Superior ice tower collapses
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The Ice Man of Superior, formerly the Ice Man of Big Lake, has met failure.
Roger Hanson was well along in his city-subsidized effort to build an ice tower in the city this week. Things were looking good and tourists were stopping to take a look, just as the city had hoped.
He had started the final tier about 10 days ago, which would raise the tower to 65 feet, a new record for him.
And then a leg gave way at midmorning today...
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And down it all came...
... leaving a big pile of ice and snow, which doesn't make Superior very unique.
The collapse couldn't have come at a worse time; he was in the middle of talking to a New York Times reporter about the project.
Video and more info on his Facebook page.
Given warmer-than-normal temperatures and a more intense sun, it's unlikely the tower, which was to be the center of light shows later this month, can be rebuilt this year.
"These winters are not nearly as long as I'd like them to be," he said late last month.