Greg Little
Kicks Editor
A form of precipitation consisting of small crystals of ice. Seamless snow texture. Background image of snow cover. Images for endless repetition. Snow is one of the indispensable attributes of winter
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Florida snow sculptors heading north for US National Championships
Angela Major
Zachary Rueter of Wisconsin uses a saw to cut through a large block of snow during last years U.S. National Snow Sculpting Championships in Lake Geneva. The 2021 contest begins Feb. 3 during the citys annual Winterest celebration. Completed sculptures will remain available for viewing until they melt.
GAZETTE FILEP PHOTO
Gina Diliberti takes a close look at the model for one of the Wisconsin teams snow sculptures Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020, in Lake Geneva.
Very soon, Amanda Bolduc will trade the warm-weather comforts of the Sunshine State for the snow and sub-zero temperatures of southern Wisconsin.
As captain of Team Florida, she and two hardy teammates will travel nearly 1,400 miles north to compete in the 2021 U.S. National Snow Sculpting Championships next week. The event is part of the annual Winterfest celebration in Lake Geneva.
Its probably about 78 degrees out right now, and I live 25 minutes from the beach, Bolduc said from her gulf-side Florida home. You get adapted to a certain environment and temperature.
But Bolduc is no stranger to winters bite. A Maine native and past snow-sculpting competitor, she knows what to expect.
I still have all my cold-weather gear, and I wear a lot of layers, she said. It will be cold for me (in Wisconsin), but I was there (in Lake Geneva) a couple of years ago during the polar vortex, when it was something like negative 55 degrees. That was quite a change.
Change is the operative word for Bolduc, who has been a natural elements artist for 16 years. In addition to her work with snow, she also is an accomplished sand sculptor.
Bolducs first foray into sculpting came in 2006 while on vacation in her then-future home state.
I had been going to the beach for years, and every year there was this sand-sculpting competition, Bolduc said. It looked like fun, so I started out competing with my mother. We were like, Lets just try this and see where it goes.
The pair went on to take part in amateur-level competitions for three years before Bolduc decided to go it alone. In her first solo competition, she won first place.
More titles soon followed, as did demand for her skills.
I started traveling around the country for sand-sculpting competitions, she said. Ive been to Michigan, Texas and New Hampshire on group carves, and I ran a competition in Maine.
In 2015, a fellow carver invited Bolduc to try her hand at snow sculpting. She again teamed with her mother and decided to give it a go.
We ended up winning, Bolduc said. Come to find out, it was a qualifier for the U.S. Nationals in Lake Geneva.
We were like, What have we done? We had never worked in snow before and didnt feel like we were worthy of going to Nationals.
Bolducs team didnt win Nationals that year, but the event did cement her standing as one of the nations premiere snow sculptors.
Though not trained professionally as an artist, Bolducs natural skills have emerged organically.
I actually have a degree in psychology, which has nothing to do with art, she said. But as a child, I was always drawing. I found that if I can draw something, my mind can translate that into 3D.
Thats a good skill to have when your team starts out with little more than a 72-square-foot cylinder of packed snow.
We have a process we go through where we come up with a concept, and then turn that into a 3D image with clay so we have a model to work from, Bolduc explained. That allows us to work out the kinks, and doing it in clay first helps you visualize what it will look like when its 110 times bigger.
This year, Team FloridaBolduc, Bruce Peck and Adam Turnerwill build The Power of the Minds Eye, a structure featuring an arched tunnel that leads into the eye of a womans face.
The message is really about how powerful our eyes are when it comes to perceiving reality, Bolduc said. Its about how so many people can look at something and see it one way and then someone else can see it completely different.
Once competition begins at 11 a.m. Feb. 3, teams will erect scaffolding around their cylinders and begin measuring for cuts.
You dont want to take off a piece you might need, Bolduc said. We need to know how deep to cut and how far back to cut. Its all very well orchestrated.
Along with design plans, teams get creative designing gadgets to mold their creations. Power tools are prohibited.
We use a lot of saws, Bolduc said. One of my teammates just made one out of cable with screws throughout that he nailed in, so its almost like a chainsaw. We also use a lot of Japanese ice-cutting tools and tile removers, which cut like butter through the snow. And sandpaper provides a polished look, creates more shadows and helps the piece pop.
Through her experience with sand, Bolduc has gained great appreciation for snow as a medium.
The thing with sand is it always wants to fall. Gravity is your enemy, she said. The benefit of snow is that its gravitational limitations are less. You can do so much more with snow than with sand from a design standpoint.
Still, Midwest winters also pose problems with their predictable unpredictability.
If it gets warm, things start falling apart and turning to mush, Bolduc said. And if it gets too cold, you dont want to be outside for eight to 24 hours straight.
The most difficult aspect is the snow itself, she added. You never know what type of snow youre going to get. Sometimes its just packed with chips of ice, and other times there might be grass or dirt; its never the same. You have to be mentally prepared to deal with whatever youre given.
Teams also need to prepare for intense competition. The event draws only the nations best, and despite five years of competition in Lake Geneva, Bolducs crew has yet to win the coveted title.
We havent won first at Nationals. Weve gotten second place, third twice and weve won Peoples Choice, she said.
Who knows? Maybe this is our year. Well see.
