Every year in Fairbanks, Alaska, the World Ice Art Championships takes place, and it is no cute little side hobby. Praised as one of the world’s largest ice sculpting competitions and exhibitions, the World Ice Art Championships has grown into a month-long event featuring more than 70 teams from around the world. The works are stunning and often massive in both size and visual appeal.

Northern lights (Aurora borealis) glow brightly over an Inupiaq fish camp along the arctic coast in North Slope, Alaska. (Photo by Steven Kazlowski/Barcroft Media)

In this photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Russian tanker Renda powers toward Nome, Alaska with the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy's assistance January 6, 2012 in the Bering Sea. (Photo by Sara Francis/U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images)

This undated photo shows the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. (Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Getty Images)