetreault said after the team’s frozen fungi forest was selected as the top entry. “We worked so long on it, it was so fun.”

Maxence Jaillet, left, Madeleine Tetreault and Roxanne Davis, who make up the team Fung-icicles, were the winning crew of the second annual community-only Snowking’s Winter Festival Snow Carving Competition. The winning team was chosen on March 20.. Photo courtesy of Cameron Buddo
Maxence Jaillet, left, Madeleine Tetreault and Roxanne Davis, who make up the team Fung-icicles, were the winning crew of the second annual community-only Snowking’s Winter Festival Snow Carving Competition. The winning team was chosen on March 20.. Photo courtesy of Cameron Buddo

Despite the carving process going smoothly, it was a time consuming task for the triumphant trio to ensure everything was ready prior to the voting period, March 15 to 20.

“Because it was so elaborate, we were taking off a lot of the snow from the big chunk, and moving it around, and making it like a 3D sculpture,” said Tetreault.

Madeleine Tetreault tackles the underside of the giant mushroom, carefully etching in the lines. Photo courtesy of Madeleine Tetreault
Madeleine Tetreault tackles the underside of the giant mushroom, carefully etching in the lines. Photo courtesy of Madeleine Tetreault

Their winning creation didn’t remain exactly as planned for long.

“There was like two mushrooms that we had that were a little bit smaller and they kept getting broken and people kept jumping on them all the time,” she said. “So like even before the competition was kind of over, we had to say goodbye to a couple of mushrooms.”

Team Fung-icicles’ winning creation features several different mushrooms and other elements of the fungi world . Photo courtesy of Cameron Buddo
Team Fung-icicles’ winning creation features several different mushrooms and other elements of the fungi world . Photo courtesy of Cameron Buddo

The idea to carve a fungi forest out of a snow block was something that was inspired at the last minute.

“We had a few ideas that we were thinking about doing before that,” said Tetreault. “But I had been working on the (snow) castle all month, like carving inside it, and so kind of near the end when the competition was about to start, I really wanted to try something a little bit more difficult and really push myself this year.

“So we came up with this more elaborate idea,” she said. “I’m really into mushrooms and it just kind of came to us.”

According to the team’s calculations, their snow carving took close to 45 hours to complete.

Tetreault said she would love the opportunity to tackle more snow carving challenges as they arise.

“I am so into it now,” she said. “I just had such a blast doing that.”

Team Birds of a Feather, who would place second, crafted a phoenix rising from the snow. Photo courtesy of Cameron Buddo
Team Birds of a Feather, who would place second, crafted a phoenix rising from the snow. Photo courtesy of Cameron Buddo

The other rankings for the snow carving contest are as follows: second place went to team Birds of a Feather (Shauna Morgan, Stephan Folkers and Ryan McCord), third place went to team We Are All in This Together (Kris Schlagintweit, Annabel Paulson, Elsabé Swanepoel and Niki McKenzie while fourth place went to the YK Toastmasters Club team.

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Team We’re All In This Together, who captured third place, created a piece showing several individuals holding up the globe. Photo courtesy of Cameron Buddo
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Team Fung-icicles, consisting of Maxence Jaillet, left, Madeleine Tetreault and Roxanne Davis, can’t contain their excitement in front of their frozen fungi forest. Photo courtesy of Madeleine Tetreault
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Maxence Jaillet begins the work on the fungi snow carving, chipping away the excess snow for later use. Photo courtesy of Madeleine Tetreault
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The concept art for what would become the mushroom snow carving. Photo courtesy of Madeleine Tetreault
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The process of creating the larger-than-life snow carvings was a slow and steady one for Madeleine Tetreault. The finer details would be added later on in the process. Photo courtesy of Madeleine Tetreault