The Minnesota Ice Festival has announced the winners of its 2025 Carver Cup, a new competition among ice carvers from around the world.

This year’s event, at TCO Stadium in Vikings Lakes in Eagan, featured five teams of award-winning sculptors. The art pieces they created will remain on display for as long as the weather lasts.

Competitors were judged on creativity, technique, and execution. Five, two-person teams made up of people from across the country and the United Kingdom competed in the contest, which kicked off Thursday.

“The Kiss” by Todd Dawson (North Carolina) & Ben Rand (Florida) took first place in the 2025 Carver Cup at the Minnesota Ice Festival. Photo courtesy Minnesota Ice Festival

First-place winner, Ben Rand, remembers the first time he ever tried carving ice.

“I think I was seventeen and I froze water in a five-gallon bucket and tried to hack at it with a chef’s knife and a screwdriver,” Rand said.

Rand eventually learned to professionally carve ice in culinary school and now has a full-time ice sculpting career. He met his teammate Todd Dawson, of North Carolina, at sculpting competitions around the country.

“Todd is a great carver, he’s very accomplished so I was looking forward to working together,” Rand said.

Rand and Dawson’s design for their Carver Cup winning sculpture was inspired by the story of the princess and the frog. Rand said he’s long appreciated the fairytale and designed the concept over a year ago.

“It tells a story hopefully, that’s what I was going for,” Rand said. “I think it leaves a bit of imagination for people that want to look and it and try and figure out the story.”

The Minnesota Ice Festival was Rand’s first time in the state he enjoyed the competition, event and world’s largest ice maze, though one thing Minnesota is known for failed to impress him.

“I was hoping it would be a little colder,” Rand said.

Going into the competition, Rand said he was nervous when seeing the list of competitor names. Many competitive ice sculptors know one another and each of the competitors is talented and has successful careers which he admires, he said. One of his favorite parts of completion is meeting people from all around the world.

“The preservation and continuing of sculpting ice is important to me, so it’s neat to have someone support sculptures like me who come and do these kinds of things,” Rand said.

First place: Todd Dawson of North Carolina and Ben Rand of Florida for “The Kiss.” with a prize of $7,500.

Second place: Dan Rebholz of Illinois and Nick Smith of the United Kingdom for “Disasternaut,” with a prize of $5,000.

Third place: Victor Dagatan of Florida and Dean Murray of Oregon for “Hjaldr” which means battle, with a prize of $2,500.

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A $2,500 people’s choice award will be determined by spectator votes through February 9.

The festival is open Thursday through Sundays until Feb. 16. For ticket prices and more information go to www.minnesotaicefestival.com.