HOKKAIDO, The Thai snow sculpting team feel proud and delighted after clinching the 2nd place at the 2024 Sapporo Snow Festival with their masterpiece 'The Naga Fireballs'. Thailand's team comprising Kusol Boonkopsongserm, Amnuaysak Srisuk, and Krissana Wongthet won the first runner-up prize at the 48th Sapporo International Snow Sculpture Competition, held under the 74th Sapporo Snow Festival in Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan. They aimed to defend their championship title by striving to be among the top 3 teams. Upon achieving their goal, they felt delighted. The concept of their artwork was inspired by the Naga Fireballs phenomenon, whose natural or human-made origin has yet to be proven. Team members have drawing skills and ice sculpting abilities. Although they had practiced sculpting styrofoam in Thailand, they had no chance to practice upon arriving in Japan. Their work required finding balance and positioning, unlike most solid snow sculptures, making their task challenging. Additionally, this year 's changing weather conditions, with frequent snowfalls and warmer temperatures, made their work even more difficult. Despite these challenges, they managed to complete their creation in three and a half days. This year marked the return of the festival after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 situation since 2019, making it somewhat challenging for the team, as they had forgotten the rhythm of their work from four years ago, resulting in a slight delay. Nevertheless, they felt proud when their work was completed. The judges not only evaluated the aesthetics but also considered the concept of the artwork, which brought joy to everyone involved. This collaboration marked the 10th time the trio had worked together, with their experience spanning various competitions. They received support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and thanked TAT for providing this opportunity. The 74th Sapporo Snow Festival took place from February 3rd to 7th, 2024, and is considered Japan's largest snow festival, attracting o ver 2 million tourists from Japan and around the world each year. Source: Thai News Agency