VIKINGS IN BLACK
Viking Articles
     

Resized Image


It takes a lot of handouts to keep the VIB on the minds of our fans throughout the year. We've given away everything from paper Viking helmets to custom made "Silly Putty," but every year the most sought after give-aways are buttons.

Once again, our friends at Chicago's Busy Beaver Button Co. have graciously taken on the task of making a big chunk of those buttons. You'll have to come see us to get one!

You can always get your very own awesome buttons. Click here to check it out.

Busy Beaver Button Co.
3279 W. Armitage
Chicago, Illinois 60647
(773) 645-3359



Download the SCREENSAVER
version for your PC!

Click here to download the EXE and here
for the ZIP file.


Yes. You CAN contact us without going to Facebook.

Send us an email:
• Svenhärd - svenskupien@hotmail.com
• Bjorn - bjornskupien@gmail.com
• Thorfinn - thor420.ds@gmail.com

1990: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: "Illuminati" (Sven and some other idiots)

1991: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Third Place "The Graduate"
         (Sven, Thor & Bob Belt)

1992: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: "Winged Victory" (Sven, Thor & Bob Belt)
         United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "The Madonna"
         (Sven, Thor & Bob Belt)

1993: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: "Gargoyle"
         (First sculpture by entire current team: Sven, Thor & Bjorn, the Vikings In Black)

1994: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Second Place "Mjolnir"

1995: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: First Place "John Henry"
         United States National Snow Sculpting Competition : Fifth Place "Death of Cleopatra"

1996: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: International Peoples' Choice
        "Tarzan: The Death of Kerchak"
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "Le Succube"

1997: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: First Place "Keokuk."
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "Who Are You?"

1998: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: International Peoples' Choice "King Conan"
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition : Peoples' Choice
        "Odin, The Allfather",
        OHM Award For Spirit

1999: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Third Place "Perseus Presents Medusa"
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "Hercules At Hades"

2000: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Third Place "Vagen til Valhalla"
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "The Huldra"

2001: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: "Lewis Lemon"

2002: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Honorable Mention "Sweetness"

2003: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition cancelled.
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "Peace Of Mind"

2004: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: First Place "Progress"

2005: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: International Peoples' Choice "Super Grover"
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "Perseverance"

2006: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Peoples' Choice & Fourth Place "Priorities"

2007: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: First Place "The Crusher"

2008: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition cancelled.
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "Sleipnir"

2009: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Third Place "The Dark Knight"

2010: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Second Place "Vagen til Valhalla II"

2011: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Peoples' Choice and Second Place "Astrapaios"

2012: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Peoples' Choice and First Place "Pocahontas"
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "The Lookout"

2013: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition cancelled due to lack of snow.
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "Oh, Yes We Kraken!"

2014: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: First Place “The Dragon Whisperer”
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "Fish & Ships"

2015: Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition: Exhibition Piece “Master of the Universe”
        United States National Snow Sculpting Competition: "Sampson at Gaza"

Resized Image

A loooooong time ago the VIB drove around in the LongJeep.

Resized Image


Resized Image


We still have it. It's a little worse for wear, but she will sail again!

We are the VIB: Svenhärd, Thorfinn, and Bjorn, three half-Swedish brothers originally from Roscoe, Illinois. We were raised by Karin and George Skupien (sponsors and huge supporters) to be dedicated to our work but to never forget to have fun doing it.

Svenhärd began sculpting in 1990 as part of another team and was joined the following year by Thorfinn. Together with sculptor Bob Belt, the team won its first state award (Third Place) for a Gulf War piece entitled "The Graduate." The following year we competed in Nationals for the first time.

In 1993, Bob Belt left the team and was replaced by another brother, Bjorn. The team began wearing matching grey coveralls and we were unofficially dubbed "The Sewer Workers" by fellow state sculptors.

In 1994, we donned all black snow suits and face masks and became "The Ninja Sculptors" (again a name given by other sculptors). That year's sculpture "Mjolnir" (depicting the Norse god Thor) won us a Second Place state award and a return trip to Nationals (where we went every chance we got for decades). That year we also began the tradition of handing out bottles of "Bjorn's Bitchin' Glug."

The following year we officially became The Mighty Morphin' Swedish Mutant Ninja Sculptors and donned our now infamous Viking helmets. A couple years later we changed our name because little kids just didn't understand the joke anymore and we permanently became the Vikings In Black.

In 2002, Thorfinn narrowly survived being hit by a drunk driver while walking across the street to his house... ending his boxing career and spawning a much, much angrier Viking. But the show must go on, and as Thorfinn says “Fighters fight.”

The Vikings continued to compete until 2017, when we officially walked away from the competition circuit, launching our own annual exhibition at Rockton Yeti Fest in Settlers Park in Rockton, Illinois. It was there that we joined our sculpting friends to create the Legion of Snow Sculptors.

The VIB is now one of the oldest (if not THE oldest) snow sculpting teams in existence with the same team members. We don’t plan on stopping.

Resized Image


Seek Your Geek
Roscoe, Illinois
(815) 293-7335

If you would like to become a sponsor please contact Sven at svenskupien(at)hotmail.com.

Copyright © 2023 Vikings In Black. All rights reserved. We're watching you.