Devon sculptor competes at International Snow Sculpture Championships

A Devon sculptor has swapped stone for snow to compete in the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Pippa Unwin, from Kingsbridge, is the captain of the Great Britain team - one of the few groups without regular snowfall to practice with.

The 12 teams competing have 94 hours to turn their 25-tonne block of snow into a sculpture.

First, second, and third place will be announced on Friday.

Ms Unwin said: "Well all four of us are stone carvers, so it's much the same principle, we're taking away from the block. It's basically the same process, but just on a much bigger scale..."

Ms Unwin is best known for her work in stone

Ms Unwin said it felt like the GB team were "amateurs" compared to some of the other competitors.

She said: "It's really exciting, I mean compared with some of the others, we're rank amateurs because we have nowhere to practice at home."

Despite this, the team have managed to bring home medals in previous years at the International Snow Sculpture Championships at Breckenridge, Colorado.

In 2019, Ms Unwin and her fellow Team GB sculptors won third place with their ice sculpture.

Team GB's sculpture from the championships in 2019, which won third place

Laura Swanson, from the Breckenridge Tourism team, said teams without a snowy climate could "definitely" still win at the championships.

She said: "It's really all about artistic skills, and what kind of sculptor you are, working with the medium and different kinds of mediums.

"So I'd say the chances are good, any of these teams here today could take home the gold."

Artists can use only hand tools to bring their ideas to life, including vegetable peelers, chicken wire, small saws and more. Power tools, colorants and internal support structures are prohibited.

The finished sculptures will go on display, illuminated with an ever-changing light display, at Breckenridge from Friday until Wednesday.