The group of four competitors prepared three respective pieces, which were judged at the opening ceremony for the annual New Zealand Mountain Film Festival last night.
International ice sculptors Bjorn Svensson, of Sweden, and Robert Bok, of Malaysia, were flown down from Auckland by their employers Sky City to take part in the competition.
"It's a whole lot easier to work when it's [cold] like this, than it is in Auckland," Mr Bok said.
The pair was up against some local Otago talent - Marguerite Eustace, of Wanaka, and Magdalene Walker, of Dunedin - who were trying their hand at ice sculpting for the first time.
Ms Walker, a stone, or wood carver by trade, said the ice was a wonderful material to work with.
"It's so malleable, because it doesn't have any grain, is translucent, yet also full of bubbles, which gives it such wonderful texture," she said.
The New Zealand Mountain Film Festival runs for the next five days at the Lake Wanaka Centre, where 45 films are being screened, and six guest speakers are also appearing to talk. Results were not available at the time of publication.
•Mountain Film Festival
Guest speakers:
Today, 6pm: Alice Smith (NZ) and Dennis Behan (US) talk about their length of New Zealand charity walk.
Today, 6pm: Renowned US rock-climber Timmy O'Neill talks about his experiences and film-making.
Tomorrow, 6pm: Brian Alder (NZ) talks about his summit of treacherous Himalayan peak Changabang.
Tomorrow, 8pm: Graeme Dingle (NZ), known as the "father of New Zealand outdoor pursuits", speaks about mountain climbing.
Monday, 8pm: Queenstown aerial daredevil Chuck Berry talks about jumping out of a free-falling broken glider.
Tuesday, 8pm: Lydia Bradey, Wanaka mountain guide talks about her recent summit of Mount Everest, almost 20 years after she became the first and only New Zealander to climb the world's highest peak without oxygen.
