N'ice and easy does it at ice carving contest

By William Furney

JAKARTA (JP): Anyone who has read Paul Theroux's Riding the Iron Rooster, by train through China will know of the wonders of Harbin, the algid Chinese city where remarkable ice sculptures remain all winter long.

This was not the case, however, last Wednesday when teams from hotels around Jakarta gathered under the blazing sun in the Karaoke Hall of Hotel Bumi Karsa, Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta. There were no aging depictions in ice here, for the midday sun saw to it that their lifespans lasted about 10 minutes.

Amid the sounds of crashing sculptures and ever-increasing melting waters, despite the efforts of hotel staff to suck it up, ice professionals beavered away with saws fit enough to fell the largest of trees. Soon though, from the rigid blocks of ice they started off with, emerged shapes of fantasy: birds of paradise, exotic fish and tigers.

This was the third Hotel Human Resources Manager Association (HHRMA) Ice Carving Competition, usually an annual event but due to the ongoing economic crisis and prevalent demonstrations, there was none last year.

As the carvers, from hotels including The Hilton, Grand Hyatt Jakarta, Hotel Borobudur, The Gran Melia and The Shangri-La, were whittled down and those remaining took up their knives for the final heat, a panel of judges carefully monitored their every slice of ice. With an hour to fashion a creation, they worked non-stop in the hope of winning a prize medal, some occasionally slipping on the waters streaming down below them.

"We're looking for something original; if you walked past it in a hotel, you'd stop and say 'that's amazing'", said one of the judges, Patrick Marty, executive chef at the Aston Atrium Hotel on Jl. Senen Raya, South Jakarta.

"The criteria for judging include the technique the carvers use, the degree of difficulty and whether they complete the sculpture within the allotted time of one hour," he explained.

As Patrick was speaking a sculpture of two fish collapsed behind him, "I don't think that one will do well," he exclaimed, pointing out that after the sculptures had been completed, they had to stand for at least 10 minutes. "There were fissures in that one which caused it to collapse. It wasn't strong enough."

Indeed, when the final heat was over and the carvers stood back to admire their work, to the applause of those gathered around, some sculptures were so delicately balanced that they soon disintegrated. One of the most outstanding pieces of work had two carved birds attached at right angles to a column of ice. But unlike the real thing, however, the birds soon fell to the ground.

But fear not, the next time you are lunching in a restaurant of a five-star hotel. The sculptures adorning presentations are frozen overnight in a deep freezer, according to one of the sculptors, who is a carver at a hotel in Jakarta. The cool air in such restaurants keeps the pieces from toppling and destroying both the food and the clothes of guests.

But the Karaoke Hall of the Bumi Karsa is not equipped with air-conditioning, as one side is open to the outside, thus not ensuring longevity for the ice sculptures.

After a period of deliberation, the judges (they took longer than expected as the decision, they said, was difficult) returned and announced the winners. Satria Effendi of the Sheraton Bandara took the gold medal with his creation Urban Bird, Masruri, from the Gran Melia walked off with the silver for Grouper Fish, and from the Grand Hyatt, Haryo was awarded the bronze medal for a piece titled Harmony.

As the winners stood beside their minuscule creations -- which had by now melted into something resembling the twisted face of a gargoyle -- photographers and television camera crews shot and rolled tape while negotiating pools of water.

A remarkable show of skill, determination and a battle against the odds (or rather the odd -- the sun), the competition gave a glimpse into the world of icy creations. For the carvers, a spell in Harbin would surely be a frozen dream come true. But for now, the air-conditioned environs of their respective hotels will have to suffice.