**3/12/08** I’ve added a new entry on “ice bending”**

    First off, “ice bending” was a minor hoax perpetrated by Aaron Costic. Here’s how it went. Several years ago, just before a competition, he started a rumor that he had come up with a new technique called ice bending. Supposedly with this new technique he could quickly fashion curved pieces of ice by using the technique to bend straight pieces.

    Because Aaron was beginning to win most of the competitions he entered, the idea that he had come up with a brand new technique was rather intimidating because I was going to have my hands full challenging him even if he only carved the way he normally did. I have to admit, the rumor psyched me out a bit and I was thoroughly discouraged.

    As it turned out, his “technique” involved hooking up a car battery to both ends of the ice at which point he could bend it. Of course, this doesn’t work and I don’t know why I believed it for even a second, as I studied biology, chemistry, and physics for four and a half years in college and ice bending never came up. I think I wanted to believe in it, just like I wanted to believe in Santa Claus when I was little (if you still believe in Santa Claus, then ignore that last sentence.)

    In the end, all I remember is that I didn’t win that competition. I think Aaron did, and he didn’t have to bend a single piece of ice. The final irony, however, is that ice does bend and I’ve seen it. But that’s another story.

The following comments were on the original blog entry. After some technical difficulties, the blog had to be reconstructed, and this was the only way to keep the original comments.

darren best

I'm looking forward to that story im curious to see ice bend myself

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - 03:23 PM

Dawson List

It might take me a bit to get to that one, as it's not particularly useful as a carving technique, but it is interesting. I'll have to get some pictures to demonstrate. Thanks for your comments Darren

Thursday, March 29, 2007 - 06:54 PM

Jack Mehouffen

Practicle or not I think that would be a great secret to learn how thats done. I look forward to reading that story soom too.

Sunday, April 1, 2007 - 07:08 PM