Here are the top 3 finishing sculptures in each category of the 2009 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska. For more extensive info, additional awards (4th through 7th and special awards), and lots of photos, go to www.icealaska.com.

Realistic:

1st: “White Fang” by Junichi Nakamura, Shinichi Sawamura, Fukumi Furukawa, & Takao Waki

2nd: “Swimming Lesson” by Dorjsuren Lkhagvadorj, Tsagaan Munkh-erdene, Mark Davis, & Ed Winslow

3rd: “Stairway to Heaven” by Buddy Rasmussen, Clay Rasmussen, Roland De La Garza, & Robert Childers

(one part of the Ice Alaska site currently has Buddy’s team listed as 2nd; likely a typo)

Abstract:

1st: “Pandora’s Box” by Vladimir Zhikhartsev, Vitaly Lednev, Aaron Costic, and Joshua Kang

2nd: “The Three Graces” by Sergey Tselebrovsky, Dmitry Gorokhov, Sergey Zaplatin, & Andy Gertler

3rd: “Rockin’ the Night Away“ by Danny Spangler, Jeff Weston, Jeff DeJong, and William Sandusky