Master ice carver Rich Daly will bring his chainsaw skills back to Sherwood House Vineyards in Jamesport for another frozen spectacle this Saturday.
Daly, a culinary arts teacher at William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, has been sculpting ice ever since learning the skill at Johnson & Wales University 15 years ago.
“I picked it up, I had a knack for it and started competing,” he told us in 2013.
Daly has won nearly 100 ice carving events across the country and received more than 40 Medals from National Ice Carving Association recognized events.
Two years ago he earned the unusual distinction of “Fastest Time to Carve 60 Ice Sculptures” from the Guinness Book of World Records. While the challenge was physically exhausting, Daly managed to beat the previous record by 90 minutes.
He now runs his own business, Ice Melodies, Inc, making handcrafted ice sculptures for all occasions.
SEE PHOTOS FROM LAST YEAR’S EVENT
“You really just make it up as you go along,” said Daly, who uses a chainsaw to carve his sculptures out of giant blocks of ice. The heat from a blow torch finishes off the job, removing the slush and smoothing the surface of the sculpture.“Every time you make a sculpture, you’re practicing and getting better.”
This Saturday Daly will again showcase his talent while carving a 3,000 pound ice block. This will be his third demonstration outside the Jamesport tasting room.
“This is a little winter party that we like to do for all our customers,” said Sherwood House General Manager Kristen Hand. “Rich is very talented.”
Sherwood House Vineyards’ Annual Ice Carving presentation begins at noon on Saturday, Dec. 19. There is no entrance fee, but wine, soup and sandwiches will be available for sale. Sherwood House Vineyards is located at 1291 Main Road in Jamesport. For more information call (631) 779-2817.
