The 'Coolest' Job in Town

It's important to stay cool in the summer. It helps if you can do it all day long, while making money doing what you love. The key to one Long Islander's success: Ice. Lots and lots of ice.

Dan Bergin is the ice carving manager and head sculptor at Ice Sculpture Designs in Deer Park. Dan hails from Babylon, and has been with the company for the better part of seven years. So how does a one-time culinary student get involved with ice sculpting?

"It's not really the average field where you can go to an ice sculpting school or find a job anywhere," Bergin said.

Dan went to BOCES for culinary classes while in high school. That's where he was introduced to the basics. One of the chefs would create sculptures for school events, and let Dan help. Later, he learned about Ice Sculpture Designs, one of the more renowned companies in the industry. He told owner Dawn Rella he just wanted a foot in the door.

"I told Dawn I would sleep in the freezer if she wanted me to," Dan said. "They essentially put a big block of ice in front of me and said carve whatever you want ... I guess they saw [my] potential."

Bergin now oversees a staff that creates sculptures of all kinds for all sorts of events. Yes, there's the classic swan design used as a centerpiece for parties. That's just the tip of the iceberg (pun intended).

The company lists the Academy and Tony Awards, the Mets and Yankees, and both the Democratic and Republican parties among its many high profile clients. They've provided sculptures for movie premieres and Olympic events throughout its 30-year history.

Whether a nationally televised event or a local private party, it all starts with a block of ice, weighing up to 300 pounds. Ice Sculpture recently went into business with Apple Ice Products in Deer Park, a leading ice manufacturer and distributor. Dan and company handle all the sculpting for the company.

Apple provides the crystal-clear ice for the sculpture. It's a lengthy process, beyond simply freezing water. Once the ice is conditioned just right, much of the work is done inside a giant freezer. It may be summer outside, but it feels like an Arctic climate within its walls.

Chainsaws, chisels, sanders; these are some of the tools of the trade, to get those intricate features just right, like a giant 'Jack Sparrow' for a Pirates of the Caribbean event.

Of course, this is the 21st century, so computers are involved. Specifically, the CNC machine. The CNC is useful for mass produced sculptures, like the swan, or luges; those vodka slides you see at many weddings. Designs are drawn up on computers, and the CNC do the initial outlines before the carvers finish it off.

Computers can only do so much, according to Dan.

"The CNC is only as good as the person behind it or finishing the work," he said.

Devices like the CNC are useful in taking some of the load off Dan's back. Ice sculpting can be physically taxing - carving dozens of designs daily in sub-zero temperatures, holding a chainsaw all day.

"It allows the carver to have more longevity in the field, because it is very physical having to carve ice every day," Bergin said.

Depending on the temperature, sculptures can last up to eight hours. That makes transportation critical, as staffers need to be adept at packaging, loading, and repairing, should a piece break off.

Dawn Rella co-founded the company with her brother Scott. She loves Dan's creativity, and hopes it rubs off not just on future sculptors she'll employ, but clients as well, since one of the company's slogans is 'The only thing that limits you is your imagination.'

"I [hope to] get more people telling me what they want, rather than them asking me what can I get for them," Rella said.

Whatever the request, be it a replica of the Super Bowl trophy, or a sensual sculpture for a bachelor party, Dan Bergin will be the man behind the ice. He says he thrives on the unpredictability his job can bring.

"It certainly is fun, it's something different every day," he said. "I think that's what keeps me going, and allows me to enjoy my job as much as I do."