Edmonton-area students weld Halloween sculptures, gain new skills

A number of local high school students are welding their own spooky spin on Halloween this weekend.

Teams from nine Edmonton-area high schools participated in the third annual Wicked Welding event on Saturday at the CLAC Welding Training Centre.

Each group of four students built metallic, Halloween-themed sculptures to compete for the top prize.

“A lot of it’s the experience, right? Working together, meeting new people,” said Lucas Case, a welding teacher at Sturgeon Composite High School in Sturgeon County, Alta. “Learning new processes, learning how to use new tools. A big thing is using their hands.”

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Students worked on detailed plans for their creations in the weeks leading up to the competition.

“It teaches you a new skill, and it’s a really good skill to have in life because you never know when you’re going to need it, and there are a lot of things you’re going to need it for,” said high school student Zakk Goertzen.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It teaches you a new skill, and it's a really good skill to have in life because you never know when you're going to need it, and there are a lot of things you're going to need it for," said high school student Zakk Goertzen.

For Cherese Eidick, welding has helped build confidence.

“I know I can weld, however I’m always doubting myself, and when there’s other people around I tend to almost freeze up so I think it’s a really good experience,” Eidick said.

All materials used in the event were donated by local businesses.