20_q_interviews
20Q: Catching up with Orfordville bar owner Kerry Knutson
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Greg Little
Kicks Editor
Anthony Wahl
{span}Kerry Knutson{/span}
Editors Note: Kicks presents 20Q, a feature that introduces readers to people involved in the areas arts and entertainment community. Compiled by kicks Editor Greg Little, each piece will include a short bio, photo and answers to questions that provide insight into not only that persons artistic interests but also his or her unique personality.
Kerry Knutson
Make a good drink, and people will gather.
Cook a good burger, theyll come back for more.
Treat them as good friends, and theyll never leave your side.
These theories have played out in spades for Kerry Knutson, owner of Knutes Bar & Grill and The Liquor Barn in Orfordville.
Since opening Knutes more than 20 years ago, the Janesville natives award-winning fish fries and catering have turned his tavern into a destination spot for locals and travelers alike. His dedication to volunteerism has gained him goodwill from the community, not to mention recognition from the Orfordville Fire Department, the Orfordville American Legion and inclusion in The 69蹤獲s 2009 50 Who Matter list.
A 1981 Parker High School graduate, Knutson is the youngest of four boys (Bob, Bruce and Brad). He now lives in Footville with his wife, Shari, and his childrenson Adam, 30, and daughter Abby, 27both work for him. Knutson also has three step-sons and nine grandchildren.
To learn more, visit to join the taverns text club, or look up or on Facebook.
1. Explain how you ended up in the hospitality business. I got a job at the Elks Club when I was 15 years old. It was mostly weekends. Then my mom and dad had a place up north, and I found out I really liked the industry. When I graduated in 1981, there werent a lot of jobs available. I took Blackhawk Techs culinary arts program for two years and really enjoyed it.
2. Last August, you opened the Liquor Barn, a food and spirits shop in Orfordville. Similar businesses have struggled during the pandemic. What made you decide to go ahead and open? Unfortunately, the flower shop next door to my current business went under, and the building became available. I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to expand a new business in Orfordville.
3. Who is your favorite Muppet? Cookie Monster, of course. Who doesnt like cookies, and who doesnt like a monster?
4. Ever sung karaoke? In junior high, I had taken choir. Unfortunately, my teacher at the timeMr. Walterstold me I wasnt a very good singer, so I havent sung much in front of people after that.
5. If youre bellying up to the bar at Knutes, whats your drink of choice? Beer usually, but once in a while I like Voodoo Vodka Mountain Dew. The only problem with that is the next day, if youre hung over and try to drink a Mountain Dew to quench your thirst, it doesnt work.
6. Name something a person needs to understand to be successful as a bar owner in a small town as compared to a larger city? Small town or large city, you have to be active in your community. Build relationships with your customers, treat them as friends ... be there. Everyone likes to see the owner.
7. Share something people would be surprised to find out about you. Even though Im a bar owner, I have a hard time staying up past 10 p.m. lately.
8. Is there a current drink trend that is popular with your clientele, but you cant understand why its popular? Right now, seltzers are really popular. I dont understand why; they dont taste great. I know everybody drinks them because they are cutting down on carbs, but I cant get by the taste. Yuck.
9. Prior to Knutes, had you owned any other bars or worked at other bars? I went from dishwasher to manager at the Elks Club in the 20 years I spent there. I worked two years at Damons in Janesville and then opened my own place in 1998. I did have another location in Brodhead for two years, but it was just too much.
10. What is the most effective way to get a bartenders attention when the bar is packed? Always make sure you leave a good tip whether the bar is packed or not. Take care of your bartenders, and they will take care of you
11. At the grocery store, what item always goes in your cart whether you need it or not? Usually anything with sugar. I like cookies and sweets to an extreme. I could be a sugarholic.
12. What is the strangest thing you have ever seen happen at your bar? When you mix alcohol with people, you see a lot of strange things. I do remember one time when there was about 10 of us who were drinking, and we all decided to shave our heads. From a 21-year-old to a 70-year-old, we all lined up and got shaved.
13. Were you ever involved with a youth group such as Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts or 4H? I joined Cub Scouts and then moved on to Boys Scouts at the church behind my house. Ive helped the Boy Scouts over the years through my business and currently still support them through spaghetti dinners with Andy Olsen at St. William (Catholic Church in Janesville).
14. Can you name a popular television show you either have never seen an episode of or that you dont understand why it is popular? I have never seen Tiger King, so dont know why its so popular. Not one episode.
15. If you were immortal for a day, what would you do? Id like to go to Fort Knox and see if all the gold is there, or maybe Area 51 and take a look at the crash of the aliens. Or maybe to the depths of the ocean to see what creatures are really down there.
16. What is your favorite food and, aside from your own place, where is your favorite spot to get it? My favorite food is Mexican food. I like margaritas on the rocks. My wife and I usually get the fajitas at Cozumel in Janesville.
17. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? If I could learn anything, it would probably have to do with computers. I have to ask my daughter to help me all the time in figuring out emails and stuff, so I probably need to take some computer classes.
18. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go? Probably Hawaii. Ive been talking about going here for a while and just havent made it.
19. What is the best thing about being a bar/restaurant owner? The worst thing? The best thing about being a bar and restaurant owner is being my own boss. I also like the people I get to meet and the friendships I have made over the years. The long hours you have to endure to make your business successful is something I could do without.
20. Is your glass half-empty or half-full? My glass is half-full and on its way up!
Fit woman stretching her limbs for sports exercise in winter
Candle burning on the snow snow or snowy surface, winter background with snowflakes, close up
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