Technologist carves life-size Ford Bronco out of snow
Talk about making the best of inclement weather conditions. After the big snowstorm hit in late February, Jacob DiMaria got to work. It took DiMaria, a two-time HFC alumnus, almost five days after work to create a snow sculpture emulating the upcoming 2021 Ford Bronco. He used nothing but his imagination, his hands, a shovel, and a piece of scrap wood from his garage to sculpt the life-size piece of snow art.
“It was just the right temperature, and it was good packing snow,” said DiMaria, of Dearborn. “I did the Bronco this year. It’s one of the Ford vehicles I’m excited about. It’s iconic, and it’s (re)launching very soon.”
This year, Ford is bringing back the Bronco with seven different editions for customers to choose from this year. Originally launched in the 1960s as an early precursor to today's thriving SUV market, the 2-door Bronco was discontinued by Ford in 1996. The 2021 re-launch of the brand will feature both 2-door and 4-door models.
Hashtag #TheSnowBronco
In the last few years, it has become a tradition for DiMaria to create highly-detailed works of art out of snow. In previous years, he sculpted a 1965 Ford Mustang (see below) and the Michigan Central Station.
The impetus to carve these amazing creations out of snow stemmed from a combination of having a long weekend off, good packing snow, and a bit of boredom.
“It gives people something else to talk about besides the coronavirus pandemic. They think it’s pretty cool. My wife, Lizzie, posted about it (hashtag #TheSnowBronco) and we had a lot of people drive by our house. It’s been getting a pretty good amount of attention. It catches people’s eye and they slow down and stare at it. They can’t believe it’s made out of 100 percent snow! They’ve always got a smile on their faces when they look at it, so that’s good to see,” said DiMaria.
Two-time HFC alumnus finds fulfilling career at Ford
The third of six children – all of whom attended HFC – DiMaria was homeschooled. He holds two associate degrees from HFC. The first is in general studies, which he earned in 2012. The second is in automotive technology, which he earned through HFC’s Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET) program in 2014.
“My two older siblings who attended HFC liked it very much. It was a good place to start out and see what I wanted to do. After my first associate degree, I found out about the ASSET program, and wanted to do it. It worked out well,” recalled DiMaria.
For the last six years, DiMaria has worked as a Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) Technologist for Ford Motor Co.. He and his wife, Lizzie, also own a wedding photography business, Dear Fern.
He plans to keep creating snow masterpieces, as long as the Michigan winters cooperate. As for what next year's sculpture will be, it’s anyone’s guess.
“We’ll have to see what’s relevant next winter,” he said. “I’m open to suggestions, though.”
Congratulations to our local snow artist and proud HFC alumnus!
Additional media coverage of #TheSnowBronco
DiMaria’s snow Bronco has achieved plenty of interest from several media outlets, including:
• Dearborn Press & Guide
• The Drive
• The News Wheel
• The Advocate
