Wei-Sen Liang, Aaron Costic, and Jerry Perum pose with their 2017 Ice Fest Awards.  Costic was named the Ice Fest Ice Sculpting Competition Champion while Perum and Liang earned second place and third place, respectively. 

ITHACA, NY DECEMBER 11, 2017 — Three veteran ice carvers took home top prizes following a series of thrilling, nationally sanctioned ice sculpting competitions held during Ithaca’s 11th Annual Ice Fest.

With a score of 77.83, Oneida resident Wei-Sen Liang, a multi-award-winning ice sculptor and Ice Fest returnee, earned a third-place finish for his impressive mermaid ice sculpture while Marcellus’ Jerry Perum, another Ice Fest veteran who’s won many awards, received 80.33 points for his soaring pelican design dubbed Peaceful Flight. His score earned him a second-place prize.

The Ice Fest’s 2017 Championship title was awarded to Aaron Costic (no score given), a 2006 Olympic gold medalist and a past Ice Fest top finisher from Ohio. Costic’s title-winning creation, which he called Wind, was a male’s muscular upper body with fanned out angelic wings on his back. The top three winners were selected by judges from the National Ice Carvers Association.

Aaron Costic’s Ice Fest title-winning ice sculpture.

“We thank the 10 ice carvers who participated in these high stakes contests. They certainly offered our festival guests an incredible show. We also thank the hundreds of individuals who braved the elements to attend this exciting annual affair. We trust that everyone had a wonderful time, and we look forward to seeing you all again next year,” says Gary Ferguson, executive director for the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA), a not-for-profit organization charged with organizing the event.

The DIA’s next major event will be the 19th Annual Chili Cook-Off set for Saturday, Feb. 10. Keep an eye on our Facebook Events Page for information about Chili Cook-Off and Downtown Ithaca’s other events.

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