Pinoy wins ice-carving contest in Canada

A Filipino bagged two awards at the "Winterlude" international ice-carving contest in Canada last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said over the weekend. The DFA said in a statement that Montreal-based Ross Baisas topped in the ice-carving contest, participated by 28 professional carvers from 11 countries. "Baisas, who is the resident artist of the Casino du Monde Royale in Quebec, won first place in the One-Block Challenge, transforming one block of ice into a sculpture inspired by the theme 'Yin and Yang' in two hours," the DFA said. Baisas also won third place in the "pairs category," where he teamed up with Canadian artist Michael Tuinstra to produce their sculpture called "Destiny." The contest was held at the Rogers Crystal Garden, Confederation Park, Ottawa, Canada, last Feb. 4. Winterlude, which started in 1979, is a festival of outdoor activities including public skating and skating displays, ice sculpture competitions, musical concerts, and numerous off-site events. — JE/KBK, GMA News