Finding Minnesota: Ice Sculptor's World Record Attempt
SUPERIOR, Wis. (WCCO) -- It wouldn't be a Minnesota winter without some type of ice sculpture.
One man from Big Lake is trying to create the world's largest sculpture. Roger Hanson is about halfway to his goal.
There is a simplicity in the science behind the formation of ice. Water in freezing temperatures will eventually turn solid.
Knowing this, Roger Hanson wanted to take ice formation beyond the basics
"Sometimes I think you have to be a little insane to be doing this," said Roger Hanson, the man behind the Lake Superior Ice Project.
On the corner of Barker's Island in Superior, Wisconsin, sits his world record attempt in the making.
"We've got the whole month of February to go yet, so, I think it'll be pretty good," Hanson said.
For Roger, building a frozen wall takes more than just winter weather conditions.
"There's an immense amount of science behind it," Hanson said.
Inside a small trailer, his ice sculpture truly takes shape.
"It's a one man operation," Hanson said. "I'm trying to fight with mother nature to make the best circumstance."
He's created an intricate web of technology, mixing mechanical, electrical and software engineering.
"I actually work on this thing through the whole year," he said. "In the summer, I'm developing technology."
Part of the system is designed to detect potential problems within the ice. Roger has built numerous sensors, temperature controls and alert systems to tell him if the ice sculpture is moving or shifting. The rest is engineered to build the sculpture and almost every aspect of the system is controlled from a single laptop.
"That's the whole magic of the system to get that water to go exactly where it's supposed to go," Hanson said.
It's quite the accomplishment by any standards, but it's even more impressive considering Roger never made it past the 9th grade.
"I can't learn by the conventional methods. I have to teach myself," Hanson said.
A high school diploma doesn't determine a person's desire to keep learning.
"I don't give up. I keep working on something until I attain what I want," he said.
This science project has taught him many lessons over the last 10 years. Each year, Roger creates a new sculpture making it bigger and better than years past.
"It's very hard work, very frustrating at times, a lot of days and a lot of nights are sleepless," he said.
This year, his work is directed towards the vision of a European castle.
With each passing day water adds height and width. Roger hopes it'll grow to 60-70 feet.
"It's hard to appreciate this thing when you see it form drop by drop," Hanson said.
Science may be the foundation but artistry guides the towering layers. But ask Roger, he's not artist, he just sees his canvas a little differently.
"What's art to me is the engineering and design and development," Hanson said.
The water for the project is pumped from the Lake Superior harbor. Roger says the ice has the brown hue because of all the decaying logs in the water from the logging days years ago.
The sculpture will be the highlight of the Superior Ice Festival scheduled for Feb. 20 to 27.