Let it be known the world's largest ice maze measured 12,855.68 square feet and was constructed in Buffalo N.Y. for the 2010 Buffalo Powder Keg Winter Festival.
So says Guinness World Records.
A representative from Guinness was on site to measure the maze and issued a proclamation to festival co-chair Jeff Empric this morning on the plaza of HSBC Center, where the world's largest ice maze was constructed for this weekend's winter festival.
"Congratulations," said Amanda Mochan, a Guinness World Records adjudications manager, "and welcome to the Guinness World Records family."
"We can't wait to bring people down here and show them what a great festival this will be," Empric said as he stood in front of a podium made of — what else — ice.
The maze was completed last night, Empric said.
It breaks the old world record for an ice maze set in 2005 when the Pontiac Ice Maze was constructed during a Toronto festival using 1,940 blocks of ice and measuring 8,280 square feet.
It also was done at a fraction of the cost.
When organizers of the Buffalo festival decided to go for the record, they found out the Toronto maze cost more than $300,000.
But Buffalo was able to pull of the feat thanks to donations and volunteers.
Artic Glacier Ice company donated the 2,200, 300-pound blocks of ice.
Local businesses and foundations chipped in with $20,000 to have the ice trucked to HSBC plaza.
Dean Sutton Architects designed the maze, and some 50 volunteers spent the past week building it through snow, freezing rain and melting temperatures.
Source: buffalonews
