Fireworks, Lights & Sound Warm Up the Crowd
The Lake Superior Ice Project hosted a crowd of over one hundred for the 6 pm show this evening. On hand for the festivities were Mayor Bruce Hagen, Chamber President Dave Minor, and National Bank of Commerce President (WI) Bruce Thompson, as well as Roger “Iceman” Hanson.
The event was festive, and featured two roaring bonfires to ward off the cold winds swirling around the grounds, an eclectic offering of upbeat music of all genres, and a light show that pulsed within and on the Ice Project that was also synced to the music. Kosta’s Gyros had their trailer on site and were serving their signature gyros wraps to a handful of hungry souls.
Prior to the kickoff of the fireworks, the Iceman shared his experiences building the Ice Project in Superior, both pre- and post-collapse (the original project collapsed on Feb. 3), and vowed to be back next year in hopes of breaking the Guinness Book World Record for a free standing ice sculpture. He was actually over the record prior to the early February collapse at 64′, but it was not yet free standing and would not have qualified for the record.
Prior to the fireworks, Mayor Hagen was approached by a visitor from California, who while shivering in her San Francisco 49er’s jacket told the Mayor that she and her family had made a point of stopping in Superior to see the Ice Project while they were passing through. The world-wide publicity it had received in its first rendition apparently brought at least one family from far away to see it.
While addressing the crowd on hand a short-time later, Hagen vowed to bring the Iceman back again next year for a bigger and better celebration on the shores of Barker’s Island. Dave Minor announced that an arm of the State of Wisconsin visitors bureau has calculated that the publicity obtained by Superior over the course of the construction, collapse, and reconstruction of the Ice Project was equal to $250,000 in advertising! Not a bad return on investment considering that the entire project was paid for with $30,000 from the Tourism Development Fund which is generated by room taxes on local hotels.
Bruce Thompson greeted the crowd and shared that National Bank of Commerce was very pleased to be the sponsor of the fireworks, sound & light show, and are hopeful to continue their involvement in this outdoor winter event in the future. NB of C employees were on hand encouraging attendees to enter a drawing for a picnic basket to be given away…presumably it came with cold cuts!
This is a brief video of portions of the show. Your intrepid reporter was suffering from cold fingers and chattering teeth, so it was not possible to capture the entire show. Nonethess, this video gives one a good idea that a fun time was had by all in attendance. The Ice Project will remain standing until March 15th, at which time it will be forced down by the Superior Fire Department, presumably for safety reasons. Thompson stated that the plan was to aim high pressured water hoses at key points in the sculpture in hopes that by weakening it, the entire structure will tumble down. Then the City will allow Mother Nature to do her thing, and the ice will melt back into the bay where it came from.
Thank you to the City of Superior, the Superior-Douglas County Chamber of Commerce, and National Bank of Commerce for their support and funding of this fun event that brought attention to our small but thriving town on the banks of Lake Superior.