When Anthony Foliot, also known as Snowking, found out about an international snow cutting competition in Sweden this spring, he told Niki Mckenzie and her carving partner Kris Schlagintweit that they should apply.

“It was a bit of a process,” Mackenzie said.

The duo who have created snow sculptures at Yellowknife Snow Castle for the past five years had to submit an expression of interest, provide a design of the sculpture they are going to make, submit a “snow CV” – “This is the first time I have ever had to do something like that “, said Mckenzie and laughed – send pictures of their work and get letters of support.

But it paid off.

Mckenzie and Schlagintweit are going to Sweden next month to compete in the Kiruna Snow Festival’s international snow sculpture competition, which attracts some of the best artists in the world.

“It’s a bit of a shock,” Mckenzie said. “I’m from New Zealand. I had not even seen snow before I came here. This is a pretty big change for me.”

Mckenzie and Schlagintweit will be one of only six teams in the competition, which runs from 26 to 30 January.

Mckenzie said she is also excited to visit the festival’s ice hotel.

“Their ice hotel is almost as famous as our snow castle,” she joked.

“I’m really, really excited to see the different techniques and styles they use over there.”

She told the competition that she and Schlagintweit will carve Whaitiri, the equivalent of the goddess of thunder in Maori mythology.

“She is very powerful, very determined and seems to be a flash to people she does not like,” Mckenzie said.

“So we will have this beautiful creature sitting on her long flowing hair that will be carved in the style of a sculpture by the amorist, with a flash.”

She added that the sculpture will be carved out of a snow block 10 feet by 10 feet by 10 feet.

“I think it’s the biggest piece of snow I’ve ever carved,” Mckenzie said.

“I’m definitely scared. Kris and I have both trained hard. We have chopping and stacking firewood and a dozen push-ups every morning to try to get in shape for it.”

While Mckenzie is excited about the upcoming trip, she is also nervous about traveling given the covid-19 pandemic.

“My family is all the way in New Zealand, and I have not been able to see them for the last two years because the borders have been closed and I am worried,” she said.

“But Kris and I are both double grown and we are planning to get our boosters. So… follow the rules and be sensible. We will be out most of the time and hopefully wearing very warm clothes. I’m not so worried about breathing on people.”

In the end, Mckenzie said, she’s hoping for something.

“I just hope we make our snow team proud here.”

Related stories from all over the Nordics:

Arctic: Inuit artists in their own words, Eye on the Arctic

Canada: “Art was like a therapy for me” – Canadian artist Manasie Akpaliapik reflects on work, life and his solo exhibition in Quebec City, Eye on the Arctic

Greenland: Nunavut children’s books translated for circulation in Greenland’s schools, Eye on the Arctic

Finland: How not to promote Arctic tourism – why the indigenous Sami of Finland say that the marketing of their region must change, Eye of the Arctic

Norway: Walt Disney Animation Studios releases Sami-language version of “Frozen 2”, Eye of the Arctic

Sweden: Can cross-border cooperation decolonize Sami language teaching?, Eye of the Arctic

United States: Inuit leaders applaud the UN’s effort to mark the International Decade of Indigenous Peoples, Eye on the Arctic