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Eight teams of ice artists from across North America thrilled thousands of people with their creativity during the third annual De Beers Inspired Ice – NWT Ice Carving Championship.

Held in Yellowknife March 27-30, Inspired Ice is the centerpiece event of the Long John Jamboree. Each two-member team had 28 hours to turn large blocks of Great Slave Lake Ice into exquisite works of art, while dealing with wind chills as cold as -40C.

When it was all over, Space Cowboy, created by the team of Dean Murray, of Wisconsin and Chris Foltz, Oregon, was selected the top ice sculpture.

The judges for the 2014 event were: Lead Judge Chad Hartson, Ohio; Ikuo Kanbayashi, Ottawa; Bill Nasogaluak, Toronto.

Here’s how the carvers finished:

1. Space Cowboy – Murray and Foltz.
2. Winter Stag – Aaron Costic and Jeff Meyers, Ohio (also People’s Choice and Carvers’ Choice winners)
3. The Catch – Randy Sibbeston, Fort Simpson, NWT, and John Sabourin, Yellowknife
4. Dancing Lessons – Stephan and Mike Koch, Indiana
5. West Wind – Larry Andreoff and Chistian Denis, Edmonton, AB
6. Lady in Glass – Eli and Desmond Nasogaluak, Yellowknife and Tuktoyaktuk, NWT
7. Mermaid from the North Pole – Mowafak Nema and Kenny Hayden, Ottawa
8. Celebration under Moonlight – Derrald and Maryanne Taylor.

Click here to view a gallery of the masterpieces.

In addition, De Beers volunteers were out on the ice Saturday evening serving up hot chocolate to the brave Northerners who came out in the cold to enjoy a big bonfire, a showcase of fireworks with the beautiful Inspired Ice carvings lit up as the backdrop.

The Long John Jamboree is held on the ice of Yellowknife Bay, and this year about 4,000 people turned out to take in the festivities.