Where to Ski And Snowboard - Ischgl’s ice dragons

Ischgl’s ice dragons

18th January 2012, by Chris Gill

Welsh dragon - Ischgl TVB

Be prepared to be impressed if you’re in Ischgl this season: there are some fiery creatures lurking around the slopes.

There has been ample snow for the resort’s annual snow sculpting competition, which this year is themed on dragons. At the helm is a wonderful creation: the Welsh Dragon.

None of these white monsters will actually be breathing fire or frightening the visitors, as they are all expertly sculpted out of mounds of snow in the Austrian resort’s annual ‘Shapes In White’ exhibition.

Shaping the snow

Ten teams of sculptors from all over Europe had four days to transform their sketches into the snowy exhibits. The Welsh Dragon was the creation of German sculptors Dieter Faust and his girlfriend Birgit Tögel-Emrich, who live in London and were inspired by the red dragon on the Welsh national flag. Others included the Tirolean Ice Dragon, a Baby Dragon, Dragon Ship and House Dragon.

The 4m piles of snow are provided to each team courtesy of the resort’s piste-grooming machines. The result is an open-air snow art gallery that skiers and boarders can enjoy until the season ends, or the exhibits melt – whichever comes first! And, of course, Ischgl’s season is normally a long one, ending 1 May.

Last year’s theme was vikings, with Vickie not Kirk Douglas playing the leading role!